Email Marketing and The Greatest Deal My Dad Ever Made
How I Got a New Baseball Glove, My Dad Got a Bargain, and Why Email Marketing is a NO BRAINER for 99% of Businesses
Email marketing has been around since the beginning of email, which I just looked up was 1978…
When JIMMY CARTER was president.
Thats 40 years ago. And since then email has come a LOOOOOONG way…
But is email marketing still RELEVANT?
I mean, just think about the development of technology, communication, and culture since then. Compared to Tik Tok email is downright archaic. Does it still have a place in your tabletop ecommerce or board game marketing?
The answer is yes…
But before I elaborate, let me begin my answer by telling you a quick story about me and my Dad one fateful day in 2004….
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When I was in 6th grade, I needed a new baseball glove.
So on a sunny Saturday morning in early spring, my dad and I got in the car, hopped in CA state highway 24, and headed on over to Big 5 Sporting Goods in Walnut Creek, California.
Now parenting is many things: awe-inspiring, humbling, exciting, tiring, and also… EXPENSIVE.Whether it’s diapers for babies, school supplies, or gear for extracurriculars, it adds up quick.
And for that season my extracurricular gear revolved around baseball: cleats, bats, balls, and most importantly… the glove. I mean, without a good glove, you’re a liability out on the field, right?
That was my logic at least. I don’t know if my dad was convinced, but eventually he gave in. And I was ECSTATIC; it would be my FIRST glove that was my very own and not a hammy-down.
We walked in, I rushed through the store, and I stood mesmerized at a wall covered in more gloves than I could count.
Surrounded by mitts, I began searching for the one that would be MY new glove.
After a few minutes I spotted one that stood out from all the others: soft dark brown leather, firm yet flexible construction, and a good fit… a clear upgrade from my glove since 2nd grade.
I turned to my dad with longing in my eyes, and he began to examine every inch of it… it was like he was a jeweler examining a diamond. After all, you don’t spend well over $100 on a 11 year old unless it is a PERFECT fit that will last years!
But while he failed to find any particular problems, one thing definitely stood out: the price tag… it was non-existant.
The glove had no pricetag on it.
Maybe a machine malfunctioned and arrived from the factory without a tag. Maybe the 17-year-old employee was high when he was labeling the gloves. Or maybe the glove itself, knowing I must have it, ripped the tag off itself.Whatever the reason, someone had forgotten to label it.
We knew it was a nice mit, but we didn’t know if it was $100 or something crazy like $200. So we walked on over to the cash register and inquired on the price.
The cashier, a nice young lady clearly ignorant of baseball, looked at the glove for a moment, and made an offer:
“Hmmm… how about…uuuuh… $19 bucks?”
My dad’s jaw hit the floor.
Now there may have been a better glove in the aisle, but we didn’t go back to look. Before you could say “wait a minute… that’s waaaaaay too cheap for a nice baseball glove like this”, my dad and I were already driving home, glove in our possession.
Now, this is one of my dad’s favorite stories to tell. And like all stories told by old men, the savings seem to grow a little larger every time he tells it. At this point, you’d think the glove was made of gold.
But by my recollection, my dad saved at least $80 dollars that day… $4 saved for every $1 spent. An ROI of $4:$!.
……………………
Why am I telling you all of this?
Because the ROI for professional email marketing is EVEN BETTER.
In my dad’s eyes, that glove is the greatest deal his family has ever known. And. yet, it pales in comparison to what email marketing can still do for you in 2025.
That amazing “return on investment” (ROI) my dad got in the baseball glove… $5:$1… is more than 6x LESS than the LOWEST estimates for competent email marketing.
In other words:
The ROI for email marketing… is AT LEAST $36:$1.
ROI stands for “return on investment”. Its the amount of money you get back for every dollar you put in to making it work. And for email marketing, that’s an estimated ROI of $36 for every $1 you devote to its execution.
And that “$1” includes the email platform (ex: mailchimp, Klaviyo), any graphic designer you hire for the logo, the cost of an email content strategy, the photographer, the copywriter, any time spent managing the platform, and the actual cost of sending the email.
This crazy ROI is why email is the “best bang for your buck”, and why I always offer it to my clients.
But while the ROI is the eye-popping benefit, it is far from the only advantage email marketing has over other ecommerce marketing channels…
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Other Reasons Email is Your Most Essential Marketing Channel
Maybe you were with me for the ROI, but the MOST important? Email? Really?!?
I get it. We all have email inboxes, some reserved only for spam. We receive dozens (sometimes hundreds) of emails a day, most of which we don’t read. And when that is our lived reality every day, its hard to believe that EMAIL MARKETING is one of the most essential marketing channels for any business.
And yet… all these years later… it remains true. Anyone attempting to “skip email”, for any reason, is foolish.
And here are some reasons why:
Virtually everyone uses email (92%) (source)
Those that use email, 99% check it daily (including 75% of teens) and 71% check it first thing in the mor including 75% of teens (source), 46% on a mobile device (source)
You own your email list. It is immune to Silicon Valley policy changes and algorithm “adjustments”.
You can email your subscribers ANYTHING. And you are able to express your values and personality (source)
60% of consumers make a purchase (they wouldn’t otherwise make) in direct response to promotional emails they receive (source)
For 10 years straight email has the highest conversion rate (66%) for purchases in response to promotional messages (source). That is because, unlike a social media post, 100% of your subscribers will receive the email.
NOTHING is better than email at retaining customers (source) or nurturing leads (source)
Nurtured leads make 47% LARGER purchases (source)
They gave you their email…they INVITED you into the inbox. Which is why email is the preferred method for 70% of customers to receive offers… 60% more than any other method (source)
Email is the only tool that can secure, nurture, and convert leads (source)
Email is the best way to foster customer loyalty (source)
Emails can be personalized, which raises open rates and has 7x more results (source)
Emails yield valuable data on your target audience (source). And then segmenting your emails makes them 101% more effective (source)
In conclusion, email marketing is a e-commerce store’s best friend (source)
So…Why Email Marketing?
Simply put: “Cuz its da bomb”.
Its cheap and flexible.
Its in your control.
Its personalized and segmented.
Its what your customers prefer.
And it has an ROI of at least $35:$1
