Forget the Algorithm: Why Email Is the Only Empire Worth Building
- The Creactivist Marketer
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
Stop building your business on rented land. Discover why owning your audience through email is the only way to drive real revenue and build authority.
You want proof? Try launching the Tia Maria Cook Book by email—yes, an actual cookbook for a coffee liqueur brand. Or driving a Gillette campaign into inboxes across the UK and owning the conversation, not just the shelf.
You think you need to be a global media giant to make email work? Think again. I’ve launched cult campaigns with nothing but a killer email and a sharp point of view - Tia Maria Cook Book, ring any bells?
Or Gillette, straight into the UK’s inboxes, leaving everyone else scratching their heads. Why should you care about newsletters?
Here’s the cold, hard truth: they didn’t sell because newsletters are sexy. They sold because they work.
Let’s not mess about. While everyone else is shouting into the social media void, hoping an algorithm throws them a bone, smart businesses are quietly building empires in people's inboxes.
If you’re relying solely on Instagram or Facebook to drive your sales, you’re building your house on sand. One algorithm update, one shadowban, one platform change, and poof - your audience is gone.
Safe marketing is a slow death. Relying on rented land is just reckless.
It’s time to stop chasing likes and start owning your audience.
The Myth of "Dead" Email
People have been declaring the death of email for a decade. Usually, it’s the same people trying to sell you a course on the "next big thing" like TikTok dancing or Threads.
But look at the data. Look at your own behaviour.
When you wake up, do you scroll Instagram? Probably. But when you want to buy something, find a confirmation, or read something substantial from a brand you trust, where do you go? Your inbox.
Email isn't dead; it’s just boring in the hands of boring people.
If your emails are dry, corporate drab, nobody’s opening them. But if you treat your newsletter like a product—a valuable, voice-driven piece of content—it becomes your sharpest weapon.
The ROI You Can’t Ignore
Let’s talk numbers, because this is where email mops the floor with everything else. The latest studies put the average ROI for email marketing at a staggering £35–£40 for every pound spent. No, that’s not a typo. Show me another channel with that kind of return - you won’t find one.
Some of my own clients? We’ve smashed open rates of 60% or even 80% when we nail the message. We’ve seen hospitality brands fill rooms off the back of a single Friday morning send. One retailer banked a five-figure sale from a “last chance” email because the right offer hit the right inbox at the right time. That’s direct, trackable cash. Not vague “impressions.”
You want results that hit the bottom line? Email is where the smart money goes.
Own the Room, Don't Rent It
Imagine you’re that boutique hotel in the Cotswolds I mentioned.
You post a stunning photo of a log fire on Instagram. It gets 400 likes. Lovely. But does it book rooms? Maybe. If the algorithm shows it to the right people at the exact moment they’re thinking about a weekend away.
Now, imagine you have an email list of 5,000 previous guests and interested leads.
You send an email on a Tuesday morning: "It’s raining in London. It’s crackling by the fire here. We have three suites left for this weekend. Want one?"
That’s not hope marketing. That’s direct response. That’s cash in the bank.
Here’s why owning the list changes the game:
1. You Control the Narrative
On social, you’re fighting for attention between a cat video and a political rant. In the inbox, it’s just you and them. You command the energy. You decide the context.
2. No Gatekeepers
Mark Zuckerberg doesn't get to decide if your best customers see your offer. You hit send, they receive it. End of story.
3. Authority is Built in Silence
Social media is a noisy cocktail party where everyone is shouting. A newsletter is a quiet conversation in the corner. It’s where you whisper, and people lean in. It’s where you stop being a vendor and start being a strategic partner.
The "Different, Not Better" Approach to Newsletters
Most businesses treat newsletters like digital flyers. "Buy this! Look at us! We won an award!"
Boring. Beige. Delete.
To make this work, you have to apply the Different, Not Better philosophy. You don’t need a better newsletter design than your competitor. You need a different point of view.
Take my fashion brand in Manchester.
The Safe Way: Sending an email with just product photos and a "Shop Now" button.
The Different Way: Sending a weekly email on "How to dress like you own the room," featuring styling tips, attitude, and then the clothes that make it happen.
You’re not selling fabric; you’re selling identity.
When you write with personality—when you’re conversational, cheeky, and unafraid to have an opinion—people don’t just open your emails. They look forward to them.
But I Don't Have Time...
I hear this excuse constantly. "I’m too busy running the business to write."
Rubbish.
You’re spending hours doom-scrolling or tweaking a website banner nobody looks at. Prioritise what pays.
You don’t need to write a novel. You need to write a belief shift.
Problem: Call out the issue your customer is facing.
Empathy: Show you get it.
Answer: Give them the solution (which is you).
Change: Show them the transformation.
It takes 20 minutes if you know your stuff. And if you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you know your stuff.
How to Start (Even If You Have Zero Subscribers)
"But I don't have a list!"
Then start today. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
Create a Lead Magnet that actually solves a problem. Not a "Subscribe for updates" box. Nobody wants updates. Offer a guide, a checklist, a discount, or exclusive access.
Put it everywhere. Website header, social bio, email signature.
Email them weekly. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds sales.
Don't overthink it. Don't try to be perfect. Just be real.
Ready to Reject Better?
Safe marketing is hiding behind an algorithm. Bold marketing is showing up in the inbox with something to say.
If you’re ready to stop blending in and start building an asset you actually own, get serious about email.
Social media is for visibility.
Email is for profitability.
Don't mix them up.
"Strategy fades,
Your list is the king,
Own the room you're in."
Worth a chat?
Drop me an e mail.
John (Nick) Atkinson, the CreActivist Marketer who is Doing it Differently!
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