I’ve Been Doing Email Marketing Since 1998. Here’s What Still Works.

I remember the exact moment I sent my first marketing email.

It was 1998. The sound of a dial-up modem connecting was still a daily ritual. Getting an email actually triggered a notification on your screen—like, a real pop-up that made you feel important. “You’ve got mail!” was genuinely exciting, not something you dreaded.

Back then, selling anything online felt like magic. And also nearly impossible, because nobody trusted those newfangled payment things. (“Type my credit card number into a computer? Are you insane?”)

Fast forward 25+ years. I’ve managed email campaigns that moved half a million pounds worth of goods daily. I’ve helped generate seven figures in monthly profit. I’ve watched trends come and go like fashion fads.

And through it all, some things haven’t changed at all.

Here’s what I’ve learned—and what still works, even in 2026.

First, a quick look back

If you’re under 30, you might not remember a world without spam filters. But I do. In the early days, you could literally buy a CD-ROM of email addresses (yes, a physical disc) and blast offers to strangers. And people actually responded sometimes. It was the Wild West.

These days, that would get you banned, blacklisted, and possibly cursed by every recipient. Good riddance.

What else has changed?

• Open rates used to be 50-60%.  Now if you hit 20-30%, you’re doing well. There’s just so much noise.
• People read emails differently. We skim now. We’re on phones. Attention spans are shorter than ever.
• The tools are infinitely better. I used to code emails by hand in HTML. Now I drag and drop. Younger marketers will never know the pain of tables-based layouts breaking in Outlook. (Lucky them.)

But here’s the thing: the fundamentals? They’ve barely budged.

What still works (and always will)

After 25 years, I’ve stopped chasing shiny objects. These are the principles I’d bet my pension on.

1. People still buy from people they trust

Sounds obvious, right? But watch how most marketers email. It’s all “me me me,” “buy buy buy,” “limited time offer.”

I worked with a gambling brand generating a million pounds in profit each month. You’d think that industry is pure hype. But the emails that performed best? The ones that felt human. The ones that sounded like they came from a real person who understood the customer’s situation.

Trust isn’t built in one email. It’s built over time, by showing up consistently, being helpful, and not being a jerk. Same as 1998. Same as always.

2. Subject lines matter—but not how you think

Everyone obsesses over subject lines. And sure, they matter. But the best subject line in the world won’t save a boring email.

What actually works? Clarity over cleverness. If your subscriber can’t tell what’s inside, they won’t open. I’ve tested “clever” against “boring” a hundred times. Boring usually wins.

(Example: “July Newsletter” will beat “The secret they don’t want you to know” if your audience just wants your monthly update. Know your people.)

3. The list is still the asset

Social platforms change algorithms on a whim. Your email list? Yours. Forever.

I watched affiliates build fortunes on affiliate platforms. I also watched thousands sign up, do nothing, and disappear. The ones who made it? They built lists. They owned their audience.

If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: start building your list yesterday. If you haven’t started, start today.

4. Value first, ask second

I know, I know—you’ve heard this before. But watch how rarely people actually do it.

In 1998, I learned that if I gave away useful information, people would eventually ask what else I had. That’s still true. Maybe more true, because people are overwhelmed with mediocre content.

Be the one who actually helps. The sales will follow.

What I stopped worrying about

Experience teaches you what to ignore. Here’s my list:

• Perfect design. A plain text email from a real person often outperforms a beautifully designed newsletter. Don’t let perfectionism stop you from sending.
• One “right” time to send. Tuesday at 11am? Thursday at 2pm? I’ve tested endlessly. The differences are tiny. Send when you have something worth saying.
• Unsubscribes. If someone leaves, let them. They weren’t your people. The ones who stay? They’re gold.

Robert Carey

P.S. If you remember dial-up sounds, we’re probably friends already. If not, welcome to the future—I’m told it’s great here.