I’ve put together a list of statistics about email marketing vs. social media, and you can see a snapshot of them below.

Next, I’ll give a detailed look at the important role each email marketing vs. social media statistic plays for marketers, how these facts help plan marketing strategies, and pinpoint where these statistics are mentioned to highlight their significance in the marketing industry.

Let me now go over each email marketing vs social media marketing statistics in detail.

Email Marketing VS Social Media Statistics: Key Figures

  • ROI: Email marketing yields $36 for every $1 spent, compared to $2.80 for social media.
  • Email marketing has a 50-100 times higher click rate than social media.
  • 72% of consumers prefer email for company-branded content, while 17% prefer social media.
  • Email marketing is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter at customer acquisition.
  • Email marketing has 40–45% open rates, higher than social media. 
  • Email marketing is the most effective channel for 47% of marketers, followed by social media (39%).

Source: (Agency Analytics, Mail Optin, trellis, McKinsey Insights, Mailmunch, The wise marketer.)

More Resource: Email Marketing Statistics, Social Media Statistics

#1. Email Marketing Yields $36 ROI for Every $1, Outperforms Social Media’s $2.80.

Source: Agency Analytics

Significance of the Data: Very High

Mentioned By: Agencyanalytics, Constant Contact, Luisa Zhou, Belt Creative, Medium, Hubspot, BeFunky, Litmus, Olo, and more. 

Data SuggestJustification
Email marketing offers superior return on investment (ROI).Generates $36 for every $1 spent.
Prioritize email marketing over social media in budgets.ROI is significantly higher than social media.
Invest in tools and strategies to enhance email campaigns.Maximizing ROI from a high-yielding channel.

#2. Email Campaign Click Rates Surpass Social Media by Up to 100 Times.

Email marketing campaigns can have a click rate 50-100 times higher than social media outlets

Source: MailOptin

Significance of the Data: Very High

Mentioned By: Profitworks, Dashthis, Mailoptin, Brevo, Developermedia, Cxl, Transfunnel, Luisa Zhou, and more. 

Data SuggestJustification
Prioritize email marketing campaigns.Proven higher click rate than social media.
Allocate more budget to email marketing.Returns on investment potentially higher.
Regularly update and clean email lists.Ensures optimal reach and effectiveness.

#3. 72% Consumers Prefer Email for Branded Content; Merely 17% Opt for Social Media.

Source: Trellis

Significance of the Data: Very High

Mentioned By: Helplama, Marketingdive, Trellis, Liveintent, Campaign Monitor, Hubspot, Luisa Zhou, and more. 

Data SuggestJustification
Email remains the preferred channel for branded content.72% of consumers opt for email communications.
Social media may not be the primary medium for company updates.Only 17% of consumers choose it for branded content.
Companies should emphasize email content strategies.Aligning with consumer preferences increases engagement.

#4. Email Marketing: 40 Times More Potent Than Facebook, Twitter for Customer Acquisition.

Source: McKinsey Insights

Significance of the Data: Very High

Mentioned By: Mckinsey & Company, Entrepreneur, Developermedia, Tgco, Constant Contact, Mdirector, Benchmark Email, and more. 

Data SuggestJustification
Email marketing is paramount for customer acquisition.It’s 40 times more effective than major social platforms.
Businesses should prioritize email campaigns over social media.Ensures optimal customer acquisition rates.
Invest in refining email strategies, not just social presence.Email significantly outperforms Facebook and Twitter.

#5. Email Campaigns Boast 40-45% Open Rates, Outshining Social Media Benchmarks.

Source: Mailmunch

Significance of the Data: High

Mentioned By: Mailmunch, Developermedia, Luisa Zhou, Snov, Hubspot, Campaign Monitor, Mckinsey & Company, Oberlo, and more. 

Data SuggestJustification
Email marketing campaigns boast impressive engagement.Open rates range between 40-45%.
Businesses should prioritize and fine-tune their email strategies.Higher engagement than what’s observed on social media.
Continuous optimization of email content is crucial.Ensuring content resonates maximizes the high open rates.

#6. 47% of Marketers Rank Email Top Channel; Social Media Trails at 39%.

Source: The wise marketer

Significance of the Data: High

Mentioned By: Snov, Influencer Marketing Hub, The Wise Marketer, Moosend, Optinmonster, Fluent Crm, Marketing Dive, Colorlib, and more.

Data SuggestJustification
Email marketing is a primary tool for a significant portion of marketers.47% of marketers rank it as their top channel.
Social media marketing, though prominent, is secondary.It’s chosen by 39% of marketers as most effective.
Marketers should consider a dual focus with emphasis on email.Email remains dominant, but social media’s relevance persists.