Are Email Campaigns Still Effective? Why Taiwanese Businesses Shouldn’t Overlook This Classic Channel

Most businesses in Taiwan are doing amazing things—manufacturing, e-commerce, education, tourism, you name it. Yet in the whirlwind of social media ads, influencer marketing, and AI chatbots, email campaigns often end up at the bottom of the priority list. After all, who has time to write newsletters when everyone’s scrolling TikTok?

Surprisingly, email marketing is far from obsolete. In fact, it’s one of the most cost-effective and direct ways to connect with customers—provided you do it right. Below, we’ll break down why email campaigns still matter, how to build a list that actually wants to hear from you, and what best practices can keep your messages out of the spam folder.

1. Why Email Isn’t Dead

a. Direct Access to Your Audience

Social media algorithms can change overnight, burying your posts if you don’t pay to boost them. With email, you own your contact list. No middleman stands between you and your subscribers, meaning you can reach them any time—no extra fee required.

b. High ROI

Various studies (including ones by the Direct Marketing Association) suggest that email marketing routinely delivers one of the highest ROIs (return on investment) in digital marketing—somewhere in the range of 30:1 to 40:1. Even if you consider those numbers optimistic, a well-crafted email campaign can easily outperform a poorly targeted social media ad.

c. Personalization at Scale

Want to greet your customers by name, reference past purchases, or even tailor content to their location? Email automation and segmentation make it easy. Sure, social platforms let you target demographics, but they rarely match the direct, one-on-one feel you can achieve in a good email.

2. The State of Email in Taiwan

a. Mobile Readership

In Taiwan, most people check emails on their smartphones. That means any email you send should be mobile-friendly—concise, visually appealing, and with buttons big enough to tap easily. If your email looks awkward on a small screen, expect high unsubscribe rates.

b. Language Considerations

Should you write emails in Chinese, English, or both? It depends on your audience.

• Local B2C: Chinese is the default, perhaps with occasional English buzzwords if your brand voice allows.
• Global or B2B: Consider bilingual approaches or segmenting your list by language preferences.

The key is to avoid mixing languages in a way that confuses or alienates subscribers. If your audience is primarily Taiwanese, stick to Chinese for clarity, sprinkling in English terms if they fit your brand identity.

c. Cultural Nuances

Taiwanese consumers often respond well to personal touches—like mentioning local events, referring to festivals (e.g., Moon Festival, Lunar New Year), or highlighting local collaborations. Making your emails feel relevant and authentic can boost engagement significantly.

3. Building an Email List That Actually Wants Your Messages

a. Quality Over Quantity

It’s tempting to buy a massive list of emails or scrape addresses off the internet. Don’t. Not only is it spammy (and possibly illegal under privacy laws), but it also leads to poor open rates and high unsubscribe/spam flags. A smaller, opt-in list of genuinely interested subscribers is always more valuable than a big list of disinterested people.

b. Easy Sign-Up Forms

Place sign-up forms where people can find them—your homepage, blog posts, checkout pages, or social media profiles. Offer a compelling reason, like:

• Exclusive Discounts
• Early Access to New Products
• Free Ebook or Industry Report

Just be clear about what subscribers can expect, whether it’s weekly product updates, monthly newsletters, or event announcements.

c. Bilingual Sign-Up?

If your audience spans multiple languages, consider bilingual sign-up forms or a simple language selector. The moment they subscribe, you can funnel them into the appropriate list segment—making sure they get emails in their preferred language.

4. Crafting Emails That Get Opened (and Clicked)

a. Write Subject Lines That Spark Curiosity

Your subject line is the gateway to your content. Keep it short (under 50 characters if possible) and make it enticing. A/B test different subject lines to see what resonates. For instance, a local restaurant might compare:

• “We’ve Updated Our Menu—Don’t Miss Out!”
  vs.
• “Hungry? Check Out Our New Tainan-inspired Dishes!”

b. Personalization

Most email marketing tools (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, etc.) let you insert subscriber names or reference past purchases. A subject line like “Lisa, Ready for a Summer Skincare Refresh?” can outperform a generic blast that says “Summer Skincare Sale.”

c. Short, Engaging Copy

Email readers scan quickly—especially on mobile. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and a clear call-to-action (CTA). Whether it’s “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Get Your Discount,” make that button stand out.

5. Timing and Frequency

a. Best Times to Send

There’s no universal magic time, but you can test different days and hours. Many Taiwanese businesses find weekday late mornings or early afternoons perform decently, catching people at work or lunchtime. But it really depends on your audience. Some e-commerce shops do well with evening sends, when people browse casually at home.

b. Avoid Overloading

Bombarding subscribers with daily emails often leads to unsubscribes—unless you run a site that naturally sends frequent deals or real-time updates (like a flash sale platform). For most brands, one or two emails a week (or even a month) is enough to keep people engaged without overwhelming them.

c. Segment by Engagement

If certain subscribers haven’t opened your emails in months, try a re-engagement campaign or reduce how often they hear from you. This keeps your open rates healthy and your unsubscribe rates lower.

6. Compliance and Best Practices

a. Spam Laws

In Taiwan, the law requires you to have an unsubscribe link in every marketing email. Make it easy and straightforward to opt out. Failing to do so can lead to complaints or even fines.

b. Respect Privacy

If you collect personal data, ensure you handle it responsibly. This might involve a privacy policy on your site and a transparent explanation of how you use subscriber information.

c. Authentication and Sender Reputation

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records so email providers recognize your domain as a legitimate sender. This reduces the chance you’ll land in spam.

7. Measuring Success: Key Metrics

• Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who open your email. A low open rate might suggest boring subject lines or poor targeting.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Among those who opened, how many clicked a link or CTA in the email? A high CTR means your offer or content resonated.
• Conversion Rate: The ultimate goal—did they make a purchase, fill out a form, or sign up for a demo after clicking? This metric ties email to real ROI.
• Unsubscribes and Spam Complaints: Keep an eye on these. If they spike, you may be sending irrelevant content, emailing too frequently, or targeting the wrong audience.

8. Integrating Email with Your Other Marketing Channels

a. Use Blog Content in Emails

When you publish a new blog post, share it with your subscribers for an initial traffic boost. This synergy also helps SEO by sending immediate engagement signals to Google.

b. Connect Social and Email

Encourage social media followers to sign up for your email list, and vice versa. In your emails, you might link to your Instagram feed or a behind-the-scenes TikTok video to drive up social engagement.

c. Automated Drip Campaigns

If someone signs up for a free sample of your product, automate a sequence of timed emails that guide them from “interest” to “purchase.” Done right, this can feel personal and well-timed, instead of spammy.

9. Final Thoughts: Email as a Long-Term Asset

Email marketing might not be the flashiest channel in 2023, but it remains a workhorse. Where social platforms can vanish or pivot, your email list is an asset you control—one that fosters direct, meaningful relationships with your customers.

In Taiwan, where local culture prizes authenticity and relationship-building, a well-executed email strategy can nurture loyalty that transcends fleeting online trends. Even if you’re rocking it on Instagram or YouTube, consider email as a steady backbone that ties everything together.

And if you’re unsure where to start, our team at Taiwan SEO can help. From building a targeted list to crafting bilingual email campaigns that actually get opened, we’ve spent over a decade guiding businesses—from local Tainan shops to global e-commerce powerhouses. If email marketing is dead, it sure keeps outperforming expectations—and that’s good news for anyone willing to give it a try.