Social Media vs Email Marketing: Which Gives Better ROI?

Social Media vs Email Marketing: Which Gives Better ROI? | July 16, 2025

Social Media vs Email Marketing: Which Gives Better ROI?

What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is defined as sharing information about your brand, products, and services through a social media platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Social media marketing can be used for several purposes: to create awareness, to promote new content, to conduct consumer research, and to provide customer service, among others.

Common social media marketing strategies:
• Posting or reposting social media posts that engage consumers;
• Running / sponsoring paid ads and boosted posts;
• Creating collaborations with influencers; and,
• Hosting live video or stories.
Social media moves at the speed of virality for visibility to connect brands with consumers in real time.

What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing, allows you to directly enter your audience’s inbox, these emails can include newsletters, offers, announcements and personalized content as examples.

Types of email marketing campaigns:
• Promotional emails
• Welcome sequences
• Abandoned cart reminders
• Customer retention & loyalty
Unlike social media marketing, you own your email list providing you with the advantage of full control.

Comparative analysis on reach & visibility
Social Media:
- Reach is heavily dependent on its algorithm
- Organic reach is declining
- Paid sponsorship/boosted posts often need to be done in order to gain visibility

Email Marketing:
- Emails land directly in the user’s inbox
- Emails are opened based on subject lines and timing strategies
- 100% ownership of the email list provides 100% control over reach & visibility

? Verdict: Email offers more consistent reach—especially for smaller brands without ad budgets.

 

Engagement Rates: Who Wins the Attention Battle?

Metric	Social Media	Email Marketing
Average Engagement	1%–4%	20%–30% (open rate)
Click-Through Rate	0.5%–1.5%	2%–5%
Conversion Rate	1%–3%	4%–10%

Email marketing consistently outperforms social platforms in meaningful engagement metrics.

 

ROI Breakdown: Cost, Conversions, Lifetime Value

Email:

• Low cost per send
• High ROI: $36–$42 return per $1 spent (DMA 2025 report)
• Easy automation = higher customer lifetime value

Social Media:

• Cost varies by platform (CPC/CPM)
• ROI can spike with viral posts or influencer collabs
• Shorter attention span = harder conversions

? Winner: Email marketing continues to deliver higher ROI and customer retention.

 

Personalization Capabilities

• Email: Advanced segmentation, behavior-triggered campaigns, dynamic content
• Social: Audience targeting in ads, but limited personalization in organic posts

? Takeaway: Email marketing wins for personalized experiences that convert.

 

Long-Term Impact of Both Strategies

• Email helps build loyalty and keeps your audience informed
• Social media is great for staying top-of-mind and creating community

? Best approach: Use email for deep relationships and social for brand personality.

 

When Social Media Works Best

• Real-time interaction (events, product launches)
• Trend participation (hashtags, challenges)
• Growing a visual brand (e.g., fashion, food)

? Platforms like TikTok and Instagram give fast visibility—great for awareness goals.

 

When Email Marketing Shines

• Sending special offers and product updates
• Onboarding or re-engaging subscribers
• Segmenting content by customer interest

Email delivers precise, action-driven communication with measurable impact.

 

AI in Social Media and Email Marketing
AI is going to transform both channels by 2025:
Social Media:
• Predictive post scheduling
• Automated responses and DMs
• Smart audience targeting
Email:
• Dynamic personalization at scale
• Send time optimization
• Automated content curation
? AI optimizes ROI by creating and sending the right messages, at the right time, automatically!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Social Media:

• Posting too much without value
• Ignoring comments and DMs
• Not aligning content with goals

Email:

• Sending spammy or generic emails
• Overwhelming subscribers
• Not cleaning inactive contacts

Avoiding these will boost both engagement and conversions.

 

Top Tools for Managing Both Channels

Tool	Use	Channel
Mailchimp	Email campaigns & automation	Email
ConvertKit	Personalized email funnels	Email
Hootsuite	Schedule & monitor posts	Social
Buffer	Plan content & analyze performance	Social
HubSpot	Multi-channel marketing automation	Both

These tools help even small teams manage big strategies effectively.

 

What The Data Says: 2025 ROI Statistics
From a 2025 DMA study he found that:
• Email marketing ROI: $42 for every $1
• Social Media ROI: All over the place; average for small business is $5-$8 for every $1
? Marketers say email converts better, but social builds brand equity faster.

Case Studies: Brands Winning with Each Channel
• Brand A (Ecommerce): Grew 40% revenue with a targeted email series
• Brand B (beauty): Went viral with TikTok Reels and saw 100K in followers in 30 days
• Brand C: Used Instagram for discovery and email to convert, and ended up with 3X ROI!

The sweet best spot? Use both together.

FAQs on Social Media vs Email ROI

Q1: Which is cheaper to start with?
Email is cheaper, especially with small lists. Most platforms offer free plans.

Q2: Is email more effective than social?
Yes—for conversions. Social is more effective for building awareness.

Q3: Should I use both channels?
Absolutely. They serve different stages of the buyer journey.

Q4: Can I automate both?
Yes. Use AI tools for automation, scheduling, and personalization.

Q5: What’s a good email open rate?
20%–30% is solid in 2025. For social, 1%–2% engagement is considered good.

Q6: Which channel is more future-proof?
Email, since you own your list. Social platforms can change algorithms anytime.

 

Final Verdict: Which Channel Should You Prioritize?

Goal	Recommended Channel
Immediate Engagement	Social Media
Conversions & Sales	Email Marketing
Brand Awareness	Social Media
Customer Retention	Email Marketing
Best ROI (2025)	Email Marketing

Best strategy? Use both. Social for reach and awareness, email for nurturing and converting.