Email Marketing vs Marketing Automation: What’s the Difference?
In the world of digital marketing, email marketing and marketing automation are often confused—or even used interchangeably. But while they’re closely related, they are not the same. Understanding the differences between them can significantly impact the success of your overall strategy.
In this article, the team at Jelliby breaks it down clearly and concisely: how they differ, when to use one over the other, and how to combine both to get the most out of your campaigns.
Email Marketing: The Classic That Still Works
Email marketing is one of the oldest (and most effective) tools in digital marketing. It’s centred on sending emails to a contact database, with the goal of informing, nurturing or converting a targeted audience.
Key features include:
- Bulk email sending with segmentation
- One-off campaign design (promotions, newsletters, launches)
- Measurable results: open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates
If you’re just starting out in the digital space, email marketing can be your strongest ally in building a solid foundation of communication with your customers.
Marketing Automation: Beyond Email, Beyond Manual
Marketing automation takes things a step further. It involves automating communication processes with users based on their behaviour, their stage in the sales funnel, or their specific interests. And yes, it goes far beyond email.
This approach allows you to:
- Create automated workflows
- Personalise messages based on user behaviour
- Align marketing and sales actions
- Carry out lead nurturing more efficiently
Instead of sending a one-off email to your entire list, marketing automation enables you to create an smart sequence of interactions, triggered by specific events: a download, a website visit, an abandoned cart, etc.
Want to dive deeper into marketing automation? Check out our article on, how to implement a marketing automation strategy.
What’s the difference? 5 key points you should know
Here’s a clear breakdown of the main differences between email marketing and marketing automation:
| Feature | E-mail Marketing | Marketing Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Primarily e-mail based | Multichannel (e-mail, SMS, CRM, web, etc.) |
| Personalisation | Basic segmentation | Advanced, behaviour-based |
| Automation | Manual or semi-automated | Fully automated and dynamic |
| Goal | One-time communication | Long-term relationship building |
| Tools | Email platforms: Mailchimp, Brevo | Automation platforms: HubSpot, ActiveCampaign |
Which one should you use in your strategy?
It’s not about choosing one or the other — it’s about understanding what your business needs based on its digital maturity and objectives:
- If you’re starting out or have a small database, email marketing will help you make an impact without added complexity.
- If you’ve already built a solid list of leads and want to automate your sales funnel, then marketing automation is the way to go.
Bonus tip: Combining both strategies is often the best approach. Use email for one-off marketing campaigns, and automation to build long-term customer relationships.
Email marketing is ideal for clear, timely communication. Marketing automation is perfect for creating personalised, scalable customer experiences. Both tools are powerful — the real value lies in how you integrate them into your overall digital marketing strategy.