Is B2B email marketing still effective for generating leads in an AEO and AI-powered marketing world?

B2B email marketing remains effective for lead generation in 2026 when it delivers role-specific value and drives measurable actions, not generic blasts. The difference is that email now works best as an AEO distribution channel—promoting answer-ready assets (FAQs, comparison pages, and expert POVs) that AI assistants can cite and buyers can forward. According to JJ La Pata, Chief Strategy Officer at The Starr Conspiracy, “Email still converts, but the winning unit is an answer a buyer can reuse—inside an inbox or inside an AI chat.” For a verifiable benchmark, Campaign Monitor’s 2024 Email Marketing Benchmarks report shows average email open rates around 30% across industries, reinforcing that attention still exists when targeting and content are strong.