Email marketing delivers the highest ROI, when done well.
For every $1 spent, email marketing delivers an average ROI of $42. It offers the best conversion rates, the most direct line to your audience, and the clearest path to sales. There no problem with email; it’s the lazy, formulaic way most businesses approach email that sucks.
Email marketing vs social media marketing: the data doesn’t lie.
Email subscribers and social media followers are not created equal. And yet, small businesses and brands continue to massively overinvest in social media.
Let’s break this down with some marketing maths. The average open rate across all industries is around 21%. Organic reach on Meta platforms sits closer to 2%. That means if you have 2,000 email subscribers, about 435 people will open your email. With 2,000 Instagram followers, you're lucky if 40 accounts see your post. Yikes.
Email marketing beats social, search, and paid ads for ROI. It gives you a direct line to your audience, without an algorithm deciding who gets to hear from you. Email done right is money in your pocket.
Why most email marketing falls flat
Most small businesses are not using email properly. Templates that promise plug-and-play results go up in flames fast. People can sniff out canned content a mile off.
One of the biggest pitfalls is treating your email list like a dumping ground rather than a community. Sending the same email to your entire list is lazy marketing. It damages your deliverability, tanks your open rates, and gets you sent straight to the sin bin (AKA, the dreaded spam folder). Each email you send needs to be segmented and personalised, so it has the best possible chance of being relevant and valuable to your reader.
The second problem is the obsession with newsletters no one asked for. Weekly updates about what you’ve been up to are not compelling content. If your email doesn’t help your reader think differently, solve a problem, or feel something, why are you sending it? Before you begin mapping out email content, ask yourself these two questions:
- How do I want my audience to feel when they read it?
- What action do I want them to take?
And finally, the cardinal sin every business should avoid: pushing the hard sell every time someone opens their inbox. A nurture sequence should feel like a conversation, not a series of increasingly desperate sales pitches.
Build an email list that actually wants to hear from you
If you want email to work for you, you need to start with the basics: a strategy to grow your email list.
Relying on a tiny, disengaged list and hoping email will save your business is wishful thinking. You need a way to consistently attract new subscribers, and it starts with killing the phrase “join our newsletter.”
Nobody wants another newsletter clogging their inbox. What they want is value. Teach them something. Entertain them. Show them a tool or approach they can use.
Instead of asking people to “sign up for updates,” offer them a tangible lead magnet: a weekly tip to grow their business, a quiz, a short mini-course. Make it clear what they’ll get and why it matters to them. And this means ditching the generic “sign up to my newsletter” form, too. It’s 0% persuasive, 0% strategic, and 100% forgettable. Every sign-up form is an opportunity to pitch why someone should hand over their email.
How to get better results from your email marketing
A plan = better results
Good email marketing isn’t about sending the odd email when you remember or when motivation strikes. You need a plan.
Start with a content strategy. Define a few key pillars that help you educate, inspire, or connect with your audience at different stages of their customer journey. Know how many emails you’re sending each month, who you’re sending them to, and why.
Stop blasting your entire list. Segment based on what people are interested in or where they are in your funnel. Sending relevant content to the right people is how you build trust and get better results.
Next, you need a basic automation strategy. At a bare minimum, you need a welcome sequence that introduces new subscribers to your brand. It should sound like it’s written by a real person, not a robot. A good welcome sequence makes people feel seen, heard, and connected. It builds emotional affinity with your brand, the kind that later translates into purchases. Remember: the goal is conversation, not conversion.
If you’re offering lead magnets, create follow-up sequences that nurture people after they download. Don’t leave them hanging. A good lead magnet sequence continues to warm up your leads, provide value, and moves them from interest to action without screaming at them to buy. And if every email asks for a sale, it’s not a nurture sequence–it’s a slow-motion sales pitch. Avoid at all costs.
Breaking down different types of email marketing
| |
EDMs |
Email Sequences |
Email campaign |
| What is it |
Regular emails to your subscribers to provide value and insight |
Welcome sequence, sales sequence, abandoned cart sequence |
A series of emails that are part of a multi-channel marketing campaign |
| What’s it for |
Building affinity and trust with your audience |
Evergreen content to nurture your subscribers across different touchpoints of the customer journey |
When you’re launching an offer |
| When to send |
When to send Weekly or fortnightly |
Weekly or fortnightly Automated, when people complete a form |
During your campaign period |
The emails that work best in 2025
Unopened downloads are a dead weight. What people want now is regular, reliable insight from someone they trust. The best-performing emails in 2025 look like this:
- Weekly roundup emails with fresh ideas, insights, or recommendations. My best-performing lead magnet is The Weekly Roundup, but not because it’s a “newsletter.” It’s because it delivers real value, in my voice, with stuff worth reading.
- Short email series that solves one clear problem
- First-person storytelling that connects lessons to real experiences
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses that share value, not just diary entries
People don’t want noise. They want something worth opening. If your email isn’t useful, interesting, or valuable to your audience, don’t send it. It’s that simple.
We have a tendency to overthink email marketing. Fonts, emojis, the day of the week to send. These are distractions if the content itself is boring.
Write like a human. Share real ideas. Be warm. Talk to one person, not a faceless list.
And if you’re feeling stuck, go back to: “What would I actually open and read in my inbox?”
Consistency beats perfection. Every. Damn. Time.
If you're serious about using email to grow your business, you need more than templates and guesswork. You need a strategy. Inside Marketing Circle, we show you how to build an email list you actually want to write to and a content plan that makes your audience excited to hear from you.
You’ll learn how to create lead magnets people want, welcome sequences that sound human, and campaigns that drive real results. No gimmicks. No boring newsletters. Just smart, strategic email marketing that works.
Ready to stop winging it and start writing emails people love to open?
Mia Fileman
Mia is a campaign strategist and founder of Campaign Del Mar. You'll love her hard hitting, no BS marketing expertise honed by 20 years in the industry. She is a widely published writer for publications including Social Media Examiner, Mumbrella, Marketing Mag, Smart Company and Better Marketing. She spent 10 years in brand management roles for global consumer brands Vegemite, Kraft, Maybelline and BIC in France. Now, she's a full-time trainer and mentor who guides you to create marketing that paysoff.
#block-1744346348495 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346348495 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1744346348495 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346348495 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1744346348495 { text-align: left; } } #block-1577982541036_0 .btn { margin-top: 1rem; } #block-1744346003607 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346003607 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1744346003607 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346003607 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1744346003607 { text-align: left; } } #block-1577982541036_0 .btn { margin-top: 1rem; } #block-1746006091701 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746006091701 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746006091701 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746006091701 .block { padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746006091701 { text-align: ; } } #block-1746006091701 .block, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746006091701 .image, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .image { width: 100%; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746006091701 .image__image, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .image__image { width: 100%; } #block-1746006091701 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; background-color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746006091701 .image__overlay-text, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .image__overlay-text { color: !important; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746006091701 .block, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746006091701 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746006091701"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; } #block-1746006091701 .image__overlay:hover { opacity: 1; } } #block-1746006528008 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746006528008 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746006528008 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746006528008 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746006528008 { text-align: left; } } #block-1577982541036_0 .btn { margin-top: 1rem; } #block-1744346500354 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346500354 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1744346500354 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1744346500354 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1744346500354 { text-align: left; } } #block-1577982541036_0 .btn { margin-top: 1rem; } #block-1746444139411 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746444139411 .block { border: 1px none #ECF0F1; border-radius: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746444139411 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746444139411 .block { padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746444139411 { text-align: left; } } .table-1746444139411 table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; } .table-1746444139411 th, .table-1746444139411 td { border: 1px solid black; padding: 8px; text-align: left; font-size: .8em; } .table-1746444139411 th { font-weight: bold; } #block-1746008983944 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746008983944 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746008983944 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746008983944 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746008983944 { text-align: left; } } #block-1577982541036_0 .btn { margin-top: 1rem; } #block-1746009378350 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746009378350 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746009378350 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 90px; } #block-1746009378350 .block { padding: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746009378350 { text-align: center; } } #block-1746009378350 .btn, [data-slick-id="1746009378350"] .block .btn { color: #ffffff; border-color: #de5c5f; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #de5c5f; } #block-1746009378350 .btn--outline, [data-slick-id="1746009378350"] .block .btn--outline { background: transparent; color: #de5c5f; } #block-1746600489241 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746600489241 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746600489241 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746600489241 .block { padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746600489241 { text-align: ; } } #block-1746600489241 .block, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746600489241 .image, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .image { width: 100%; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746600489241 .image__image, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .image__image { width: 100%; } #block-1746600489241 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; background-color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746600489241 .image__overlay-text, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .image__overlay-text { color: !important; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746600489241 .block, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746600489241 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746600489241"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; } #block-1746600489241 .image__overlay:hover { opacity: 1; } } #block-1746600973511 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746600973511 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746600973511 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746600973511 .block { padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746600973511 { text-align: ; } } #block-1746600973511 .block, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746600973511 .image, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .image { width: 100%; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746600973511 .image__image, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .image__image { width: 100%; } #block-1746600973511 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; background-color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746600973511 .image__overlay-text, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .image__overlay-text { color: !important; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746600973511 .block, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746600973511 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746600973511"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; } #block-1746600973511 .image__overlay:hover { opacity: 1; } } #block-1746601164792 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746601164792 .block { border: 4px black; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746601164792 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1746601164792 .block { padding: 0; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1746601164792 { text-align: ; } } #block-1746601164792 .block, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746601164792 .image, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .image { width: 100%; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746601164792 .image__image, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .image__image { width: 100%; } #block-1746601164792 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; background-color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; } #block-1746601164792 .image__overlay-text, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .image__overlay-text { color: !important; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1746601164792 .block, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .block { display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; } #block-1746601164792 .image__overlay, [data-slick-id="1746601164792"] .image__overlay { opacity: 0; } #block-1746601164792 .image__overlay:hover { opacity: 1; } } #block-1696523110962 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1696523110962 .block { border: 2px solid #de5c5f; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f5d2ba; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1696523110962 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1696523110962 .block { padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 25px; padding-right: 25px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 25px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1696523110962 { text-align: center; } } #block-1696523110962 .form-btn { border-color: #de5c5f; border-radius: 4px; background: #de5c5f; color: #ffffff; } #block-1696523110962 .btn--outline { color: #de5c5f; background: transparent; } #block-1696523110962 .disclaimer-text { font-size: 16px; margin-top: 1.25rem; margin-bottom: 0; color: #888; } .parsley-errors-list {display: none;} #block-1696522456141 { margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1696522456141 .block { border: 1px none black; border-radius: 10px; background-color: #f4f1eb; padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 15px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { #block-1696522456141 { margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; } #block-1696522456141 .block { padding: 0px; padding: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 15px; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1696522456141 { text-align: center; } } #block-1696522456141 .feature__image, [data-slick-id="1696522456141"] .feature__image { width: 100px; border-radius: 100px; } .authorfeature { display: flex; align-items: flex-start; position: relative; } .authorfeature__image-container { flex-shrink: 0; margin-right: 20px; } .authorfeature__image { max-width: 150px; height: auto; } .authorfeature__content { flex-grow: 1; } @media (max-width: 767px) { #block-1696522456141 .authorfeature { flex-direction: column; align-items: center; } #block-1696522456141 .authorfeature__image-container { margin-right: 0; } } .awesomecontainer { background: ; h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, ul, li, .block-type--table table {color: ;} padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } .awesomecontainer .row { -webkit-box-align: flex-start; -ms-flex-align: flex-start; align-items: flex-start; } .awesomecontainer .row .block-type--accordion { align-self: flex-start; }
