FYI, email marketing is not just sending another boring newsletter!
Here’s a juicy stat for you: Email marketing has an average ROI of 42:1. That’s £42 back for every £1 spent.
Sounds brilliant, right? Yet somehow, most small businesses either:
- Aren’t doing email marketing at all.
- Are doing it badly and wondering why it’s not working.
Let’s fix that.
Why email marketing matters more than ever
I always tell my clients never build on rented land.
📱 Algorithms change.
📉 Organic reach plummets.
💬 Social platforms crash or get hacked.
But your email list? You own that. It’s not rented land like social media, it’s a direct line to your audience. And you need to make good use of it.
Email is where relationships are built and sales are made. Especially if you offer services, education, products, or want to stay top of mind, and it’s an untapped revenue reservoir for many small businesses.
Bust most businesses are doing it wrong.
Here’s what I see all the time:
- One-off “newsletter” blasts with no strategy.
- Sending emails from Gmail instead of a proper email platform.
- No unsubscribe link (🚨 that’s illegal, btw).
- Writing like a corporate robot no one asked for.
That’s not email marketing, that’s asking to get flagged as spam and the risks are huge, not just for your sending domain but also for your business (and you!).
But where do I start?
I get it. There’s lot of info out there. So let’s break it down:
- Welcome – This is your first impression. Tell them what to expect and why they should stay.
- Nurture – A mini-series of value-packed emails to help build trust and warm your audience up.
- Sell – This isn’t spammy sales chat. It’s an offer they care about, presented clearly, at the right time.
That’s your foundation. From here, there should be regular communication, but not just for the sake of it. You’ve GOT to keep it relevant, engaging, and worth their time.
Important note on the legal stuff, don’t skip this bit!
Email marketing is powerful, but it’s also regulated. In the UK, GDPR means:
✅ You must get clear consent to email people.
✅ You must offer an easy way to unsubscribe.
✅ You must explain what people are signing up for.
Skip this and you risk:
- Fines
- Complaints
- Ruining your reputation
That’s why using a proper email marketing platform is non-negotiable.
The right tools makes a BIG difference
Not all email software is created equal. You need one that:
- Keeps you GDPR compliant
- Lets you create automations (like welcome emails)
- Integrates with your website and forms
- Is affordable and scalable
💡 My personal favourite for small businesses/start ups? MailerLite – It’s free to start, powerful enough to grow with you, and won’t melt your brain.
Other great options include:
HubSpot (good, but gets pricey fast)
ActiveCampaign (if you want advanced automation)
ConvertKit (great for creators)
And puhlease, set an objective for every email
Don’t send an email just because it’s Tuesday.
Ask yourself:
- What’s the goal of this email?
- What action do I want them to take?
- How does this help them or me?
Whether it’s clicking a link, replying, downloading something, or buying, your email should always have a purpose.
Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s just being underutilised or misused.
If you send emails that are helpful, human, and have a clear purpose, you’re already ahead of 90% of small businesses out there.
Now, as for how you measure your email marketing’s performance, that’s a WHOLE other post.