Email marketing has come a long way from the days of bland monthly newsletters. Today, businesses are contending with smarter spam filters, crowded inboxes, and more selective readers than ever. If you’re finding that your email campaigns aren’t getting opened, or worse, are landing straight in the bin, you’re not alone.
The good news? There’s a smarter way to approach it. Whether you’re a small business owner in Colchester, a startup in Great Dunmow, or running a service-based business in Braintree, the right strategies can turn email into one of your most valuable marketing tools. Let’s explore how to do that without drowning in jargon or wasting time on tactics that don’t work.
Why Email Marketing Still Deserves a Place in Your Strategy
It’s tempting to think social media has taken over, but email remains one of the highest-performing digital marketing channels. In fact, according to HubSpot, email generates an average ROI of £36 for every £1 spent. That’s not just impressive, it’s hard to beat.
Despite that, many Essex businesses still miss the mark. The problem isn’t email itself, it’s how it’s used. Poor subject lines, generic content, and unsegmented lists are often to blame. Fix those, and you’ll see the results improve.
Getting Noticed: The Power of a Good Subject Line
It sounds basic, but the subject line is everything. It’s the first impression, and often the only chance you get to convince someone to open your message.
We’ve seen clients transform their open rates just by tweaking subject lines to be shorter, more specific, and slightly more conversational. Ditch the corporate tone. Instead of saying, “Special Offer Inside”, try “This is the one thing your website might be missing.” That shift in tone makes all the difference.
Personalisation helps too. Including someone’s first name isn’t revolutionary, but it works. Just be sure your data’s accurate, there’s nothing more off-putting than a poorly formatted “Hi Firstname.”
Make It Human: Who the Email Comes From Matters
People don’t want emails from [email protected]. They want to hear from a person. Switching the sender name to a real team member, Sarah from ABC Marketing rather than admin@, can increase open rates significantly. It feels more personal and signals that the message might actually be relevant.
Stop Emailing Everyone the Same Thing
A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work anymore. If you’re sending the exact same message to everyone on your list, you’re leaving money on the table, and probably annoying half your audience.
Segmentation doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by grouping your list by simple criteria like past purchase behaviour, local area (like targeting offers just for Essex-based customers), or how engaged they’ve been with previous emails.
Even basic tweaks, like sending a different follow-up email to someone who clicked a link versus someone who didn’t, can have a measurable impact.
Timing Is Half the Battle
When you send your emails is almost as important as what you send. While data suggests that mid-morning on Tuesdays or Thursdays tends to perform well, there’s no universal rule. The truth is, your audience is unique, and your best bet is to test.
Many Essex businesses we work with have found success simply by shifting from sending at 8am to 10am, when people are more likely to be at their desk and checking emails. Use your email platform’s analytics to find the sweet spot for your specific audience.
Think Mobile First
With over 60% of emails opened on a smartphone, you can’t afford to ignore mobile design. Yet we still see businesses sending emails with tiny text, oversized images, or links that are impossible to tap on a phone.
Stick to simple layouts. Use large, readable fonts, concise paragraphs, and clear call-to-action buttons that don’t require a magnifying glass or pinpoint finger accuracy. The aim is to make it easy for someone to take action without needing to scroll endlessly.
Be Clear About What You Want the Reader to Do
Too many emails try to do too much. One moment they’re promoting a blog post, the next it’s a sales offer, then a webinar invite, all in one email. The result? Readers get confused and take no action.
Each email should have one clear goal. That might be booking a consultation, downloading a guide, or reading your latest article. Make the call to action obvious, easy to find, and consistent with the rest of the message. If your subject line promises tips, your CTA shouldn’t suddenly be “Buy Now.”
Tidy Up Your List
If you haven’t cleaned your email list in the last six months, chances are you’re emailing people who haven’t opened anything in a year, or worse, using old addresses that bounce. These dead contacts drag down your metrics and hurt your sender reputation.
Run a re-engagement campaign to give inactive subscribers a chance to opt back in. If they don’t respond, remove them. It might feel counterintuitive to shrink your list, but quality always beats quantity.
Test, Track and Learn as You Go
Email marketing isn’t a one-and-done activity. It’s something you refine over time. Use your platform’s analytics to monitor what works, and what doesn’t.
Try A/B testing subject lines, send times, or even the colour of your call-to-action buttons. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but testing removes guesswork. Real data is what turns a good campaign into a great one.
Local Support That Understands Your Audience
At activ Digital Marketing North Essex, we’ve helped local businesses build smarter email marketing campaigns that get results. We know the challenges of marketing in this region, how customer behaviour can differ from town to town, how regulations like GDPR shape what you can send, and why having a reliable, human-first strategy matters.
Email marketing isn’t just another tick box in your digital plan. When done well, it builds trust, nurtures leads, and drives sales in a way that feels genuinely helpful.
Let’s Talk About Your Email Marketing
If you’re based in Essex and looking for practical, tailored support to improve your email marketing, we’d love to help. Whether you want a full campaign review, managed services, or just an honest chat about what’s working and what’s not, we’re here for that.
Contact us to start making your emails work harder for your business.
