Let’s face it — email marketing campaigns aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Despite all the buzz around new social platforms, email continues to be the workhorse of digital marketing.
I’ve been watching the trends for years, and the email marketing statistics don’t lie — email delivers results and effectiveness that other channels in your overall marketing strategy simply can’t match.
So What Exactly is Email Marketing ROI?
Email marketing ROI (Return on Investment) is basically how much money you make compared to what you spend on your email marketing efforts. It’s not rocket science, but getting this essential metric right makes all the difference between wasting your marketing budget and seeing real growth in your email marketing revenue.
The basic formula for measuring email marketing ROI looks like this:
I’ll be honest — if you’re not tracking this number, you’re flying blind. Think about it: if you spent $500 on marketing emails that brought in $5,000, that’s a 900% email marketing return. You’d want to know that, right?
According to a 2023 study by Litmus, most email marketers who carefully track their ROI report significantly better results than those who don’t. Makes sense when you think about it — you can’t improve what you don’t measure. That’s why an email marketing ROI calculator has become an essential tool for many marketers worldwide.
Why Should You Care About Email ROI?
I remember talking to a marketing director who couldn’t figure out why her boss kept cutting her email marketing strategy budget. Turns out, she wasn’t measuring email marketing ROI at all! Without concrete email marketing stats showing how her messages were contributing to the bottom line, her budget was an easy target.
Here’s why ROI tracking isn’t optional anymore for a successful email strategy:
- It gives you ammunition when budget discussions come around (trust me, you’ll need it)
- You’ll know exactly which email marketing campaigns are worth repeating and which ones bombed
- Year-over-year comparison helps prove you’re getting better at driving email engagement
- It forces you to think about email as a revenue channel for specific actions, not just for sending messages
Campaign Monitor’s 2023 report found that 73% of companies who increased their budgets for email marketing efforts did so because they could demonstrate positive ROI growth using email marketing ROI statistics. That number speaks volumes about the importance of measurement for improving email marketing ROI.
What’s Considered “Good” ROI These Days?
You’ve probably seen that famous statistic floating around — $36 return for every dollar spent on email marketing. That figure comes from the Direct Marketing Association’s 2019 report on average ROI, and while it sounds amazing, it’s actually an average across industries based on extensive email marketing stats.
Your mileage will definitely vary depending on:
- Your company size (DMA found that businesses with 500+ employees see about 41:1 ROI in their email marketing efforts);
- Team makeup (interestingly, teams of 3-5 people tend to see better results than larger teams, according to a 2022 Mailchimp study);
- Industry (B2B tends to have longer sales cycles but higher average order values);
- Campaign types (email automation sequences consistently outperform one-off broadcasts — sometimes by 3x or more);
- Target audience engagement (campaigns to highly engaged email subscribers perform better)
- Mobile optimization (with so many email users checking messages on mobile devices, this is crucial).
If you’re just starting out, don’t get discouraged by these email marketing ROI statistics. I’ve seen brands start with a modest 5:1 ROI and work their way up to 25:1 within a year of focused optimization of their email marketing strategy.
The key is progress, not perfection. Are your numbers improving quarter over quarter? That’s what really matters for effectiveness.
Calculating Your Email ROI: A Real-World Approach
Let me walk you through how this works in practice:
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Goals
This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many email campaigns go out without a clear objective. Are you trying to:
- Drive immediate sales?
- Nurture leads who aren’t ready to buy?
- Increase repeat purchases from existing customers?
- Build awareness for a new product line?
Each of these goals requires different metrics and different approaches to ROI calculation. Hubspot’s 2023 Email Benchmarks Report found that campaigns with clearly defined goals outperformed general newsletters by 49% in terms of engagement.
Step 2: Track All Your Costs (And I Mean ALL of Them)
This is where many email marketers cut corners, and it skews their ROI calculations. You need to account for total costs:
- Your ESP costs — whether it’s Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or an enterprise solution;
- Team time — including planning, writing, designing, testing and analyzing (be honest about how many hours at what hourly rate actually go into each campaign);
- Content costs — if you’re hiring freelancers or agencies for copy, dynamic content, or design;
- List building expenses — those lead magnets to generate leads and acquire new leads aren’t free;
- Any specialized tools you use just for email (like subject line testers, preview text optimizers, etc.).
Don’t forget to factor in your own time! I’ve talked to so many small business owners who don’t count the hours they spend on email marketing campaigns because “it’s just me doing it.” Your time has value — include it in your email marketing ROI calculator.
A 2022 Litmus survey revealed that 64% of marketers worldwide underestimate their true email marketing costs by leaving out at least one major expense category. Don’t make that mistake when measuring email marketing ROI.
Step 3: Measure What Email Actually Brings In
This gets tricky because not all value from email marketing revenue is immediately obvious. At minimum, you should track:
- Direct revenue (the easiest to measure — sales directly attributed to email clicks)
- Influenced revenue (harder to track but important — purchases that marketing emails played a role in)
- Lead generation value (if you know your ability to generate leads and convert them to customers)
- Customer retention impact (how email builds customer loyalty and prevents churn — this can be substantial)
A good analytics setup that leverages customer data makes this much easier. According to a 2023 Klaviyo study, businesses using proper attribution models for their email marketing efforts reported 37% higher email ROI than those using simplistic tracking.
I’ve found that most email platforms overstate revenue attribution for marketing emails, while general analytics platforms like Google Analytics often understate it. The truth is usually somewhere in between. The key is consistency in how you’re measuring email marketing ROI over time.
Step 4: Do the Math (It’s Not That Painful)
Once you have your numbers:
- Add up all your costs for the period you’re measuring
- Total up the revenue generated
- Plug them into the formula: [(Revenue – Cost) ÷ Cost] × 100
So if you spent $1,000 total on email marketing last month and generated $10,000 in sales, your ROI would be 900%.
[(10,000 – 1,000) ÷ 1,000] × 100 = 900%
That means every dollar you invested brought back nine dollars in profit (plus the original dollar). Not too shabby!
Boosting Your Email ROI: What Actually Works
I’ve audited hundreds of email programs over the years, and certain strategies consistently deliver better results. Here’s what actually moves the needle:
1. Get Serious About Segmentation
Mass emails to your entire list of email subscribers are rarely the best approach for your target audience. A 2023 study by Epsilon found that segmented email marketing campaigns drive 760% more email marketing revenue than one-size-fits-all blasts. That’s not a typo — 760%!
The simplest segments that deliver results for improving email marketing ROI are:
- Past purchases (what they’ve bought determines what they might buy next);
- Email engagement level (highly engaged subscribers vs. those who rarely open);
- Where they came from (different lead sources often have different buying behaviors);
- Geography (especially if you have location-specific offers or exclusive discounts);
- Device preferences (tailoring experiences for those who open primarily on mobile devices).
I worked with a retailer who segmented based on category affinity (which product types customers browsed most) using their customer data. Their conversion rates jumped by 34% almost overnight, dramatically boosting their email marketing return. The data was already there — they just needed to use it as part of their email strategy.
2. Automate the Customer Journey
One-off email marketing campaigns have their place, but email automation consistently delivers higher ROI. According to a 2022 GetResponse study, automated emails generate 320% more revenue per email than non-automated campaigns, making them essential for improving email marketing ROI.
Start with these high-impact automations for your email marketing strategy:
- Welcome series (Omnisend research shows these convert at 52% higher rates and drive higher open rates than standard campaigns);
- Abandoned cart recovery (these recover 10-15% of otherwise lost sales, per Barilliance);
- Post-purchase follow-ups (increase customer loyalty and repeat purchases by 31%, according to Klaviyo);
- Re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers (win back campaigns that generate one response from previously lost customers).
I’ve seen brands triple their email marketing revenue by simply implementing these four automation sequences. They take time to set up initially, but they’re basically money printing machines once they’re running. These specific actions that occur automatically based on customer behavior represent the pinnacle of effectiveness in modern email marketing efforts.
Sender’s intuitive automation builder and premade workflow templates make automating your campaigns easy as 1-2-3. The best part — it’s free!
3. Test Everything (But Not All at Once)
A/B testing sounds boring, but it’s the secret weapon of high-performing email marketing campaigns. Campaign Monitor reports that email marketers who regularly test their messages see 37% higher ROI than those who don’t.
Focus your testing on these high-impact elements to boost effectiveness:
- Subject lines and preview text (they determine whether emails get opened at all);
- CTA placement and wording (directly impacts conversion rates);
- Email send timing (can affect higher open rates by up to 22%);
- Content format (short vs. long, text vs. images, dynamic content vs. static);
- Mobile responsiveness (how your emails appear across different mobile devices).
The key is changing just one element at a time so you know exactly what caused the improvement in your email marketing stats. I’ve seen subject line testing alone improve open rates by 25-30% over time through consistent optimization. This kind of systematic approach is an important metric for any serious email strategy.
What Metrics Should You Watch Besides ROI?
While ROI is the ultimate measure of success, these supporting email marketing stats help diagnose issues and spot opportunities:
Open Rates
Industry average is around 18% according to Mailchimp’s 2023 benchmarks on email marketing statistics, but it varies widely by industry. What matters most is your trend over time and achieving higher open rates through optimization.
Pro tip: Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection has made open rates less reliable since 2021. Focus more on clicks and conversions if a large percentage of your email subscribers use Apple Mail on their mobile devices.
Click-Through Rates
This important metric shows how compelling your content and offers are in your marketing emails. Average is 2-5% according to Campaign Monitor, but top performers often see double digits in email engagement.
Low opens + high clicks = your subject lines need work but your content is solid High opens + low clicks = great subject lines but your content isn’t delivering specific actions
Conversion Rate
This is the percentage of email recipients who take your desired action. It’s the most direct predictor of email marketing ROI and effectiveness.
According to WordStream, the average email conversion rate is 4.29%, significantly higher than most other marketing channels, which explains why email remains central to many a marketing strategy.
Revenue Per Email
This essential metric (total email marketing revenue ÷ number of messages sent) helps you compare campaign performance at a glance and is useful for measuring email marketing ROI.
A 2023 study by Omnisend found that average revenue per email ranges from $0.08 to $0.26 depending on industry and email marketing campaign type.
But that’s not all! Check out all 17 email marketing metrics you should be tracking.
Let’s Be Real: Do You Need to Track Email ROI?
I’m always surprised when I meet marketers who don’t track their email ROI. It’s like driving with your eyes closed.
A shocking statistic from Econsultancy reveals that only 25% of companies believe they’re tracking email ROI adequately. That’s a huge missed opportunity.
Common excuses I hear:
- “Our systems don’t talk to each other” (fixable with the right integrations);
- “We don’t have the analytics expertise” (worth investing in training or consultants);
- “Email is just for communication, not sales” (this mindset is leaving money on the table).
Those who overcome these challenges gain a massive advantage. In my experience, companies that rigorously track and optimize email ROI typically outperform competitors by 20-30% in terms of customer acquisition costs and lifetime value.
The Bottom Line
Email marketing isn’t just alive and well — it’s thriving. With 4.3 billion email users worldwide according to Statista, and 99% of consumers checking email daily (Hubspot), no other channel in your marketing strategy offers this level of reach and email engagement.
Email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent, making it the highest-ROI digital channel by a wide margin. This extraordinary average ROI explains why marketers worldwide continue to prioritize email.
But these results don’t happen by accident. They come from careful measurement of email marketing ROI, testing, and optimization. The brands seeing these extraordinary returns are the ones treating email as a strategic channel for building customer loyalty and driving customer retention.
Whether you’re just starting to measure email marketing ROI or looking to take your analysis to the next level, remember that the goal isn’t perfect measurement — it’s gathering actionable insights that help you improve your email marketing efforts over time.
Start where you are, use what you have, and build from there. Your future marketing budget and email marketing revenue will thank you. With the right email strategy, you’ll not only see better numbers but also build stronger relationships with your email subscribers through more relevant, timely, and valuable messages.
Sources
- “$42 return for every dollar spent on email marketing” – Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Report 2019 URL: https://dma.org.uk/research/marketer-email-tracker-2019
- “Businesses with 500+ employees see about 41:1 ROI” – DMA Email Benchmarking Report URL: https://dma.org.uk/research/email-benchmarking-report-2018
- “Segmented campaigns drive 760% more revenue than one-size-fits-all blasts” – Epsilon Email Marketing Study URL: https://www.epsilon.com/us/about-us/pressroom/new-epsilon-research-indicates-80-of-consumers-are-more-likely-to-make-a-purchase-when-brands-offer-personalized-experiences
- “Automated emails generate 320% more revenue per email than non-automated campaigns” – GetResponse Email Marketing Benchmarks URL: https://www.getresponse.com/resources/reports/email-marketing-benchmarks
- “Welcome emails convert at 52% higher rates than standard campaigns” – Omnisend Research URL: https://www.omnisend.com/blog/welcome-emails/
- “Abandoned cart recovery emails recover 10-15% of otherwise lost sales” – Barilliance Cart Abandonment Statistics URL: https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/
- “Post-purchase follow-ups increase repeat purchases by 31%” – Klaviyo Benchmark Report URL: https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/ecommerce-email-marketing-statistics
- “Marketers who regularly test their emails see 37% higher ROI” – Campaign Monitor Email Marketing Statistics URL: https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-statistics/
- “Email send timing can affect open rates by up to 22%” – MailChimp Send Time Optimization Study URL: https://mailchimp.com/resources/insights-from-mailchimps-send-time-optimization-system/
- “Industry average open rate is around 18%” – Mailchimp Email Marketing Benchmarks URL: https://mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/
- “Welcome emails achieve open rates as high as 82%” – GetResponse Email Marketing Statistics URL: https://www.getresponse.com/resources/reports/email-marketing-statistics
- “Including the word ‘video’ can increase opens by 19%” – Syndacast Email Marketing Report URL: https://www.syndacast.com/video-email-marketing-statistics/
- “47% of email subscribers decide whether to open an email based solely on the subject line” – Invesp Conversion Rate Optimization URL: https://www.invespcro.com/blog/email-subject-lines-statistics-and-best-practices/
- “Average email click-through rate is 2-5%” – Campaign Monitor Email Benchmarks URL: https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/
- “Average email conversion rate is 4.29%” – WordStream Email Marketing Statistics URL: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/06/29/email-marketing-statistics
- “73% of companies who increased their email budgets did so because they could demonstrate positive ROI growth” – Campaign Monitor ROI Report URL: https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-roi/
- “Only 25% of companies believe they’re adequately tracking email ROI” – Econsultancy Email Marketing Census URL: https://econsultancy.com/reports/email-census/
- “64% of marketers underestimate their true email costs by leaving out at least one major expense category” – Litmus State of Email Survey URL: https://www.litmus.com/resources/state-of-email/
- “Businesses using proper attribution models reported 37% higher email ROI” – Klaviyo Attribution Study URL: https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/attribution-models-for-ecommerce
- “Average revenue per email ranges from $0.08 to $0.26” – Omnisend Ecommerce Statistics Report URL: https://www.omnisend.com/blog/ecommerce-email-marketing-statistics/
- “4.3 billion email users worldwide” – Statista Global Email Users URL: https://www.statista.com/statistics/255080/number-of-e-mail-users-worldwide/
- “99% of consumers check email daily” – HubSpot Email Marketing Statistics URL: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-stats
- “Personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates” – Experian Email Marketing Study URL: https://www.experian.com/assets/marketing-services/white-papers/ccm-email-study-2Q2016.pdf
- “Mobile-responsive emails see a 15% higher click rate” – MailChimp Mobile Email Statistics URL: https://mailchimp.com/resources/research/effects-of-mobile-use-on-email-engagement/
- “54.9% of ‘Email My Cart’ triggered emails successfully converted customers” – Barilliance Triggered Email Report URL: https://www.barilliance.com/triggered-email-conversion-statistics/
- “36% of consumers claim that email is their primary way to learn about changes at a company” – Adobe Email Usage Study URL: https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/en/sensei/pdfs/Adobe_Consumer_Email_Survey.pdf
