Email marketing can be a goldmine for Australian small businesses, but only if your emails actually reach your customers’ main inbox. If your emails end up in the Promotions tab or spam, they’ll likely be ignored—no matter how great your content is.
Common Reasons Your Emails Get Ignored
Too many tracking pixels: Using lots of tracking tools can make your emails look like ads, especially in Gmail, sending them straight to Promotions.
Sending from mismatched domains: If your email address doesn’t match your business name, customers may not trust it, and inboxes may filter it out.
Keeping unengaged subscribers: If you keep emailing people who never open your messages, it hurts your sender reputation and inbox placement. Regularly clean your list to remove inactive contacts.
Ignoring your domain reputation: If your business email domain has a bad reputation, your emails could get blocked or filtered without you knowing.
Why This Matters
Even the best emails are worthless if customers never see them. Better inbox placement can mean a big jump in revenue. Many small businesses don’t check their email delivery rates, missing out on easy wins.
Simple Fixes for Small Business Owners
Clean your email list regularly: Remove people who don’t open your emails.
Use a business email address that matches your brand: For example, yourname@yourbusiness.com.
Set up your email correctly: Make sure your email is set up with proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prove you’re a real sender.
Check your email stats: If less than 85% of your emails reach the inbox, fix your setup before sending more campaigns.
Personalise your emails: Use your customer’s name and send content that matches their interests.
Send emails at the right time: Find out when your audience is most likely to open and read your emails.
New & Easy Ways to Stand Out
Use AI for Personalisation and Segmentation: Many Aussie businesses now use AI to send the right message to the right person. AI can help you sort your customers into groups and send them emails they actually care about. Just remember, good results depend on having up-to-date and accurate customer data.
Try Interactive Emails: Make your emails more fun and engaging by adding things like polls, surveys, or simple games. These interactive features can get people to click, respond, and interact with your business right from their inbox.
Takeaway
Focus on deliverability, keep your lists clean, personalise your emails, and try out new tools like AI and interactive content. These simple steps can help your emails get seen—and help your business grow.