Email feels old. Unsexy. A lot of businesses don’t really value it when they first start. They don’t get excited about it. It’s all ads and social media. That’s what a lot of people think marketing is.
But the businesses that understand the value of email leads see very different results.
Frankly, we never used to use email either. And we suffered because of it.
Here’s the part that surprises people:
According to Litmus, email gets a 36-to-1 return for every dollar invested.
That’s right… 36 to 1!
These Results Line Up With What We’ve Seen in Real Life
For example, we sent out an email campaign just before Christmas.
The first three emails? Nothing.
The fourth email? Two appointments booked in.
Those two appointments have since equated to nearly $20k in sales.
From email.
In terms of measurable ROI, email has consistently outperformed everything else we’ve tested.
We’ve Seen It With Email Leads From Our Builder Clients As Well
And the truth is, most of them aren’t getting hundreds of leads in their inbox every month. In fact, some of them are getting just five or so email leads.
But these are our happiest clients.
Why? Because their leads are usually super high-quality – often with a 40% conversion rate.
For these builders, that’s more than enough work. They’re stoked with their ROI.
Sometimes, the leads come in quickly. Sometimes months later. Sometimes years.
That’s just the nature of the beast.
To use our own marketing as an example, we’ve had builders sit in our mailing list for seven years before becoming a client.
That didn’t happen because of one brilliant email. It happened because we kept sending emails. Because they kept hearing from us.
But It Isn’t Just “Send Emails” – it’s “Send Good Emails”
They need strong subject lines that tease what’s inside.
They need to be relevant, informative, useful – actually valuable.
They need “open loops” that make people want to click through to a blog to learn more, or at least keep an eye out for the next email.
If you get this stuff right, whenever your name appears in someone’s inbox, they won’t immediately unsubscribe or drag your email into the bin.
When they see your name pop up, they’ll think:
“Hmmm, actually, these guys know their stuff. This will be useful.”
And eventually, when they’re actually ready to build a home, who do you think they’ll think of?
Some random builder they don’t have a relationship with… or you?
This Isn’t Anti-Social Media or Anti-Ads
Those channels matter.
Ads and social media content attract attention. They bring people to your front door (i.e. to your website, or maybe even a standalone landing page).
But then you’ve got to get them inside.
You do this by pairing your ads and content with lead magnets and subscription forms that ultimately ask people to give you their email address.
If someone’s willing to do that, they’re clearly curious, so it’s best to strike while the iron’s hot. Follow up immediately with a confirmation email.
Say something like, “Hey, thanks for signing up,” and then, if you promised them something – like an ebook or a link to a course – give it to them.
Then, over the next week or month or whatever it is, keep the “conversation” going with a sequence of onboarding emails to hint at the value to come.
TLDR: Ads and social media attract attention, but email is where you consistently build trust with people.
People who have consciously chosen to hear from you.
And trust is ultimately what leads to a sale.
Email Isn’t Flashy
But it quietly builds relationships. And it quietly drives sales.
If it isn’t part of your marketing mix, you’re leaving money on the table – and the businesses that are using email properly are picking that money up.
Of course, your email marketing strategy is just one thing you need to nail if you want to get a steady stream of high-quality leads – which is why we’ve put this guide together:
The Secret To Getting Clients Who Come Pre-Sold
Inside, you’ll find:
- The new rules of builder lead generation (and why ignoring this will keep you stuck with price-shoppers and tyre-kickers)
- The surprising 30-piece content rule that can 8x your conversion rate for custom builds and major renos
- The 3 tiers of leads (and why most builders waste their budget targeting the wrong two)
- How to stop chasing clients and start educating serious, design-ready buyers who value your process
- The Proven Marketing Eco-System Blueprint that turns cold strangers into pre-sold, high-trust clients who show up saying, “We’ve already decided we want to build with you.”
Download it, take your time flicking through, and if you’d like some help putting it into action, we’ll be here.
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