Why do some emails get opened whilst others head straight to the bin? Well, it’s because most businesses focus on what they want to say instead of what their customers want to hear.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve analysed hundreds of email campaigns across Brisbane and beyond. We’ve found the companies that get email marketing right see real results.
But those who wing it watch their open rates drop every month and lose potential customers to competitors. That’s what our team at MatterSolutions helps businesses get sorted from day one.
In this article, we’ll walk you through:
- Choosing the right email marketing platform for your business and budget
- Australian compliance rules you must follow to avoid hefty fines
- Building and maintaining quality email lists that get results
- Future-proofing your strategy with smart automation and personalisation
Stick with us as we break down everything you need to know about email marketing that gets results.
How to Select Your Email Marketing Platform
The best way to select your email marketing platform comes down to 3 things: your budget, how many contacts you have, and what you need the platform to do.
Most Brisbane businesses start simple and upgrade later. That’s a smart move because you can test what works without spending money on features you don’t actually use yet. Also, your email marketing strategy should match your platform choice, not the other way around.
Here are the platforms that work best for Australian businesses:
Popular Choices and Their Strengths
A lot of Australian businesses love Mailchimp because it’s so easy to use, especially if you’re just getting started with email marketing efforts. For example, if you’re someone who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of HTML code, Mailchimp lets you create decent-looking emails without any technical skills.
But if you need a stronger system, HubSpot is worth a look because it offers powerful CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools for managing your whole customer journey. The only catch of this system is the price. Here, plans start at about $50 per month, while Mailchimp still offers a free tier.
Some other popular marketing platforms worth considering:
- Campaign Monitor (has excellent email templates and Australian customer support)
- Klaviyo (has powerful automation for online stores and data analysis)
- Brevo (great for more advanced e-commerce and SMS marketing)
Essential Features Beyond the Basics
Want your emails to do more while you focus on running the business? Then make sure your platform includes automation features.
These features let your email campaigns run in the background and keep working without constant input. What makes them even better is that most reliable email marketing software includes a free plan to start, along with CRM systems that record who opens, clicks, and responds.
Pro Tip: Test any platform’s customer support before you commit. Send them a question and see how quickly they respond. In this way, you’ll know if they’ll actually help when things go wrong at 2 am before your sale launch.
The Importance of a Drag-and-Drop Editor
A drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to build emails without coding skills. When you create marketing emails, this tool lets you drag and drop blocks, shift your marketing message around, and test subject line layouts. You can do all this without phoning a relative who “knows computers.”
Think about those mornings when you need to send an email but your designer is stuck in traffic near the Story Bridge. That’s when drag-and-drop saves you from missing a deadline.
Now that you’ve got your platform sorted, let’s move on to what makes people open your emails in the first place. The execution part is where most businesses either nail it or fail.
The Basics of Campaign Execution
Starting from a solid marketing platform? Good, you’re on the right path. In this section, we’ll explain how to get your campaign off the ground with the right approach and share practical steps so your messages land well, stay lawful, and build trust.
Australian Rules on Sending Commercial Messages
Before sending out any emails, you must have permission from the recipient. According to Australia’s Spam Act, every commercial message must include your business name, a working unsubscribe option, and proper consent from the person receiving it.
If you break these rules, fines are serious. The reason you need to pay attention is that anyone can report you, and regulators do act on complaints. That’s not something you want on your record.
We recommend keeping detailed records of consent and making it effortless for people to opt out. It’s the best way to protect your business and stay on the right side of the law.
Building and Maintaining a Quality List
Once you have consent, the next step is building and maintaining a quality list. A clean list gets better results and fewer bounces because platforms deliver emails to people who want them. When people want to hear from you, your emails feel welcome instead of unwanted.
Here are quick ways to clean your email list:
- Remove addresses that bounce repeatedly
- Ask recipients to confirm their interest
- Split active from inactive subscribers
- Confirm new sign-ups with a welcome email
Besides, trimming your list ensures open rates reflect genuine engagement. You avoid wasting effort on contacts who have no interest and save money on platforms that charge by subscriber count.
Why Data Privacy Matters
Data privacy goes hand in hand with building trust. In Australia, it’s illegal to use address-harvesting software to scrape email addresses from the web. That means you can’t collect addresses from random sites or directories and then send your marketing messages. If someone ends up on your list without permission, you’re putting the business at risk.
We’ve seen businesses run into serious problems after sending unsolicited emails. However, keeping your list permission-based avoids that trouble and builds lasting trust. And let’s be honest, nobody wants their brand remembered as “that company spamming me like I get texts from mum.”
After covering compliance, lists, and privacy, you’re now ready to think about the future. Let’s look at how to prepare your campaigns for long-term success in the next section.
Future-Proofing Your Email Strategy
The strategies of email marketing in Australia need to be future-ready as customer expectations move and technology changes how we communicate. What worked five years ago might fall flat today, and what works today won’t necessarily work tomorrow.
Our suggestion is to start preparing now by understanding how artificial intelligence can make your emails smarter and more personal.
One area where this shows up is in personalisation that goes beyond just adding someone’s first name to the subject line. Modern email marketing uses data about your customers’ past purchases, browsing habits, and engagement patterns to create messages that actually feel relevant.
When you set up drip campaigns that respond to what people do (or don’t do), you’re building a marketing strategy that adapts to each person. For example, if someone bought running shoes from your store, your system can automatically send them information about running socks or training programs three weeks later.
The timing and content both make sense based on their behaviour. This kind of automation means your emails feel helpful rather than pushy, which is exactly what Australian consumers respond to best.
One of our clients, a Brisbane outdoor gear retailer, saw their email revenue jump by 40% after we helped them set up behaviour-based automation. Their customers now receive camping tips after buying tents, and hiking trail recommendations after purchasing boots.
Making Email Marketing Work for Your Business
Email marketing can sometimes be overwhelming for business owners who want results but don’t know where to start. Many Australian businesses struggle getting started with the approach as it feels too technical or time-consuming. But with the right guidance, you can avoid being one of them.
We’ve walked through choosing the right platform, following Australian compliance rules, building quality lists, and preparing for future changes. These steps give you everything needed to create campaigns that get results.
Now you know what works and what doesn’t in Australian email marketing. When you’re ready to put these strategies into practice, we’ll be happy to help you get it right from the start.