[Email ROI] How A Basic Sequence Generated 8.4× Return

☀️ Warm-Up

Ever Googled "multi-touch attribution for small business" at 2 a.m. while wondering if your email sequences are actually worth the effort? Same here. Last week, I was reviewing a client's marketing stack when we discovered their most basic 3-part welcome sequence was silently outperforming their fancy paid traffic channels by nearly double. Sometimes the ROI rockstar is hiding in plain sight.

💡 Action Spark

$4,200 from a $500 investment.

That's what happened when my ecommerce client "ReNew Essentials" (name changed) finally implemented a simple post-purchase email sequence. For months, they'd been pouring thousands into Meta and Google, watching CPMs climb like they were training for the Olympics, while completely neglecting their owned audience.

The frustration was real: traffic costs kept climbing, conversion gaps were widening, and there was zero accountability for which channels were actually delivering. Sound familiar?

Here's what we did:

1. Audit conversion events - Identified the post-purchase window when customers were most receptive to complementary products (72 hours)

2. Create a targeted 3-email sequence - Simple, valuable content focusing on product education and complementary recommendations

3. Track revenue by source - Added UTM parameters to isolate performance from this specific sequence

The result? A sequence that took 4 hours to create generated $4,200 in additional revenue in just 30 days from a $500 investment (designer + email platform). That's an 8.4× return while their Meta campaigns struggled at 2.1×.

📊 ROI Roll-Call Table

🧠 Decision Debrief

Why did email crush the competition? Three factors: zero platform tax (unlike Meta/Google), perfect targeting (these were already customers), and ideal timing (post-purchase enthusiasm). The key decision framework was "leverage existing assets first." Before chasing new customers, maximize the value of people who already trust you. Most businesses I audit are sitting on email gold while complaining about mining costs.

🔽 Template Download

Download my Post-Purchase Sequence Calculator (click File —> Make a Copy to Make it Your Own) - Plug in your average order value, customer base, and current email metrics to forecast your potential ROI from implementing strategic email sequences.

🎯 Sponsor Spotlight: Ignite Mastermind

Struggling with juggling too many expensive marketing tools while trying to scale your business? This week I'm highlighting the Ignite Mastermind—Perry Belcher's community designed specifically for founders under the $1M revenue mark. What caught my attention is their all-in-one Springboard platform that replaces 20+ separate tools (including CRM, email automation, SMS, and appointment booking) that would cost you $5,000+ monthly elsewhere. Plus, members get access to 10 live workshops annually and weekly mentorship calls. If tech sprawl and scaling challenges are keeping you up at night, check out Perry's program via my link: Ignite Mastermind (aff.)

🛠️ Toolbox

Klaviyo → Email automation with segment-specific ROI tracking (aff.)

AWeber → All-in-one email marketing platform with industry-leading deliverability and AI-powered content creation (aff.)

👋 Sign-Off

That's it for this week! My challenge to you: What's one customer segment you've neglected that might be your hidden ROI goldmine? Hit reply and let me know – I read every message.

Next week: How a DTC furniture brand cut their CAC by 40% using an unexpected channel combo.

To your next ROI win, Mike