Why Your Emails Are Being Ignored (And How to Fix It)
Let’s be honest. Most small business owners in Brisbane treat email marketing like a chore. You spend half an hour typing up a newsletter, hit send, and then… nothing. No phone calls, no bookings, just a handful of clicks that don't seem to lead anywhere.
Most of what you’ve been told about email marketing is outdated. The old way was to send a big block of text with a single link at the bottom and hope for the best. But people are busy. Whether it’s a mum in Carindale looking for a plumber or a business owner in the CBD looking for an accountant, they don’t want to read your life story. They want to solve a problem, and they want to do it fast.
The "big thing" for 2024 and 2025 isn't sending more emails; it's making the emails you already send actually do something. We call this "interactive email." To you, it just means giving your customers a way to take action inside the email itself without having to jump through hoops on your website.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to use these new trends to get more sales, why most people get it wrong, and exactly what it will cost you in time and money.
What is "Interactive Email" (And Why Should You Care?)
In plain English, an interactive email is one where the customer can tap, swipe, or click something to get an immediate result right there in their inbox.
Think about it: Every time you ask a customer to click a link, wait for your website to load, find the right button, and then fill out a form, you lose people. Every extra step is a chance for them to get distracted by a Facebook notification or a phone call.
Interactive emails cut out the middleman.
Imagine a customer being able to: Scroll through a gallery of your recent landscaping jobs in Kedron. Select a time for a quote directly from the email. Answer a quick question about what service they need so you can send them a better offer next time.
When you make it easier for people to buy, they buy more. It’s that simple. I’ve seen Brisbane businesses double their enquiries just by changing how they present their offers in an email.
The Trends That Will Make You Money This Year
1. The "In-Email" Booking System
If you run a service business—whether you’re a sparky, a physio, or a hair salon—your biggest hurdle is getting people to book. Usually, you send an email saying "Book now," and they go to your site.Prediction: By the end of next year, the most successful local businesses will be using emails that let customers pick a date and time without leaving their Gmail or Outlook app.
What this means for your wallet: Less time spent playing phone tag and more confirmed jobs on your calendar. If you can save two hours a week on admin, that’s two more hours you can spend on tools or with your family.
2. Live Product Scrollers
If you sell physical products, stop sending one static image. People love to swipe. By putting a small "carousel" (a sliding gallery) in your email, you let them browse your shop floor from their phone.We worked with a boutique shop in Paddington that switched from one big image to a swipable gallery of their new arrivals. Their sales from that single email went up by 40%. Why? Because the customer saw five things they liked instead of one.
3. Quick Feedback Polls
Most small businesses have no idea what their customers actually want. They guess.Instead of guessing, use a simple one-click poll. "What should our next special be? A) 20% off servicing or B) A free safety inspection?"
When the customer clicks an option, they’ve just told you exactly how to sell to them. This is part of segmentation strategies that separate the pros from the amateurs. You aren't guessing anymore; you're responding to what they told you.
The Real Cost: Time and Money
I promised to be blunt, so here it is: Doing this stuff isn't free, but it's cheaper than losing customers to the big franchises.
The Software
Most "free" email tools won't let you do the cool stuff. They give you the basics because they want you to upgrade. If you want emails that actually work on modern phones and allow for these interactive features, you’re looking at spending anywhere from $30 to $150 a month depending on how many customers you have.I've seen people get caught out by email platform costs that look cheap at first but skyrocket as your business grows. Don't be tight here—get a tool that actually helps you sell.
The Time
Setting up an interactive email takes about 20% longer than a standard one. If you’re doing it yourself, expect to spend an extra hour a week. If you’re paying an agency like Local Marketing Group to do it, you’re paying for the expertise to make sure it doesn't break when someone opens it on an old iPhone.The ROI (Return on Investment)
You should see a jump in enquiries almost immediately—usually within the first 48 hours of sending. If you send an email to 500 local past customers and get 5 extra bookings worth $200 each, you’ve made $1,000 from an hour of work. That’s a win in any tradie’s book.Where Most Brisbane Businesses Get It Wrong
I see the same mistakes over and over from Northside to Southside. If you want this to work, avoid these three traps:
Trap #1: Making it too complicated
You don’t need a fancy 3D spinning logo. You need a button that works. If the interactivity slows down the email or makes it look weird, people will just delete it. Your priority is making sure your site loads fast and your emails look great on a cracked phone screen at a job site.Trap #2: Forgetting the "Who"
Sending a "Book Now" interactive button for a lawn mowing service to someone who lives in a high-rise apartment in South Brisbane is a waste of your time. Interactivity only works if the person actually wants what you’re selling.Trap #3: Not asking for the sale
I’ve seen beautiful emails that let you click and play with images but never actually say "Call us now on this number." Don't get so caught up in the bells and whistles that you forget to ask for the money.Experts Insights: What’s Actually Coming Next?
We talk to a lot of business owners, and the common thread is frustration with Facebook and Google ads getting more expensive.
My prediction for the next 24 months: Email will become your most profitable sales channel again.
Why? Because you own the list. You don't have to pay Mark Zuckerberg every time you want to talk to your customers. But because everyone is moving back to email, your emails have to be better.
Interactive elements like "live countdown timers" for a sale or "live weather-based offers" (e.g., a roof tiler sending a 'leaky roof' check-up email when it's raining in Brisbane) are going to be the standard. If you're still sending plain text, you’re going to look like you’re still using a fax machine.
How to Start (Without Losing Your Mind)
You don’t need to do everything at once. Here is your 3-step plan to get moving:
1. Check your current tool: Does your email software allow for "layouts" or "blocks"? If it’s just a text box, it’s time to move on. 2. Add one interactive element: Don't go crazy. For your next send, just add a swipable gallery of three photos of your best work or a simple poll. 3. Watch the results: Look at how many people clicked. Compare it to your last boring email. The numbers won't lie.
What’s a Waste of Money?
Don't let some "marketing guru" sell you on: Custom-coded HTML games in emails: No one wants to play Sudoku in an email from their mechanic. They want their car fixed. Complex animations: These often don't load properly on Telstra or Optus mobile connections when someone is out and about. Keep it simple. Buying "lists" of people to email: This is the fastest way to get your email address blacklisted. Only email people who have actually dealt with your business or signed up.
Is This Right for Your Business?
If you are a plumber in Morningside, a lawyer in Milton, or a shop owner in Chermside, the answer is yes.
If you have a list of at least 100 past customers, you are sitting on a goldmine. Using interactive emails is just the shovel you use to get the gold out. It makes you look more professional than the guy down the road and it makes it easier for your customers to give you money.
Summary of Action Steps
1. Stop sending "blasts": Use interactivity to learn what people like. 2. Focus on mobile: Most of your customers are reading your emails on their lunch break or while waiting for the kettle to boil. If it doesn't work on a phone, don't send it. 3. Test a poll: Ask your customers what they want to see next month. It takes 5 minutes to set up and gives you a month's worth of marketing ideas.
Look, I get it. You’re busy. You’ve got staff to manage, jobs to quote, and a business to run. Marketing often feels like a bottomless pit where you throw money and hope for the best.
But email is different. It’s the only thing you truly own. By making your emails interactive, you’re just making them more useful for the people who already know and trust you.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses stop wasting money on stuff that doesn't work and start focusing on the things that actually bring in phone calls. If you're tired of your emails being ignored and want to turn your customer list into a predictable source of income, we should chat.
Ready to get more from your marketing? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s see how we can grow your business together.