8 Ways for Smes to Improve Email Marketing
Here are some tips and tricks to give your business an edge when it comes to your email marketing strategy so you can boost your conversion rates.

Share via

Table of Contents

Ready to #ThinkBigger?

In a digital world that has become extremely competitive to get your customer’s attention, it’s quite common for your emails to get lost in their inbox. While over 306.4 billion emails were sent and received daily in 2020, the number is expected to increase to over 376.4 billion daily mails by 2025.

Here are some tips and tricks that will give your business an edge when it comes to your email marketing strategy so you can boost your conversion rates.

1. Build a heavy list of subscribers

It doesn’t really matter how strong your email marketing strategy is, if you don’t have your list of subscribers, you won’t be able to reap the rewards. Below, we’ve provided 2 easy ways to start building your list.

  • Create a blog – Marketers who make use of blogs for lead generation and sign-ups see 97% more inbound leads on average than those who don’t make use of blogs.
  • Social media – Make the best use of social media by optimising and improving your bio by adding a link to your newsletter.

2. Have the right automation platform

Automating your mail lists is necessary for scaling your email strategy. A lot of marketers say that automation helps their organisational strategy. Mailchimp is great because it will automatically help you add personality to your messages. Its AI-powered Creative assistant will also help you with the creation of custom designs. Another two automation platforms are Constant Contact which can help you to create an email for each individual list, turning your messages into targeted messages and Marketo is another email automation platform which can help you boost your conversion rates. They all have a free tier to get started.

3. Be short and sweet

With the amount of emails that customers get on a daily basis, it’s important to make sure you’re piquing your customer’s interest from the get go!

Your email readers definitely don’t want to read a novel. They want you to get straight to the point, and tell them why they would benefit from your product or service.

PS. always remember to KISS! (Keep It Short & Sweet).

4. Craft your subject line

47% of readers will think of whether to open an email based on the subject line alone. One way to make your readers open your messages is to offer an obvious benefit.

So, always make sure that your hook is shortand personalised.

5. Engage with your audience

You need to give your readers a reason to interact with you in order to make sure that your readers pay attention to you. Try asking your readers questions. You could also create a link to relevant content.

6. Include a call to action

It’s very important to add a call to action (CTA) in your emails. Research shows that your click-through rates increase by 370%. So after you gain traction and your CTAs produce results, it will be time to think about how much you should interact with your subscribers.

7. Don’t overwhelm your subscribers

One of the most difficult things to figure out is how often you should contact your subscribers. If you contact them too much they’ll probably unsubscribe. Make contact too little and they’ll probably just lose interest.

Most subscribers have said that they don’t mind receiving a monthly promotional email.

One way to find out how often your audience wants to hear from you is to simply ask them.

8. Avoid spamming

Below are a few tips on how not to spam your subscribers.

    • Never type in all capital letters
    • Avoid using an exclamation mark 3 times in a row
    • Don’t include attachments in your marketing emails
    • Avoid the words (Free or Guarantee)
    • Don’t use a red font
    • Don’t ever have spelling errors
    • Don’t have too many keywords
    • Always give your readers the option to unsubscribe 

 

Follow these steps to get the most out of your emails.You’ve put in all the effort to make the perfect product so make sure your customers know about it.

Scale with Peach
Learn how we help scale some of Africa's most exciting businesses

Business tips, case studies, interviews with online store owners and business trends…

Black Friday up 93% over 2024, R1,86bn processed

South Africa-based digital payments platform Peach Payments shares 2025 Black Friday, Cyber Monday weekend results.

Samsonite in-store payment methods

Choose your favourite way to pay! Samsonite offers MoneyBadger, Payflex, RCS and Mobicred.

How global and regional companies can use the Mauritius IFC to centralise online payments and treasury functions

Learn how the IFC is swiftly becoming a pivotal hub for global and regional companies seeking to optimise online payment acceptance and centralise treasury operations.

# PeachFriday Merchant Deals 2025

Check out the amazing Black Friday sales that some of our favourite stores are running!

A merchant’s guide to chargebacks

Payments 101: Chargebacks won't disappear. Here is a guide on how to manage them. Chargebacks aren’t simply refunds wrapped in admin. They’re a formal, bank-led reversal of a card payment after a customer disputes a transaction.

Four Black Friday payment realities for merchants

Discover the four Black Friday payment realities Enterprise merchants need to consider to build trust with customers and grow revenue with help from a world-class payment gateway.

What are Direct Merchant Accounts (ISO) versus Aggregation Accounts?

What payments processing model should you consider, thinking of diving into the world of online payments? It's more than just accepting a transaction payment.

What Is 3RI? Everthing you need to know about Requestor-Initiated Authentication

Payments 101: Why 3RI is set to change recurring transactions, subscription renewal, installment payment, or delayed shipping charges.

Highlights from the 2025 World Wide Worx Online Retail Report

The 2025 World Wide Worx report, sponsored by Peach Payments, Mastercard and AskAfrika, reveals that convenience is now the benchmark, trust is the currency and payments are the bridge.

What is Interchange? Everything you need to know about interchange fees

Payments 101 : A clear guide for SA merchants on fee flows. Interchange fees can feel like a complex part of the payments world, but they're a big deal for any business that accepts card payments.

Cadana Pay x Peach Payments: Unlocking seamless global Payouts

The API integration process was one of the smoothest they had experienced, completed by an engineer in just two to three days. With 50-55% cost savings, Cadana Pay significantly reduced costs by switching to Peach Payments.

Peach Payments announces real-time clearance Payouts

The new payouts solution lets merchants top up their float and make disbursements to merchants and recipients in just minutes, through either a single API or through the Peach Payments dashboard.

Peach Payments x MoneyBadger partnership goes live

From light fittings and spades to groceries and tickets, Bitcoin-savvy consumers are keen to spend their crypto

Peach Payments launches enterprise-level POS terminal

Delivers a single view of all transactions, with customisable checkout flow and easy integration into existing POS solutions.

iTickets x Peach Payments Point of Sale

By partnering with Peach Payments, iTickets transformed its payment infrastructure into a strategic asset. Building unforgettable experiences at their events and a better experience for their valued customers.

Peach Payments x Digicape: Powering Premium Apple Experiences with Seamless Payments

By partnering with Peach Payments, Digicape transformed its payment infrastructure into a strategic asset, driving significant growth, enhancing operational efficiency, and providing a better experience for their valued customers.

Peach Payments acquires West-African payments gateway PayDunya

Peach Payments expands into six West African countries representing an exciting chapter in their journey to build a truly pan-African payment ecosystem.

The Battle for Card Security

How Your Payment Integration Defines Your PCI DSS Scope

Navigating International Transactions

Understanding Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and Multi-Currency Pricing (MCP)

Seize the Sale with Buy Now, Pay Later

Discover how South Africans are embracing BNPL, and merchants are reaping the rewards.

2024 Wrapped: A Year of Innovation and Growth at Peach Payments

Peach Payments is paving the way for a transformative 2025. From Pay by Bank to Embedded Checkout, explore how we revolutionised payments in 2024

RCS payment option now available through Peach Payments

RCS allows customers to make seamless online purchases with their card, enhancing the overall shopping experience

Peach Payments sees impressive growth this Black Friday Weekend

The Leisure & Entertainment industry grew its share of online sales over the four-day Black Friday weekend by 113% from last year

#PeachFriday Merchant Deals 2024

Check out the amazing Black Friday sales that some of our favourite stores are running!

Your Ultimate Guide to Payment Security for Black Friday

What You Need to Know About PCI DSS 4.x

Scaling with Peach Payments: Unveiling the Product Roadmap

Peach Payments' latest innovations and future plans, emphasising customer-centric solutions and trailblazing advancements in the African payments industry.

Scaling with Peach Payments: Revolutionising Reconciliation

Streamline your transaction reconciliation with Peach Payments' new Recon API, designed for speed, accuracy, and scalability in high-volume operations.

Scaling with Peach Payments: The Future of Payments

Learn how Peach Payments is leading the future of digital payments, by offering the top payment methods consumers are demanding today.

Scaling with Peach Payments: How Peach Payments is Keeping Your Business Safe

A Deep Dive into the Importance of Payment Security and How Peach Payments Ensures Robust Protection.

Scaling with Peach Payments: Insights from the Think Bigger Summit 2024

Discover the impactful journey of Peach Payments innovating payment solutions over the past 12 years, and future plans to empower businesses across Africa.

Peach Payments named Top 100 Fintech Startups by CB Insights

Learn how Peach Payments made the 2024 Top 100 Fintech Startups by CB Insights, recognised for innovation and excellence in financial technology

Peach Payments partners with Sukhiba for conversational commerce

Partnership opens up WhatsApp sales channel for merchants preparing for Black Friday

What are you looking for?

Côte d'Ivoire
Burkina Faso
Benin
Dakar
Senegal
Moka
Mauritius
Nairobi
Kenya
Johannesburg
South Africa
Cape Town
South Africa