Why a Single Email Achieved a 42% Open Rate and a 3,600% ROI (Here’s the Strategy Behind It)

If you’re reading this, you may feel like email marketing is too transactional, too performance‑driven, too… uninspired.

What if I told you that email, when infused with alignment, trust, and narrative resonance, can become not just a marketing tactic, but a sacred exchange?

You’re about to hear about one email that opened 42% of inboxes and delivered an astonishing 3,600% ROI. But the numbers aren’t the point. The real revelation is how belief and strategy, threaded together, create both abundance and impact. Ready?

Part 1: The Email That Opened Hearts (and Inboxes)

“This one retention email got a 42% open rate.”

Typically, retention emails sent to your existing audience or customers see open rates in the 15–25% range. So when one of our recent retention emails achieved a 42% open rate, we leaned forward. Here’s the breakdown:

• Segmentation aligned with intention: We used behavioral data (past opening history, recent engagement) to send only to those most likely to resonate—not just “everyone who bought in the last year,” but those who had clicked in the last 30 days.

• A subject line that honored their journey: Rather than “New Offer Inside” or “Last Chance,” it said something like: “You’re closer to the next level than you realize.”
  This isn’t marketing fluff—it’s an invitation that resonates without pressure.

• Timing that respects energy rhythms: Sent midday Wednesday—when our analytics showed our audience was most receptive.

• Narrative structure in the body: A short story about a transformation—personal or client-based—that reconnected with who they already are, then softly offered the next aligned step (community, program, conversation).

The result? 42% open rate not because we begged for attention, but because we offered connection.

Part 2: The ROI of Resonance

“Email ROI: 3,600%. If you're still sleeping on it, this blog will wake you up.”

Let’s unpack that 3,600% figure. Email ROI is typically calculated by dividing the revenue generated from email by the cost of the email (production + any ads or platform fees), expressed as a percentage.

Imagine this scenario:

• You invest $500 in list-building, segmentation infrastructure, and content creation.

• That one campaign generates $18,000 in revenue.

• ROI = (18,000−500)/500(18,000−500)/500 × 100 = 3,500% (roughly 3,600%).

That’s numbers-level impact. But more deeply? It’s evidence that when messaging comes from belief-centered storytelling, that Soul-infused alignment opens wallets—and hearts. That’s not transactional ROI—that’s transformational.

VIEW AN COMMERCE CLIENT CASE STUDY HERE:

Part 3: Why This Email Worked

1. Emotional Alignment
   It didn’t start with “Here’s what we offer”—it began by meeting readers where they already were: felt unseen, ready for the next step, yearning for resonance. That shift from selling to serving is magnetic.

2. Narrative Clarity over Cleverness
   Instead of using gimmicks or hype, we used a grounded story: “Here’s how I noticed you’re stepping into something bigger… here’s what that awakening looks like…” followed by a succinct call-to-action framed as “Come through here →” rather than “Buy now!”

3. Offer Framing as a Next-Step, Not a Sales Pitch
   The email wrapped the offer as a natural continuation. People didn’t feel co-opted—they felt invited.

4. Strategic Execution

   • Segmentation ensured relevance.

   • Subject‑line testing in small batches let us adapt before blasting.

   • Mobile‑optimized layout met them easily wherever they were reading.

   • Timing aligned with behavioral insights.

Together, these factors wove strategy and soul into a single communication that converted and inspired.

Part 4: How to Use This Strategy in Your Business (Step‑by‑Step)

Let’s distill the approach into your active practice:

1. Clarify Your Audience’s Inner Landscape

   • Not demographics—but beliefs, longings, spiritual friction, and what they fear or dream.

   • Write that internal narrative before writing headlines or emails.

2. Create Subject Lines That Extend an Invitation

   • Think: “You may be closer than you think…” instead of “Urgent discount.”

   • Use curiosity, heart, and resonance rather than scarcity or anxiety.

3. Write Email Content as a Story + Soft Next-Step

   • Start with one transformational nugget, client example, or personal insight.

   • Keep it brief, warm, and visually mindful—no paragraphs longer than 3 lines.

   • Your call‑to‑action should feel like “I’d love to share ___ with you → [link]” rather than “Buy here.”

4. Set Up Segmentation

   • Segment based on engagement: opens, clicks, pages visited, program interest.

   • Don’t spray and pray—send fewer, but more aligned messages.

5. Optimize Timing & Flow

   • Use analytics to identify WHEN your people open.

   • Consider time zones and energy zones (e.g. early morning reading vs. evening introspection).

6. Measure and Listen

   • Opens and clicks matter, yes—but also notice replies, email replies, DMs, and journey comments. That qualitative feedback is sacred.

   • Track revenue, but also track how people describe what they received.

Quick ROI Formula:

(Total Revenue from Email – Total Cost of Campaign) ÷ Total Cost × 100 = Email ROI %

Keep it honest—>>> but never let it overshadow the trust you’re cultivating.

Conclusion: From Metrics to Meaning

Yes a 42% open rate and a 3,600% ROI are astonishing. But even more remarkable is that these results were the fruit of belief‑driven strategy of alignment over aggressiveness, invitation over persuasion, and story over salesmanship.

Your audience wants more than offers. They want resonance. They want to be seen and invited not sold to.

So as you plan your next retention email, consider asking:

• “What are they longing for?”

• “How can I feel them, and talk to that?”

• “How do I offer the next step as a continuation of what they already trust?”

When you blend spiritual clarity with practical strategy, the metrics follow and your impact deepens.

Apply to become a bespoke client here -- >