In the fast-paced world of retail marketing, catching and keeping your customers’ attention is no easy feat. Between shrinking attention spans and crowded inboxes, the race to deliver timely, relevant messages has never been more competitive. That’s where a rock-solid broadcast (or promotional) email strategy becomes not just helpful, but essential.

Whether it's a flash sale, a product drop, or a seasonal campaign, email gives retailers the agility to drive engagement, build loyalty, and boost conversions across every stage of the customer journey. But it’s not just about blasting out deals—it’s about crafting a smart communication rhythm that feels personal, purposeful, and actionable.

Let’s break down everything you need to know about the revenue-driving power of broadcast messaging, including how to build these campaigns in Listrak, benchmarks to help measure performance, and real examples to spark your creativity.

What is a Broadcast Campaign?

Broadcast campaigns, also known as promotional or simply marketing campaigns, are the cornerstone of email and SMS marketing. These are the messages you likely think of first when you imagine retail marketing: bulk message sends to recipients who have opted in to your subscription list. These campaigns might include sales and discounts, new product releases, company announcements, general brand awareness, and more.

In contrast to triggered campaigns, broadcast campaigns are not launched in direct response to customer actions, but rather are scheduled by the sender and are typically sent to a large list of recipients at once. However, broadcast campaigns can still be personalized and segmented for maximum impact.

Global Broadcast Benchmarks for Email

Industry benchmarks can help you gauge whether your broadcast campaigns are performing in line with other retailers and brands. These benchmarks were determined based on 125 billion email and SMS messages sent by Listrak clients in 2024. For more on our benchmark methodology and a deeper dive into the numbers, download Listrak’s 2025 Cross-Channel Benchmark Report.

While broadcast messages tend to have the largest send volume of any campaign type, they also typically have the smallest CTR and much lower revenue per send than triggers. That doesn’t mean broadcast emails aren’t important! Broadcast messages typically account for 50-70% of revenue in in email and SMS. Also remember that broadcast campaigns also drive returns through brand awareness and relevancy, and that if more revenue is the goal, your results are likely to improve with deeper personalization.

‍

‍

Broadcast Performance Results by Vertical

Like all campaign types, broadcast campaign performance can vary across different verticals. Find your vertical below for a more accurate understanding of whether your campaign performance measures up. For an extended list of benchmarks by vertical, including Fashion, Health & Wellness, Pets & Animals, and more.

‍

Beauty

Big Box

Home

Sports & Outdoors

‍

Broadcast Email Best Practices

Optimizing your email messages starts with adhering to some basic best practices. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you build your next broadcast campaign:

• Design for Dark Mode. To ensure your emails remain easy to read in dark mode, add a soft stroke, or outline, to imagery with transparent backgrounds (like logos) and use live text that will automatically invert instead of text within static images.
• Have a Mobile-First Mindset. Design with mobile users in mind rather than simply shrinking down desktop emails. Consider a single-column layout, and again, use live text that will scale appropriately.
• Segment by Active Users. Batching your whole list is out – instead, target relevant users who have clicked, ordered, visited the site, or opened in the last 90 days (or this time last year).
• Arrange Content Thoughtfully. Your most important content should always be visible “above the fold” (i.e., without scrolling). This is especially crucial for iOS users: Learn more about optimizing for iOS here. Also be sure to break up your content with dividers, bold headlines, background colors, etc. to lead the eye and avoid overwhelming the reader.

‍

Broadcast Email Tests That Win

Regular testing of different strategies is the best way to ensure your messages are resonating with customers. Try these:

• Text-Only Emails. A minimalist format can feel more personal and direct than an overly-designed layout, helping you stand out in the inbox.
• Different ‘From’ Names. Test swapping in your brand’s customer service persona, a real name (like your CEO), or even a timely promo callout. (Note that you should just test the name being displayed, not the actual ‘From’ email address, to ensure deliverability.)
• Above-the-Fold Product Recommendations. Add 1:1 personalization and increase clickthrough rate without having to change the email’s main content by adding product recommendations above the fold.

Find more testing ideas in the Holiday Testing Checklist, available now as part of Listrak’s 2025 Holiday Resource Center.

Broadcast Email Examples

Need some email inspiration? Check out these broadcast emails sent by real Listrak clients.

How to Build Broadcast Email Campaigns in Listrak

For everything you need to know in order to build emails in Listrak, browse these step-by-step guides and video tutorials in the Listrak Help Center.

• ‍Getting Started with Composer: Create emails using Listrak’s easy-to-use, intuitive builder with a seamless drag-and-drop interface.‍
• Back to Email Basics: Build optimal email creative in Listrak, whether you're using Composer or raw HTML.
• Building with Accessibility in Mind: Ensure your marketing reaches all your customers by prioritizing accessibility.‍
• Visit the Help Center for more!

Elevate Your Broadcast Marketing with Listrak

A well-tuned broadcast email approach isn't just a nice-to-have; it’s your opportunity to drive urgency, spark action, and nurture long-term loyalty. But the magic happens when strategy meets precision execution.

Whether you're rethinking your segmentation, looking to automate key campaigns, or simply wanting to explore fresh ways to boost ROI, your Listrak account manager is just a conversation away. They're equipped with the insights, tools, and best practices to help you turn your messaging into momentum. Reach out to your Listrak account manager today and unlock the full potential of your broadcast strategy.