Email Marketing - $1 in $42 ROI
Sources Backing the $42 Return Figure

- Tabular.email reports that in 2023, businesses earned $42 for every $1 spent on email marketing. Litmus+11Tabular+11Litmus+11
- They present this claim as a summary of research data but do not link explicitly to a primary source.
- Litmus (via Constant Contact) offers an industry breakdown:
- A general average ROI of around $36 per $1 spent.
- Specific sectors such as Marketing, PR, & Advertising agencies show ROI up to $42:1, while Retail and Consumer Goods reach $45:1. Tabular+12Constant Contact+12EmailTooltester.com+12
- This suggests that the $42 figure may stem from Litmus’s segment-specific findings.
- Litmus (2025) further reports that 30% of companies see an ROI of $36–50 per $1, and 5% see more than $50 per $1. Emailchef+4cleverly.co+4Omnisend+4Tabular+10Litmus+10Sender+10
- InboxAlly (2025) summarizes the average ROI as $36 to $42 for every $1 spent, citing Litmus as the source. InboxAlly
- Omnisend (2025) aggregates multiple studies and confirms an average ROI in the $36–$42 range, and mentions that optimized campaigns can even reach $68 per $1 with strong strategies and tools. Litmus+14Omnisend+14InboxAlly+14
Summary of Findings
SourceROI FigureNotesTabular.email (2025)$42 per $1States 2023 data without linking originalLitmus / Constant Contact$42 per $1Applies to Marketing/PR/Advertising sectorLitmus (general survey, 2025)$36–50 per $130% see returns in this range; 5% exceed itInboxAlly (summary)$36–42 per $1Cites LitmusOmnisend (2025)$36–42 per $1Notes some cases up to $68 ROI
What’s the Original “$42 ROI” Source?
The most specific and trackable origin of the $42 figure appears to be the Litmus industry breakdown, where Marketing/PR/Advertising agencies achieved a 42:1 ROI Tabular+2InboxAlly+2Email Marketing Automation+11Constant Contact+11Ian Brodie+11emailmonday.com+2EmailTooltester.com+2Litmus+1.
Other sources like Tabular.email and InboxAlly appear to reference Litmus or aggregate similar data, but without linking to additional primary studies.
Suggested Copy for Your Messaging
You can now confidently cite the ROI claim like this:
“According to Litmus, certain sectors—especially marketing, PR, and advertising—routinely see ROI of $42 for every $1 spent in email marketing. Other benchmarks place overall ROI in the $36–$42 range, reinforcing its effectiveness.*”
*Sources: Litmus via Constant Contact; Tabular.email; Omnisend summaries.
