The ROI of Marketing: What Actually Works If You Want Better Conversions?

If you’re a growing business, you’ve probably tried a bit of everything when it comes to marketing - social media, flyers, networking, ads, maybe even a billboard if you were feeling bold.

And yet… enquiries haven’t grown in the way you expected.

Most businesses don’t have a marketing problem - they have a conversion problem. You're visible, but you’re not converting that visibility into paid business.

So in this article, let’s break down the real ROI of the main digital and traditional marketing tactics, based on what actually works for SMEs in the UK, and where you should (and shouldn’t) be spending your money.

Quick Reference Table: Average ROI of Marketing Tactics

Marketing Tactic	Average ROI per £1 Spent	Source
Email Marketing	£32	Data & Marketing Association UK (DMA)
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)	£8–£20	FirstPage UK & Ahrefs ROI studies
Google Ads (Search)	£2–£10	Google Economic Impact Report
Meta Ads (FB/IG)	£2–£6	Wordstream & AdEspresso benchmarks
Organic Social Media	Indirect ROI	Hootsuite 2024 Global Report
Online PR & Digital Coverage	£3–£10	Cision & Propel ROI impact research
Traditional Print PR	£1–£4	PR Week & Nielsen Trust in Media Report
Website CRO	2–10x uplift in enquiries	HubSpot & Unbounce CRO data
Networking & Business Events	£3–£10	BNI UK & SME Growth Tracker
Flyers / Print	£1–£3	Royal Mail MarketReach study
Radio Advertising	£1–£4	Radiocentre ROI Report
Newspapers / Magazines	£0.50–£2	Newsworks UK
Outdoor Advertising (Billboards)	Awareness ROI only	Outsmart UK

Digital Marketing Tactics: What’s Actually Worth It?

Email Marketing — £32 ROI per £1

The highest-performing channel every single year.

It works because it builds trust over time.

ROI: Extremely High (often the best of all channels)

Average ROI: £32 for every £1 spent (UK DMA)

Email converts because it keeps people warm and builds trust over time.

Best for:

• Nurturing prospects

• Returning customers

• Announcing offers

• Increasing lifetime value

If you’re not emailing your audience… you’re leaving money on the table.

SEO — £8–20 ROI per £1

ROI: High (if done well)

Good for: Capturing ready-to-buy intent

When someone types “accountant Norwich” or “wedding venue Norfolk,” they’re in buying mode. SEO takes time, but once you rank, the ROI is exceptional because you’re catching people at the point of action.

ROI timeline: 3–6 months minimum

Best for: Service-based businesses, trades, hospitality, local services

SEO captures people who are already searching for your service.

And now we’re in the world of AEO - Answer Engine Optimisation (optimising for Google’s AI answers, Bing CoPilot and ChatGPT search partnerships). Your blog content, FAQs and PR coverage will increasingly be surfaced in answer engines… meaning online PR now boosts BOTH visibility and AI-led discovery.

SEO + AEO = one of the strongest long-term conversion engines.

Google Ads — £2–10 ROI per £1

ROI: Very High (if tightly managed)

Cost per click range (UK): £1–£15+ depending on sector

Best for: Businesses with clear offers and short sales cycles

The power of Google Ads is immediate visibility to people actively searching for a service. When combined with a good landing page, you can expect consistent leads and sales.

But - poorly managed Google Ads can drain a budget incredibly fast.

Where ROI comes from:

• Tight keyword targeting

• Strong landing page

• Clear CTAs

• Daily optimisation

• Great for high-intent buyers, but relies on a strong website to convert.

Paid ads buy attention, not trust. Trust is built using a combination of channels and tactics over time and content such as case studies, testimonials and other social proof.

Meta Ads — £2–6 ROI per £1

Brilliant for lead magnets, events, webinars and retargeting.

ROI: Medium–High

Best for: E-commerce, events, local services, lead magnets

Meta ads work extremely well when you want to reach a specific audience at scale. For service-based businesses, they’re great for lead capture, workshops, webinars, downloads and retargeting warm audiences.

ROI improves when:

• You have a strong lead magnet

• You nurture leads via email

• You retarget website visitors

Organic Social — Indirect ROI

ROI: Low–Medium

Good for: Visibility, brand building, trust, community

Weak for: Direct conversion unless you’re a retail or impulse-driven brand

Organic social media is brilliant for staying top-of-mind, building credibility and showcasing your expertise. But on its own, it rarely generates enquiries - unless you have a strong strategy, clear CTAs and content that leads people somewhere purposeful.

The conversion ROI jumps significantly when:

• You have a strong content plan

• You post consistently

• You direct people towards a lead magnet, landing page or conversation

• Your brand positioning is clear

Think of organic social as awareness fuel, not the conversion engine.

This is where people learn to trust you, understand what you do, and decide whether you’re credible.

But here’s what most businesses get wrong:

➡️ They obsess over getting more followers

➡️ Instead of nurturing the ones they already have

Your conversion opportunity is in the warm audience - not the cold one.

Types of content that boost engagement and trust:

• Behind-the-scenes (human, relatable)

• Educational “quick wins”

• Personal stories linked to business lessons

• Client wins / testimonials

• Opinion-led posts (“Here’s what I believe about…”)

• Process walk-throughs (“How we do X…”)

• Polls / questions that start conversations

• Before/after transformations

• Soft CTA posts (“If you want help with this, let’s chat”)

Important:

Adding a web link can reduce reach because social platforms want to keep users inside the native channel. So use links sparingly — and when posting them, create extra value in the post itself.

Your Website: The ROI Multiplier (2–10x uplift)

If your website doesn’t convert, EVERY other tactic underperforms.

Fixing your website is the highest-leverage action you can take for ROI.

ROI: Variable - but this is often where the biggest leaks are

Your website is your most important sales tool. If it’s not converting, every other marketing activity will underperform.

A high-converting website should:

• Have clear messaging

• Include proof (reviews/case studies)

• Direct people to one clear action

• Load fast

• Be mobile-friendly

If you focus on improving just your website conversion rate (CRO), the ROI on ALL your marketing increases dramatically.

Traditional Marketing Tactics: What Still Works?

Print PR — £1–£4 ROI per £1

Strong for brand authority and credibility.Great when launching, expanding or positioning yourself as a “leader” in your sector.

Online PR — £3–£10 ROI per £1

This is where modern PR shines.

Features in digital newspapers, industry sites, blogs, podcasts and online magazines offer:

✔ Trust

✔ Authority

✔ Brand recognition

✔ Backlinks for SEO

✔ Content for socials

✔ Higher Google and AEO visibility

One online article can work for you for years, improving both reputation AND search rankings.

Networking & Business Events: £3–£10 ROI per £1

A conversion machine if your business is B2B or locally focused.

People buy from people. Always have, always will.

ROI: Medium–High

Best for: B2B services, consultants, trades, local businesses

Networking works when you’re consistent and visible — not when you go once every 3 months.

ROI grows through:

• Relationship building

• Referrals

• Being front-of-mind

• Showing up consistently

Flyers, Print Ads & Radio Ads

These can work - but are best used strategically, not randomly.

Print + PR + digital often works better together than alone.

ROI: Low–Medium

Best for: Local businesses, hospitality, events, retail

Flyers still work - but only when:

• The design is strong

• The message is clear

• The offer is compelling

• The distribution is targeted

  
  

If you scatter them randomly… ROI drops to near zero.

Radio is useful for awareness, especially for regional businesses. Weak for direct conversions unless tied to a strong offer and high frequency.

Newspapers & Magazines

ROI: Low–Medium

Local publications can work for trades, local services and hospitality - but ROI is unpredictable and depends heavily on local readership. If advertising, using a QR code to a new web page and a special phone number can enable you to track incoming calls and web traffic from the advert.

Outdoor Advertising (billboards, banners)

ROI: Medium for awareness, low for conversions

Great if you want visibility over a long period. Not great for tracking or delivering direct leads.

Paid Ads Buy Attention. Trust Builds Conversion.

Here’s the crucial difference SME owners must understand:

Paid ads = buy eyeballs

You get attention fast.

Trust = what makes people actually buy

This is built through:

✔ PR

✔ Social content

✔ Email nurture

✔ Website proof

✔ Case studies

✔ Consistent brand experience

Ads alone rarely convert if trust isn’t already in place.

So What Marketing Gives the BEST ROI Overall?

After working with hundreds of business owners, the top conversion drivers (in order) are:

1. Your website (conversion rate improvements)

2. Email marketing

3. Google search (SEO + Google Ads)

4. Retargeting ads

5. Lead magnets + nurture sequences

6. Networking (if B2B)

7. Organic social (supporting role)

Most businesses focus on the wrong end of the funnel - more visibility, more posts, more platforms - but ignore the system that actually turns interest into income.

So What’s the Real Lesson Here?

If you want better conversions, stop trying every tactic under the sun and start building a marketing system:

✔ Solid messaging

✔ A high-converting website

✔ A simple lead-generation funnel

✔ Email nurture

✔ Ads that amplify what already works

✔ Consistent monthly priorities

✔ Clear measurement

Most businesses don’t need more marketing - they need better marketing foundations that make every tactic perform harder.

Not Sure Where to Start? I Can Help.

As a Marketing Consultant, I help growing businesses build a marketing system that delivers predictable enquiries. If your marketing is busy but not converting, let’s talk. A quick call might be all you need to finally see what’s missing.