8 B2B Email Marketing Best Practices

Email marketing is very much alive today. It is an integral part of any B2B marketing campaign, but to get the most out of what it can do, an awareness of its best practices is important. Email marketing goes beyond engaging content or customer segmentation. It needs to catch the eye from start to finish so that cold leads can become warm leads with a simple message.

It all begins with how you’ll be sending messages out and tracking your responses. Many servers aren’t going to allow an email marketing campaign because of the modern settings that help to protect companies from spam. You’ll need to chose an ESP or an automation vendor and then begin building a solid subscriber list.

1. Prove the Value

B2B email marketing lists are built on value that is proven through a website or other marketing materials. Instead of spamming visitors, the B2B lead is going to opt into the email marketing campaign because they see value in what is being provided. Up to 90% of the work of a sale is going to be completed on the prospect’s end before the opt-in even occurs. That’s why above anything else, it is essential to prove the value being offers so a marketing list can be built.

2. Keep It Short

Many B2B leads are going to feel pressed for time as it is. They might be willing to invest a few seconds of time to get on your email marketing list, but they’re not going to invest a few minutes. Keep your opt-in forms and short and simple as possible. You’ll want to have a solid privacy policy included with the process that can be read through a link or download at a later time. Opt-in penalties can be severe if not handled appropriately, so make sure all appropriate laws are being followed.

3. Send Out Specific Shots

Each customer segment on your B2B email marketing list is a specific target. To hit the bullseye, you’ll need to have knowledge about what each segment needs and what problems can be solved. Without problem solving, there really is no value. Saving time and money are two common ways to show value, but they aren’t the only ways to promote goods, services or ideas. Creating more money can be just as effective.

4. Automate When Possible

Some parts of an email marketing campaign can be automated. Filtering out potential leads that aren’t likely to buy is an easy way to automate a campaign to enhance results. Having automated responses for opt-ins can also increase the speed in getting someone hooked up with your B2B campaign. Just don’t automate the entire process. Without the personal touch, people will eventually grow wise to your marketing campaign and look elsewhere.

5. Design Matters

B2B leads are very active and may need to be in multiple locations throughout the day. This means they may be reading emails on a laptop, on a tablet, or on their smartphone. Designing each email so that it can be effectively read on any device will help make communication lines more clear and ultimately this means a better message gets across every time.

6. Track the Results

Your unsubscribe rates are more important than your CTRs. When people are unsubscribing from a B2B email list, it means your message is not being communicated properly. Go back to the drawing board and take another look at your content. Is value being communicated? Is the focus of every email a sale? Could the format of the email be improved in some way? Answer these questions first and then look to improve open rates with better subject lines, the timing of email delivery, and how spammy the messages look.

7. Get Sales Involved

A B2B email marketing campaign is only as effective as the response from the sales team. Most B2B leads are going to expect a response within 24 hours to their query. Without that timely response, they’ll likely look elsewhere to have a need met. Many responses to an email are requests to start the purchasing process. They’ve seen what they need to see to have the value proven. If that value isn’t followed-up by a quick response, then your business won’t seem to care.

8. Track the Conversation

An entire history of contacts needs to be evaluated with every potential lead. This can sometimes be problematic for small businesses. It may take several months of back-and-forth to generate a sale. Use a program that will give you a history of contacts with a single click to stay more organized.

B2B email marketing can be effective when value in the primary message of the content that is delivered. Know your customer segments, solve their problems, and use these tips to get the most out of your next campaign.