Technology has developed at a rapid rate, and the business landscape is constantly shifting. Big and small companies alike adopt various marketing techniques in an effort to stay at the front of their audience’s mind.
Despite all recent innovations, email marketing remains one of the most effective B2B strategies to connect with your audience and turn them into customers.
Sending a curated sales email to a B2B target audience, whether it serves as cold outreach or follow-up, is one of the best sales channels - and here’s why!
Did You Know…
While opinions on the best marketing techniques may vary, recent statistics tell a very clear story - that email marketing is a successful strategy.
Consider that there are over 4.037 billion email users, with an expected growth rate of 3% year on year. These email users send and receive approximately 306.4 billion emails per day.
But how does an audience respond to these emails in a marketing sense?
- More than 60% of customers prefer to be contacted by brands via email
- 66% of consumers have made a purchase online as a direct result of email marketing
- Approximately one in five consumers read email newsletters just to see if there’s a special offer
- 87% of B2B content marketers choose email marketing to nurture leads
- Email is almost 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter
B2B sales are significantly more effective than other avenues. In fact, 75% of marketers agree that email marketing offers an excellent ROI.
The Evolution of Email Marketing
The first email was sent by Ray Tomlinson in 1971. In 1978, the first mass mailing campaign went out. In the 1990s, the birth of the internet and the first smartphone led to the introduction of ‘spam’.
The 2000s corrected this movement with anti-spam software and the rise of the email database. Email marketing was further enhanced at the start of 2010 with segmentation and target email.
Today, it pays to be mobile-friendly. If business owners aren’t sitting on their laptops, then they have their world in their hands. With over 52% of all global website traffic generated through mobile phones, email marketing has become one of the best sales channels.
Benefits of Email Marketing
Email conversation rates are optimal when a proper strategy has been put in place. Being strategic with an email marketing campaign offers many benefits, including the following.
Affordable Marketing Solution
Unlike other marketing campaigns that rely on putting money behind clicks or paying for advertising campaigns, email marketing is a low-cost strategy.
Often, the only real cost is investing in a SaaS platform that automates workflow and improves efficiency. As well as the individual that creates the content.
Expand Reach
Email marketing allows marketers to send a targeted message to businesses all around the world. Whether the campaign pivots around a cold email to potential leads or an already engaged audience, the reach is expansive and targeted.
The business potential around the world can be leveraged with the click of a button. To make the most of an email marketing campaign, it’s important to nurture leads as they come in.
Measurable Results
A strategically developed email marketing platform should have integrated analytics that can help to measure success and improve future campaigns.
Valuable email marketing metrics include the click-through rate (CTR), number of opens, time of activity, and bounced emails. All of this information can be valuable for improving future conversion rates.
Easy Design
Social media campaigns and print advertising need to be super slick in design in order to stand out in a crowd. Email marketing campaigns can be quickly designed using SaaS platforms and carefully drafted copy.
Investing in quality product pictures is the cherry on the top.
Improved Engagement
Email marketing offers the opportunity to segment, target, and personalize content. Every detail of the campaign can be adjusted and curated with the target audience in mind. From the subject line and lead images to the tone and call-to-action (CTA).
With a few minor tweaks, the email’s engagement rate can be improved through personalized content.
Build Brand Excitement and Authority
When strategically executed, an email campaign can boost a business brand and inspire a long working relationship. Taking the time to name the sender and personalize the subject line removes the fear of spam, and increases the chance of a CTR.
After a couple of successful email marketing campaigns, receivers will start to look forward to an email. In addition, brand recognition is enhanced when the email is relevant and offers value.
Drive Sales and Traffic
A recent report suggests that email campaigns generate approximately $37 billion in retail sales annually. While this statistic is focused on B2C potential, the trend is mimicked with B2B sales opportunities.
Depending on the CTA, the email campaign can also be a large contributor to website traffic. Increased traffic is good for sales, brand authority, SEO rankings and building stronger customer relationships. Again, these messages can be targeted based on existing relationships and previous business deals.
Who, What, When, Where, and How?
Investing in B2B email marketing campaigns requires the following questions to be bookmarked and considered.
- Who - A B2B relationship needs to be based on logic. It’s important to segment your audience and send a targeted message that offers a solution to their needs
- What - Messaging needs to be direct and to the point. Most importantly, the email should contain a clear call to action
- When- The timing of email campaigns should be considered alongside demographics and other relevant data. It helps to review analytics from previous campaigns and make use of automated emails to best leverage a response
- Where - If you’re trying to generate business with your email marketing campaign, then it’s important to use the appropriate address and send the email to the receiver’s business account
- How - SaaS platforms designed to offer a multi-channel approach to marketing is a useful tool in sending email campaigns effectively
A Multi-Channel Approach is The Secret to Success
Email marketing is expected to remain a superior asset to marketing campaigns in the years to come. Their mobile relevance and potential to connect with an audience directly contributes to its value. Even better than email marketing is a multi-channel approach that includes the likes of LinkedIn and other networking platforms.
At Ubico, we’re proud to offer a sales enablement solution that finds leads and automates personalized email outreach to them. In this way, sales teams spend less time on top of funnel tasks and more time enjoying the ROI.
Book a walkthrough on our platform and find out more about how to boost your B2B email marketing campaigns.
