Staying Connected – Eight Ways to Improve B2B Email Marketing

1- Know your recipients.

Why are you sending emails to your core group? This is the biggest and most important question to ask yourself and your digital marketing team. Who’s on our list, for what reason and why do we know them? The “they” is all about people with titles and decision-making power, or at least the ability to refer you to others. You want to make sure that what you say and offer is relevant and useful to them. 

2- Always provide choice.

Yes, don’t just add them into a list. Not only will you risk spam blocking. you will annoy and irritate those who don’t know why they are receiving this email — even if they like the content. When you send out an initial email from newly acquired lists from events or other sources, immediately make it clear to your recipients that there is no pressure, that they have a choice to unsubscribe completely, personalize a comfortable frequency of contact (weekly, monthly or quarterly), or receive the benefit of additional valuable content that may intrigue them. All this gives them control — something everyone wants.

The biggest mistake of most email marketing is pushing something on the recipient without their buy-in. It’s always about offering value and knowledge.

3- Never over-personalize.

It’s great to get a personalized invitation to a wedding, but you know who’s getting married. When you receive personalized emails with your company name and more relevant information about you than you ever thought anyone knew, it’s totally intrusive and irritating. Studies have shown that over-personalization is like someone sending you clips from CCTV footage. It’s like being spied on.

4- Understand how you bring value in your emails.

Why are you, your company, your group sending specific email campaigns to specific audiences? What do you know about them? Do you know why you have value to them? Put yourself in their place — this is essential. As a recipient, whether you get MLB emails (that’s Major League Baseball) or specific and valuable tax information for the coming year from an accounting firm, you are getting the value you want for YOUR purposes.  

5- Never ask for anything.

Often the biggest mistake of most email marketing, particularly consumer-level marketing (but even consulting firms are guilty of this!), is pushing something on the recipient without their buy-in. Making more and more offers is only a turnoff. Remember, it’s always about value: offering value keeps people interested by providing desired learning and knowledge. Give people what they need and want to pursue their goals.

6- Always tell a story.

 If you test-drive a BMW the best salespeople never ask you if you want to buy the BMW. How intrusive??!!! Instead, they ask you where would you drive, what trip have you put off forever that would be a great road trip in this car? This is all about the personal story that resonates. So emails need stories that exemplify the world the reader can imagine they are in. It becomes memorable and relevant because it’s their desired result. You have helped them see how to achieve what they want. 

7- Offer knowledge (and then ask for something).

The complex B2B world requires knowledge, information, and understanding of what provides a competitive advantage. The FOMO world is constantly driving B2B decision-makers who are always at risk for making the wrong strategy decision and therefore being updated is essential. Trends in that industry, illustrated with graphs or charts, provide something highly relevant to their decision-making and that audience values it. Now’s the time to ask for them to download a valuable white paper with details, supporting study data and other information that adds to their knowledge. In exchange, ask them to provide additional information on their planning or needs for the coming year, whether they want a short phone consultation or to receive more information on a specific topic. Bring them down the funnel.

8 – Always be relevant. 

This comes back to your audience. Having clarity about your email content and why that audience gains value from it is the key. Asking that question always brings you back to who, what, and why are these individuals on our list, and are they reading what we send? Are they downloading valuable white papers? Most importantly, are they feeling connected to what is being sent? Always ask this question: Is it essential information? And think of doing surveys about what recipients would like to hear more about. This can be even more engaging and incredibly valuable. 

So, stay connected, stay relevant and continually build value, and your email marketing will be welcomed and read.