What is B2B Email Marketing :
B2B E-mail Marketing refers to the practice of promoting products or services to business-to-business customers through email. The primary objective is to cultivate relationships with potential customers, increase brand visibility and drive sales. Effective strategies involve sending targeted newsletters, promotional offers, product updates or valuable resources that align with the recipient's specific needs and interests. When executed properly, B2B email marketing provides valuable information that motivates recipients to make a purchase or engage in other desired actions, propelling them through the marketing funnel.
Why do B2B emails require customised B2B strategies?
B2B campaigns require distinct email marketing strategies that differ from general approaches. This is because, just like two similar car models from the same manufacturer need separate keys, B2B audiences have unique characteristics and demands.
Here are several specific ways in which general email marketing tactics fall short when applied to B2B campaigns :
Email Segmentation
Email targeting in B2B marketing differs from traditional email marketing as it focuses on reaching multiple individuals within an organisation rather than targeting individual consumers. In B2B Marketing, the purchasing process involves various stakeholders in different roles within the organisation. Therefore, B2B strategies must consider the unique dynamics and diverse needs of the group of contacts within a company, rather than treating them as individual buyers.
Cycle Length or Email Duration
While making personal purchases can be relatively quick and straightforward, the same cannot be said for companies. It involves orchestrating the collaboration of multiple departments and navigating budget approvals, requiring significant effort and patience.
Email Voice & Messaging
Marketing via B2B emails tend to yield better results when they focus on providing valuable information and resources. Educational content like trend reports, industry benchmarks, how-to guides, and webinar recordings are effective in demonstrating the value of your brand to B2B subscribers. By offering relevant and informative content, B2B email campaigns can establish credibility and build trust with their target audience.
6 Essential Factors to consider during B2B email marketing:
1. Define your target audience: When focusing on a specific B2B Business, your aim is to engage its buying center - the group responsible for the company's purchasing decisions.
In general there are 6 primary roles:
Initiators: These individuals are the first to become interested in and acquainted with your Products/Services within a targeted company.
Users: Users are the individuals who will be using your Products/Services on a day-to-day basis once the company decides to make a purchase.
Buyers: Buyers handle the logistical and administrative aspects of a potential purchase, including budgeting, contract terms, renewals and other related tasks.
Deciders: Deciders hold the ultimate decision-making authority to approve or reject a purchase initiated by the buyers.
Gatekeepers: Gatekeepers, often administrators, control the flow of information within the buying centre, regulating communication between its members.
Influencers: Influencers encompass individuals within an organisation who wield the power to shape the opinions and decisions of other buying centre members. They play a significant role in the purchasing process.
2. Adopt the buyer's perspective:
By leveraging the customer profile matrix, you can immerse yourself in the mindset of each member within the target customer's buying centre. This allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the email content that resonates with each role.
The key to success lies in tailoring your emails to address the specific needs of each decision makers in different roles within the organisation. This level of customization enhances the effectiveness of your emails, resulting in fewer unsubscribes or spam reports.
3. Leverage email segmentation:
When managing large-scale campaigns, the idea of personalising emails for each individual within an organisation can be overwhelming. In this case using various email platforms along with segmentation tools allows you to categorise your subscribers based on their characteristics. Instead of grouping contacts solely by company or industry, create segmented lists for each buyer persona. With just a few segmented lists, you can deliver content tailored to the specific interests and needs of each target audience.
4. Strategize your campaign in phases:
Aligning your B2B email marketing campaign with the stages of the customer journey is crucial. By planning your campaign around these stages, you ensure that your emails remain relevant not only to your target audience but also to their position in the buying process.
Note: Loyal customers can become powerful brand advocates, amplifying your marketing efforts. Engage these customers through surveys and referral program offers to foster active brand advocacy and encourage them to spread the word about your Products/Services to others.
5. Utilising email templates:
It is a valuable strategy to optimise your productivity and efficiency. Creating a comprehensive collection of well-crafted templates may require an initial investment of time, but the long-term benefits are worth it.
Including a variety of email types in your template library offers flexibility and efficiency in your B2B email campaigns. Some of the key email templates to consider are:
Welcome emails: Engage new subscribers and set the tone for future interactions.
Thank-you emails: Express gratitude to customers or prospects for their actions, such as making a purchase, downloading any asset or attending an event.
Gated content delivery emails: Deliver exclusive content to subscribers who have provided their contact information.
Survey emails: Gather valuable feedback and insights from your audience.
Curated content roundup emails: Share curated industry news, blog posts or resources to provide value and establish thought leadership.
Newsletter: Share updates, announcements and relevant content with your subscribers.
Educational and thought leadership: Provide informative content, such as guides, tutorials, industry insights to position your brand as an expert in that particular field. Highlight success stories, case studies or research reports to showcase your brand's capabilities and credibility.
Event and webinar emails: Promote upcoming events, conferences, webinars or workshops to drive registrations and participation.
Unsubscribe emails: Handle unsubscribe requests gracefully and gather feedback to improve your email marketing strategy.
By having a library of templates readily available, you can maintain consistency, save time and ensure a smooth workflow.
6.Streamline with Automation
Implementing email marketing automation can significantly save time and effort by automating intricate tasks that would otherwise be labour-intensive.
The Value of a Stellar B2B Email Marketing Strategy
While it may require time and effort to master targeted B2B email marketing, the investment yields substantial benefits & Email marketing often provides the best return on investment. With automation, you can enhance profitability further by accomplishing more while leveraging technology to handle tasks that would otherwise demand significant manual effort. B2B email marketing presents its challenges but a well-executed strategy pays off in the long run. Although the learning curve may be steep, the rewards justify the effort and pave the way for successful communication with your B2B audience.
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