Where Does B2B Email Marketing Fit into Today’s Strategies?

Email is the Galapagos Tortoise of digital communication. It was around before the internet, has outlasted several social media platforms, and will continue to be a cornerstone of business communication for the foreseeable future.

The steadfast reliability of email has made it an ideal channel for B2B marketing. Yes, the reports of email marketing’s demise were greatly exaggerated. In spite of a few stumbles and cringe-inducing trends across the years, email marketing remains a powerful marketing tool.

While it’s important to learn from the past, sometimes the best way to launch into a new chapter is to proactively celebrate how we can apply hard-earned lessons to our work moving forward.

B2B Email Marketing, by the Numbers

Before we get into the best practices and strategies of modern B2B email marketing, we’re going to take a by-the-numbers look at how marketers are using email – and how well it’s performing.  

• In 2021, 77% of marketers reported increased engagement with their email campaigns over the previous 12 months. 
• Coming in a strong third behind social media and blog posts, 81% of marketers are using email newsletters to keep in touch with their customers.
• When asked which content worked best to nurture leads, 31% of marketers named email newsletters – coming in 18 percentage points higher than the second-place finisher.
• Coming in a close third, email was named by 87% of marketers as a favorite organic distribution channel.
• Email opt-in opportunities saw great success when paired with compelling video content, resulting in a 15% conversion rate.

_{Sources: B2B Content Marketing report from the CMI/MarketingProfs and Not Another State of Marketing Report by HubSpot.}

The Rebirth of the Email Newsletter

Like a phoenix from the ashes, newsletters are back as a significant part of successful B2B email marketing strategies. Seen as a powerhouse for lead nurturing, the newsletter format lets marketers engage with leads without the constant thrum of the sales pitch.

Email is a one-to-one conversation – even in a newsletter

Your newsletter should have a brand voice that is both personal and engaging. You want your message to deliver a serotonin hit, not put your readers to sleep. Also: make sure you’re addressing a friend at a coffee shop, not a crowded lecture hall. 

Finally: Ask questions! A feature of your newsletter could be a Q&A where you answer stand-out questions from your readers. This demonstrates that you are actively listening on your end of the email conversation.

Win open rates by offering high-value information

Newsletters allow you to establish yourself as a subject matter expert in your industry. 

In a post outlining the components of a successful email newsletter, author and Newsletter rockstar Ann Handley advises that newsletters be specific. Focus your newsletter content on one niche and craft your content with a clear point of view. 

Are you capable of being an expert in more than one niche? Of course! This is where you can diversify your offerings and craft multiple, targeted newsletters that appeal to readers across the buying journey. We’ll talk more about how that works next.

The Tools of Success for Email Marketing in B2B

Great content only works if it is delivered to the right audience at the right time.

Segmentation: Developing the right audience

So, multiple newsletters: they’re all about getting that expert, niche messaging out to the people who need to hear it. 

Segmentation is a key feature of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and allows you to deliver relevant content to specific audiences based on factors you determine. LinkedIn offers a segmentation feature, Ad Targeting, that can deliver newsletter opt-in opportunities to leads who are already engaging with your brand. 

By setting up a few different newsletters that appeal to different stages of the buyer’s journey, you’ll win an audience that is excited about hearing what you’ve got to say. 

Right time: Harnessing automation

LinkedIn partners with several top email marketing services. These services allow you to automate your email marketing campaigns, measure performance, and even do A/B testing to see what gets the best results.

While getting your content on a delivery schedule is incredibly helpful (and, let’s be honest, gratifying), remember to give everything a once-over just ahead of delivery, to keep pace with industry news and current events that might impact your message.

InMail: The direct approach

The LinkedIn direct messaging system known as InMail offers marketing opportunities that can be used as a gateway to even more email marketing opt-ins.

The Sponsored Messaging feature offers both Message Ads and Conversation Ads as a way to interact with leads on the LinkedIn platform. Within these two strategies are features that allow you to offer opt-in to your email newsletters and campaigns.

Stand Out by Hopping on the Email Bandwagon

The most important thing to remember about email marketing, especially in the form of newsletters, is that you are better off speaking to twenty highly engaged prospects than blasting a hundred people who will filter your emails directly to the trash folder.

As with nearly any B2B marketing tactic, quality beats quantity and directly relevant messaging gets noticed.