First steps to developing an engaging B2B email newsletter

We’ve talked about hearing from companies that they struggle with marketing their self-proclaimed boring business, and a lot of these concerns come up when we talk about B2B email marketing. Email fatigue is real. Many emails or newsletters don’t provide value, engage audiences, or are just dull. Our inboxes are all overflowing and many professionals don’t want to spam their audiences. With all of those negatives working against an email marketing strategy, are there positives?

Our answer is almost always yes, and the numbers support it. According to Hubspot’s Ultimate List of Email Marketing Stats for 2020:

1. 78% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months

2. 73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email

3. 80% of business professionals believe that email marketing increases customer retention

So where to begin? You need to be sure you’re sending out the right content to the right audience. Think about why you’re in business. Your clients use your product or service for a reason, and the right content will help keep them engaged and opening your emails in the future.

Start by determining who your audience is

Depending on your business, you might have audience segments to consider. Perhaps you have your clients, who you serve directly, and you have your referral sources, who might be responsible for some of your new business leads.

B2B email marketing requires some initial organization to be effective. If you have numerous audience segments, you’ll want to keep them separate so that you can send each one appropriate content, customize or personalize email subject lines and also so you can track which audience segments are most receptive to your email campaigns.

To build your email list, make sure you have an email signup form on your website, so that the engaged audience who’s already coming to you as a resource can subscribe to stay in touch. Whatever you do, don’t buy a list to boost your numbers. Follow the rule of “quality over quantity” when building your email marketing audiences. Those who opt in will be more engaged with your content, and your list will grow over time.

Figure out what content is most useful to them

This is the step that can seem overwhelming, but it’s actually something you can probably answer fairly easily. Think about the following:

1. What questions do you hear from clients on a regular basis?

2. Is there recent news or other timely announcements that affect your industry?

3. Do you have a big business announcement to make?

4. What engaging content have you read recently – would your audience benefit from sharing something similar?

5. Showcase your services. Case studies and testimonials can highlight projects you’re proud of.

Remember – your emails should provide value and inform your audience.

Set an objective

You can’t measure the success of your efforts if you don’t know what your goals are. Email marketing may be used to grow your client list, increase sales with existing clients, or generally raise awareness of your brand. Defining your objectives can also help determine the type of content you send out. Regular reporting can help measure the success of your campaigns.

Once again, why should you bother with email marketing?

We believe in an integrated marketing approach that utilizes a number of channels, staying top of mind with audiences who are already aware of you and getting in front of new audiences who might benefit from your services. Email marketing is the easiest, most direct way to land in front of audiences who have already expressed an interest in your business and serving up valuable content positions you as a resources they’ll continue to utilize. On top of those benefits, email is cost effective. Aside from nominal subscription fees for most email platforms, most of your investment is your own time developing the content of each email.