We’ve recently started working with one of our clients for their upcoming email newsletter. Some skeptics may ask, “Are email newsletters the right channel for BtoB marketers to reach their customers?” I started digging and finally stumbled across Econsultancy’s recent survey and was greeted with a resounding YES.
Who to market to?
As a B2B marketer, personalized, targeted marketing is key. There are several ways to segment emails including lead source (i.e., search, phone inquiry, or event), demographic data (i.e., age, location, gender) and behavior (i.e., time on site, links clicked, and pages viewed). In fact, according to the February survey findings, 55 percent of organizations currently segment by lead source.
With that in mind, you might want to re-examine WHO you are currently marketing to, HOW you’re marketing to them, and WHAT you’re marketing.
Why this matters?
E-newsletters can have several business objectives. From increasing awareness to building thought leadership or increasing sales, the e-newsletters are more than another platform to tout recent accomplishments and the latest corporate and industry news. For example, email conversion rate benchmarks are significantly higher for B2B than BtoC companies for newsletter conversion rates in the lead generation and direct sales categories.
Right message?
Now you know how to segment the target market and the purpose of the e-newsletter, marketers must ensure they have the right message. The content of the e-newsletter must be personalized to your target audience and tailored to meet your recipient’s needs…not yours. Once the e-newsletter makes its way past the spam filters to the recipient’s inbox, there’s still competition against other emails and factors competing for recipients’ time and attention. The study found that “social media competing for readers’ time” is the most significant challenge marketers face today.
You have a new product? Great, but will this product solve a problem or meet some type of need? You’re celebrating the company’s 10 year anniversary? Congrats, but what contributions have you made to the industry and how will your recipients benefit from this? In case you’re still unsure about the importance of personalized marketing and content, the survey also found that 71 percent of B2B respondents agreed that specific business/industry information is the most widespread personalization factor.
Before your organization puts out its next e-newsletter, take a quick look to see how your lists have been segmented to ensure you’re sending it to the right people through the right channel with the right message.
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