Any successful B2B marketing strategy “involves the integration of email marketing,” Maria Pergolino asserts in a post at the Marketo blog. Whether designed for lead generation or nurturing leads and repeat buyers, carefully crafted email campaigns and messages can still achieve optimal results, she notes.
To help B2B marketers keep email as a vital component of their marketing mix, Pergolino offers seven best-practices that “alleviate common issues and ensure each email will not only reach the targeted recipient, but also compel the reader to open it.” Among her recommendations:
Start with a clear objective. “Is it to send out an email newsletter purely for informational purposes?” she asks. “Is it for lead generation or to share information to solve a customer’s problem?” Never send an email without knowing what you want to achieve, and how the message will help you reach that goal.
Choose a “from” name the recipient will recognize. That might be the name of your company rather than a person she has never met. “Having a trusted from name encourages higher open rates,” Pergolino notes.
Time delivery for optimal open rates. “Many believe sending email on Tuesday is optimal while Fridays are the worst day to send out B2B messaging,” she explains. However, others argue for weekend delivery. The key is determining when your customers are most likely to open your messages.
Use analytics to improve every aspect of a campaign. Gathering strong analytics data helps marketers understand success and failure, and “iterate accordingly,” Pergolino notes.
Email is still a player. But terrific open rates won’t happen on their own: It’s up to you to apply tactics that will help make your B2B e-messages effective—and downright irresistible.
Source: Marketo.