Today, digital marketing is more important than it ever has been in the past, with email marketing as a centrepiece. As a marketing professional, you may understand branding, positioning, and segmentation; however, it is important for you to embrace digital marketing. The vast majority of people use the internet when they are looking for products and services they require. One important element of internet marketing is email.

Employing a strong email marketing campaign strategy is critical because this allows you to build strong relationships with current customers, past customers, and potential customers. You can speak directly to them by placing a message in their inbox. You can also use email marketing alongside a content-driven digital marketing campaign, a company in your white papers, technical articles, blog posts, and even podcasts. You can use email marketing services to direct customers to these critical pages using links. A strong email marketing strategy can even drive customers to your social media profiles. 

With this in mind, how can you locate the right email marketing software for your needs and design a successful email marketing campaign? Learn more about email marketing below.

B2B vs B2C Email Marketing

If you are developing a strong email campaign, the first thing you need to do is learn about the difference between B2C and B2C email marketing. The differences include:

• B2C: A B2C email marketing campaign is going to focus on promotions and sales. You will segment your campaign heavily based on demographics. It would help if you used marketing automation tools that focus on cart abandonment and interaction with services. B2C campaigns drive shorter purchase cycles and target user emotions.

• B2B: If you are focusing on a B2B marketing campaign, you will focus on lead nurturing and inbound marketing, using content to drive your purchase cycle. While purchase cycles have gotten longer, you can use account-based marketing to increase your conversion rate, tailoring your email marketing campaigns to meet the needs of each individual lead. You can also segment your leads based on job roles and seniority in the company.

There are plenty of email marketing platforms out there, and you need to choose the right email marketing tools to help you meet your specific need. 

B2B Email Marketing Statistics

Email marketing is critical to helping you acquire and retain customers in the modern era. If you take a look at a recent email marketing statistic, it is clear that email marketing helps you generate leads, drive conversions, and position your company to be successful. A few critical email marketing statistics include: 

• More than a third of marketers send between three and five emails per week to their clients

• During the past 12 months, four out of every five marketers have reported a higher email engagement rate

• Tuesdays have the highest average email open rate

• More than 40 per cent of all emails are opened on mobile devices

• Two-thirds of all emails opened on mobile devices are read for at least eight seconds

Clearly, email marketing is one of the best ways for you to reach your customers. How can you make sure you maximize the return on your marketing investment through email? You need to choose the right software program to help you. 

Email Marketing Software: How To Chose The Right One

As you are taking a look at email marketing service providers, you are probably trying to find ways to limit your overhead expenses. Even though you might be able to use a free email marketing service, this is only going to get you so far. If you want to maximize your email marketing lead generation, you need to choose a software program that can help you customize your campaigns to meet the needs of your customers.

There are several factors you should consider when you are taking an email software program. These include: 

The reputation of the Email Service Provider

The first thing you need to check is the reputation of the email service provider. Just as your customers are going to read reviews before they purchase products or services, you need to do the same thing with your email marketing program. A few factors you may want to consider include:

• What have other people had to say about the email marketing program?

• Is that email program designed for a specific industry?

• Does that email marketing provider work well with small businesses, large corporations, or both?

• What do the deliverability numbers look like? Do the emails go out on time?

• What is the bounce rate of their email? Do they have a high percentage of undelivered messages?

• What is the uptime of the email marketing program? Does it ever go down?

These are several important questions you need to answer to get a better look at the reputation of that specific program. Choose an email marketing service provider with a strong track record. 

Integration with Current Technology

As you are looking at email marketing examples, it is also important to take a look at how well that program is going to integrate with your existing technology stack. You probably use many programs to help you manage your business operations, communication needs, and marketing campaigns. A few examples include:

• A CRM program you use to track customer interactions

• Your business website

• An eCommerce platform

• Communication tools

• Social media platforms

You should locate an email software program that can integrate well with all of these tools. That way, you do not have to worry about purchasing new software programs. For example, you may want to use an email marketing program that can automatically drive recipients to your content marketing social media pages. If you locate an email marketing tool that can integrate well with your existing technology stack, you can streamline your daily operations, maximizing the results of your email marketing campaign.

The Functionality of the Email Software Program

Next, you need to take a closer look at the exact functionality of that email software program. A few factors you want to consider as you are evaluating the functionality of the program include:

• The Design Features and Template: There is never a second chance to make a first impression, and you need to locate a software program that has plenty of email marketing templates you can use to grab the attention of your readers. Can the email program handle unique templates? Does it include photos and videos? What are the customization options?

• Contact Management and Segmentation: You also need the ability to segment your contacts, making sure potential customers get the right email based on their sales funnel positions. How are you able to send that your contacts using the program?

• Testing Capabilities: You need to collect information to see how well your email marketing campaign is working. What are the testing capabilities of the program? Are you able to perform A/B testing? What about multivariate testing?

• Transactional Email Options: If a customer is ready to make a purchase, can they do that directly to the email? Can the email help customers purchase a product or sign up for a service? What are the transaction options?

• Automation Capabilities: Finally, you need to consider automation as well. Can you automatically schedule an email to go out in advance? Can you schedule a recurring email chain, such as a drip campaign?

Make sure you think carefully about these functionality factors before you decide on the best email marketing software program for you. 

Usage Limits Put in Place

Finally, it would be best if you also thought about usage limits put in place by the program. Is there a limit to the number of contacts you can have? Is there a limit to the number of emails you can send out per month? If you are using a free email marketing program, there is a chance there could be a hard cap on the contacts and emails you can send out on the free plan. Then, if you are willing to upgrade to a paid plan, these limits might be removed. 

You need to take a look at these limits, so you understand the scalability of the email marketing program. There is a chance that you may need to scale up your email campaign as your business grows. You need to know that the email marketing program that can handle this. 

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation has become a critical feature in the world of digital marketing. This includes email marketing. There are several ways that automation plays a role regarding email marketing. These include:

• Autoresponders: Some email programs are able to automate responses based on what the customer tells them. This is a great way for you to save time on your marketing needs while still moving your leads down the sales funnel. These emails might even be able to answer direct customer questions.

• Drip Campaigns: Email drip campaigns have become an essential part of marketing. You can use email programs to keep your company at the front of the minds of your prospects. Then, based on the responses, the email program will let you know when it’s time for a more personalized touch.

• Advanced Lead Nurturing Techniques: Many email marketing programs, the best features you can use to nurture your leads precisely. Account-based marketing plays a major role here.

• Lead Scoring: Some email marketing programs even provide features you can use to score your leads, segmenting them based on cold, warm, and hot leads. That way, you know how to spend your time and can maximize your conversion rates.

You should locate an email marketing program that can handle these automation features. That way, you can maximize the conversion rate of your email marketing campaign.

Generating Reviews from B2B Customers

You should also use your email marketing program to generate more reviews from B2B customers. You can use email marketing programs to generate automated emails that are sent out to your clients. That way, you can encourage them to leave positive reviews of your company. A few ways you can generate positive reviews include:

• Consider sending a follow-up email to ask how a customer likes the product or service. Then, ask them to leave a review in that email with a link included.

• Offer an incentive in exchange for a public review on Google, Feefo or similar services. This could include a discount on a future purchase.

• Always explain to your customers why these are important. If you are honest about the impact these reviews have on your business strategy, customers will be more likely to leave a review.

If you are wondering how to encourage customers to leave reviews, remember that sometimes all you have to do is ask. Send an email, and your customers will be more likely to help you out.

Encouraging Referrals from B2B Customers

You should also encourage referrals from B2B customers. That way, you can use your existing customers to generate more leads. A few examples include:

• Always highlight your success in your email. Businesses will be more likely to refer other potential customers to you if you have a track record of success.

• Always send emails when customers are most engaged with their purchase. If you know they are happy with it, now is the time to ask for a referral.

• Use a referral program and offer an incentive for a successful referral.

Always keep your email concise to maximize your response rates. Then, highlight the available rewards in exchange for a referral. That way, you can make a positive impression and increase your success rate.

Email Marketing to Existing Customers

You could take advantage of marketing automation techniques to increase customer lifetime value. You should segment customers based on their purchase history, professional profile (such as job role), and individual behaviour. Use cookies to keep track of the online behaviour of your customers. This could include website visits, product use, interactions with social media content, and the types of emails they typically interact with. 

If you are able to segment your email marketing techniques based on customer preferences, you can increase your conversion rate and get the most out of your digital marketing campaign.