Master Email Marketing For B2B Lead Generation

By

Nectar Group

December 18, 2023

Email marketing has emerged as an essential tool for generating leads in the B2B sector. While crafting strategic email campaigns and tailoring content are key strategies, ensuring a balance between direct marketing and providing valuable content is crucial to the efficacy of your email efforts. 

Despite the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, email remains a powerful and reliable channel for B2B communication. In 2023, an astounding 347.3 billion emails will be sent daily, and this number is projected to rise even higher in the coming years. Notably, 89% of marketers consider email their primary lead generation channel.

What is Email Lead Generation?

At its essence, email lead generation is an intricate craft involving the collection of customer leads through well-designed opt-in forms. These digital portals offer individuals a choice to willingly share their contact particulars, including names and email addresses. 

This valuable information resides in an email marketing database and is essential for cultivating potential leads into devoted customers.

Successful email lead generation relies on establishing a resilient opt-in list of individuals who have not only shown a keen interest in your offerings but have also kindly granted permission for email contact. 

This foundation of consent ensures that your emails resonate with an engaged audience, enhancing the potential for conversions and nurturing customer bonds.

What Does Email Lead Generation Offer? 

Email serves as a personalised and direct way to connect with your intended audience. Recent industry observations show a notable increase in email interaction, highlighting the ongoing effectiveness of this marketing method. Many B2B marketers recognise the importance of email marketing in advancing their business goals, further emphasising its significant role in promoting growth.

Beyond its impact on sales, email marketing has various functions. These include boosting brand awareness, nurturing relationships, and sharing valuable content. Together, these aspects are vital in turning potential leads into loyal customers. Additionally, with the use of automation and segmentation, email campaigns have become more customised and efficient, adding an extra layer of relevance for recipients.

Email marketing's effectiveness is evident in the numbers:

  • The average open rate in 2022 was 19.66%, and click-through rates over 20% were achieved by 22% of marketers.
  • The click-to-open rate stood at 10.5%, while the unsubscribe rate was a mere 0.1%.
  • Email bounce rates across industries averaged 2.76%, showcasing the channel's reliability.
  • Aspiring for a 10% response rate is a reasonable goal.

How To Write Emails For Lead Generation 

Emails are a fundamental aspect of marketing, particularly for generating potential leads. However, the journey towards success requires more than routine messages. This section delves into the art of crafting captivating emails that foster leads. 

#1 Defining Your Goals and Objectives

Before launching any email campaign, it is vital to define your goals and objectives. Are you aiming to drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Clearly outlining your goals enables the creation of a well-structured plan that aligns with your objectives, amplifying your chances of success.

Every email should answer the question: "What's in it for the recipient?" Understand the purpose and benefit of each email you send. Providing recipients with clear value not only builds trust but also ensures that your emails remain relevant and eagerly anticipated.

#2 Crafting Engaging Content

The content of your emails plays a crucial role in capturing prospects' attention. Informative and engaging content is the key to resonating with your recipients. Tailor your language to resonate with them and ensure the content addresses their specific needs. Remember that concise messages tend to hold your audience's interest more effectively than lengthy ones.

#3 Segmenting Your Audience

Segmentation is a potent strategy in email marketing. By categorising your email list based on interactions or industry affiliations, you can tailor your messages to specific target groups. This approach ensures that your content resonates with each audience segment, making it more relevant.

Segmentation drives engagement to new heights. Segmented email campaigns boast a 50% higher click-through rate compared to untargeted ones. 

#4 Personalising Your Campaigns

Adding a personal touch to your email campaigns enhances their effectiveness. Personalisation goes beyond just using names. Speak your subscribers' language, mirroring their preferences and using their "slang." This effort demonstrates that you understand and value them as individuals, fostering a deeper connection and enhancing engagement.

Personalised emails convey care and consideration, increasing the likelihood of engagement. It improves open rates by 82%, click-through rates by 75%, and customer satisfaction by 58%.

#5 Tracking and Analysing Performance

Consistent monitoring and analysis are vital to ensuring your campaigns yield results. By tracking key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you can gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns. These insights will guide you in refining your strategies for optimal outcomes.

#6 Timing and Content Considerations

Timing is a pivotal factor in email marketing success. Research indicates that mornings and afternoons, particularly mid-mornings, yield higher open rates for emails. Additionally, non-workdays like weekends offer greater chances of inbox engagement due to personal email-checking habits.

In terms of content, prioritise conciseness and directness. Lengthy blocks of text can deter recipients, so getting to the point quickly and avoiding excessive information is essential. Engaging and captivating copy increases the likelihood of readers responding to your call-to-action (CTA).

#7 The Power of Visuals and Videos

Incorporating visuals and videos into your emails amplifies engagement. Images effectively convey messages, and videos can clarify complex concepts. Using visuals thoughtfully will make your emails more enticing, resulting in higher open and read rates.

Tried-and-True Strategies

While trends and technologies evolve, certain tactics have proven their effectiveness time and again. These strategies can help you master B2B email marketing, from crafting compelling subject lines to leveraging valuable statistics to refine your approach.

Crafting Irresistible Subject Lines

A strong subject line is the gateway to your email's content. In the realm of B2B email marketing, where busy professionals receive a multitude of messages daily, the subject line must grab attention instantly. 

Craft your subject lines with care, utilising powerful words and emojis to stand out in a crowded inbox. A poor subject line can undermine even the most valuable content. It’s estimated that 47% of emails opened are influenced by subject lines, but 69% might mark emails as spam based on those same lines.

Personalised subject lines are 22% more likely to be opened, and emails with active discount codes can experience an 8-fold boost in sales.

Showcasing Thought Leadership

Shift the focus from mere sales pitches to informative content that showcases your industry expertise. B2B buyers seek value, and by linking to articles authored within your industry, you can demonstrate thought leadership. 

Educating and engaging your audience through your emails will establish your brand as a reliable source of valuable insights. 

Harnessing the Power of Split Testing

Experimentation is the heart of optimisation. Implement split testing to identify the strategies that resonate best with your audience. This practice enables you to try new approaches before committing fully, ensuring that you're always refining your techniques for optimal results.

Defining Clear Calls to Action

Every email should lead your readers towards a specific action. Define your email's goal and craft calls to action that encourage readers to take that step. By providing value and insights related to your brand, you can make your emails enticing and rewarding.

Email sign-offs and communication styles are vital considerations:

  • Common sign-offs include "Thanks" (62%) and initials (46%).
  • Communication styles range from formal (17% of adults) to informal (33%), with variations among different demographics.

Embracing Email Automation

Email automation is an industry standard with 81% of companies adopting it. Automation offers benefits like time-saving, lead generation, revenue increase, and improved targeting. Leveraging automation can lead to a remarkable 451% surge in qualified leads and 8 times more opens than bulk emails.

Email marketing's potential for lead generation is vast, but its success lies in strategic execution. Ensuring harmony between direct marketing and valuable content is the cornerstone of effective email campaigns. By mastering these best practices and understanding the significance of timing, content structure, and visual appeal, you can craft impactful email campaigns that drive leads and conversions. 

Nectar specialises in lead generation and is here to enhance your business's email marketing efforts. We craft effective email campaigns that yield remarkable outcomes, driving your business forward with growth and achievement.

Leveraging our expertise and specialised tools, we remain current with the latest trends and top methods, ensuring you stay ahead in this competitive market.