Submit Your B2B Email Marketing Tips!

I am writing a paper on using email marketing in B2B and I would like to quote tips from others in this paper. Please share your tips here (basic and advanced). I will send a copy of the paper to everyone that submits a tip!

Comments

[Roger]

If you are doing B2B Email Marketing go use Double opt-in implemented email list, it will be useful.

[Shawn Willis]

Hi...Heres what I would say:

a) Use appropriate Subject lines - In short, the subject line should not be misleading. It should clearly "tell" whats inside the email.

b) If you want to get past the Spam filters avoid using spammy keywords such as free, buy now, offers, specials etc and spammy phrases like "click here", "once in a life time opportunity" etc

c) Avoid using ALL caps or too many excalamation marks.

d) Avoid sending a big image in the email, without any texts.

e) Sloppy html codings are also tracked as spam by many spam filters.

f) Always use Unsubscribe link for all the email campaigns that you carry out.

Shawn Willis
http://www.walkersresearch.com/emailaddresslists.asp

[Shawn Willis]

Hi...Heres what I would say:

a) Use appropriate Subject lines - In short, the subject line should not be misleading. It should clearly "tell" whats inside the email.

b) If you want to get past the Spam filters avoid using spammy keywords such as free, buy now, offers, specials etc and spammy phrases like "click here", "once in a life time opportunity" etc

c) Avoid using ALL caps or too many excalamation marks.

d) Avoid sending a big image in the email, without any texts.

e) Sloppy html codings are also tracked as spam by many spam filters.

f) Always use Unsubscribe link for all the email campaigns that you carry out.

[Business Email Lists]

Kelly I do agree with you, it is very important to use opt-in email lists for any marketing initiatives or else it will end in spamming, the end result will be horrible.

There for I do agree with all the above points mentioned by Kelly...

Rocky Junior

[optinbuilders]

Getting a head start in Email Marketing

Email marketing can bring real good revenue to a business regardless of a Company size or industry vertical. Because of its effectiveness, Email has reached a universal penetration, with 97% of consumers and 94% of marketers using the channel according to Forrester Research (March 2007).

If you want to do email marketing, but don’t know how to get started, then follow these tips to get a head start and keep it going.

1.Select your target audience:

Choosing the right people to target the email campaign is the first phase. Define your target audience precisely - the sector of the industry, the level of your target personnel, geography etc.

2.Create a list of email addresses or procure one:

You can create your own list by deploying means such as your sales, customer service personnel, tradeshows, conferences, your website to compile a permission based list. For easy and faster approach, you can procure an opt-in list from a list provider.

3.Prepare the email campaign:

Write compelling message. You can either send a plain text email or html email depending on your choice. Include an option to unsubscribe. Check your message and remove terms that seem spammy, you can use free tools available on the internet to identify such words. Test send to internal staff to check hassle-free delivery.

4.Distribute the emails:

If you are sending bulk emails, make use of simple, cost-effective, user friendly email marketing software that can distribute and track your campaign.

5.Follow up:

Follow-up and repetition of campaigns is indispensable for the success of any marketing efforts. Quickly respond to inquiries that your campaign generate. Such prompt replies could result in immediate sales.

6.Analyze the results:

Examine the deliverability ratio; bounce mails, opt-out requests, clicks, opens, forwards and responses that you track using email marketing tool.
Evaluate each aspect of the campaign and find reasons behind the success or failure of the campaign. Refine where required and keep the momentum going.

Kelly Johnson
Marketing Manager
OptinBuilders

[Fred Tabsharani]

Email Authentication and reputation monitoring is key and of great importance in the B to B space, especially among financial institutions, and legal entities, and news groups. There are several entities that focus on small and large companies that monitor your reputation both domestically and internationally. There is one company now that provides "intelligent" whitelisting. Essentially it is automated. Hope this helps.

[Matt]

I'm seeing a lot of comments about lists, timing, and messaging, but I think it's also worthing mentioning a tech aspect. Your email needs to look good in whatever medium your target market will use to read it - outlook for business customers, and a whole range of portals for end users. Little things like making sure your width fits within a standard window (who likes to scroll left/right?) and creating a text versions for mobile or no-image users can make all the difference for that initial impression. Most users won't take the time to follow that link and open your email in a browser where it displays how you want it, so you've got to make it work for them.

Of course, on another tech note: using analytics to appropriately measure your campaign can also help you figure out what platforms your readers are using so that you can make adjustments. Your work is not done the moment you hit that deploy button!

[Tony Estigoy]

How about adding a quick "thank you" video when your client/prospect opts in to your database. This personalization has been known to shoot conversion rates through the roof!

I couldn't think of anything else to add as all your responses were spot on!

[Erin Geoghegan]

All the aforementioned tips are definitely worth considering. In addition, here’s one to put at the very top of your list - add interactivity. I manage, mail and track my company’s BtoB e-newsletter every month, and can honestly say that adding polls, contests and links to social networking sites have been essential to subscriber engagement. Even in today’s BtoB environment, it’s not a one way conversation anymore.

[Email Marketing Solutions]

I have personally found that sending on Tuesdays and Wednesdays results in a much greater response from my targeted audiences, with Mondays and Fridays being the worst.

[Jim @ the Ad Agency, Reno NV]

1. Double opt-in is key. You have to have a GOOD list.
2. Try giving away some good info for a few weeks before you get to the selling. no one wants a hard sell every time they hear from you.
3. Be personal, not corporate. email is a very presonal medium.

Jim Belosic Reno, NV Advertising Agency - Belosic|ADG

[erik]

I am currently marketing for an affiliate company and I dont even use the email marketing approach. There is a fine line between spamming and marketing. Maybe I should consider starting an email campaign.

[Vaibhav Domkundwar - ReadyContacts.com]

Here are some of our inputs based on working with B2B marketing organizations on building and maintaining highly accurate lead databases:

- Its critical to start with a list of highly accurate role-based decision makers & influencers if you want to see "real" opportunities emerge from the campaign. QUALITY OF LIST.

- Ensure that before you send any email campaign, you are aware of how old the list is and if it requires cleansing and verification. CLEANSE & VERIFY LISTS before you schedule your email campaigns.

I realize these are pre-campaign points but its unbelievable how often the LIST DATA QUALITY gets overlooked in email marketing as compared to copy, design, landing pages, call to action and time to send it - all these don't matter if you are not emailing the right person.

Vaibhav Domkundwar
Founder & CEO
ReadyContacts.com
http://www.readycontacts.com

[email maestro]

Hi Tamara Gielen,

For successful B2B email campaign, opt in email lists are utmost important and to get opt in emails it is better to go for PPC.

I have just writtent a blog "Is there any one who can help me to get opt in email lists?"

GO through my post and also you can suggest insights.

[Andrea Norman]

Personalization is very important.

Humor and whimsy generate a higher response rate.

[Email Direct Marketing]

Trust is key to making the most of your list. When your customers trust you, they will reward you with their loyalty. Many internet users have gone to great lengths in protecting their email accounts from spam mail.

JZ

[Tamara Gielen]

I totally agree with you, Vincent!

Thanks everyone for submitting your tips. Keep them coming!

[Vincent]

There are unethical online businesses that acquire email addresses from newsgroups, forums and chat rooms without the knowledge of the email address owner. These businesses then send successive email messages to these addresses, not even knowing whether the recipients are part of their target market or not. Spamming is a very unwanted practice that can get online businesses blacklisted. Spamming will give your business a very bad name, so it is recommended that you avoid it at all costs. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE

[Nick Stamoulis]

Make sure what ever you are offering in your email campaign will benefit the reader in someway. You don't always want to be selling something. Free information on an industry will work the same way.

[Andy Parker]

We would love to give you some advice from Pure360.com's expert crew.

Would you like to drop me an email to discuss it further?

Cheers,

Andy Parker
andy[dot]parker[at]pure360[dot]com

[Keith]

I like to schedule my emails to go out around 10 - 11 AM. I have found that when they are sent overnight they are looked out very quickly and deleted.

If you send it too early in the morning same thing. Many people are about caught up in the morning between 10 and 11 AM and can give your message a little more attention at that time. You might also try sending it mid afternoon for similar reasons.

I also track all of my email opens and links followed using a software tool with all kinds of features I found at http://www.FastTrakker.com

It works alone or can work with goldmine which is what I use to store all customer and prospect contact information.

[San Diego email marketing]

thanks for the information..
i learn a lot in this site..

-faith-

[Hans Smellinckx]

-> permission is certainly important, double optin gives you a look on the quality of your list as well

-> be relevant ;-) so, segmentation is extremely important as you will have several distrubution lists in your db

-> get to know the person(s) behind the address

-> create a year program of email messages

-> life cycle marketing

... just to name a few ;-)

Hans
www.onlinemarketingmanager.be

[Grant]

A couple of key issues on B2B Email Marketing are:

1. Use a double opt-in permission based list

2. Send out the blast mid-week