E-Mail Marketing a B2B Marketing Best Practice Guide

7/28/2019 E-Mail Marketing a B2B Marketing Best Practice Guide

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Email

MarketingA B2B Marketing

Best Practice Guide

Published December 2010

www.b2bmarketing.net

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


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IntroductionContents .............................................................................................................................1

About B2B Marketing.....................................................................................................4

Executive summary........................................................................................................5

Authors biographies......................................................................................................8

Section 1 Background to email marketing1.1 Introduction.................................................................................................12

1.2 Key factors to consider..........................................................................13

Section 2 Developing your newsletter strategy2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................16

2.2 Setting objectives.....................................................................................16

2.3 Database creation and management...............................................19

2.4 Developing a communications schedule.......................................22

2.5 Selecting the right platform option...................................................23

2.6 Avoiding spam...........................................................................................24

2.7 Managing opt-outs and emotional unsubscribes .......................28

Section 3 Content3.1 Introduction................................................................................................32

3.2 Set up a content strategy....................................................................32

3.3 Make it compelling...................................................................................33

3.4 The content path to conversion........................................................36

3.5 Calls to action drive conversion........................................................37

3.6 Different types of messages..............................................................37

3.7 Make your content scannable............................................................38

3.8 Posting content in the email or on the website?...................38

3.9 Use content to get new subscribers..............................................39

3.10 Tracking content gives you powerful intelligence .....................40

3.11 Summary......................................................................................................41

Best Practice: Email Marketing B2B Marketing 2010 1

Email Best Practice Guide

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOrder your copy today on 0207 438 1379



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Section 4 Design and formatting4.1 Introduction................................................................................................42

4.2 Objectives...................................................................................................42

4.3 The grid........................................................................................................42

4.4 Above the fold...........................................................................................43

4.5 Understanding Outlook..........................................................................44

4.6 Dont forget mobile users.....................................................................44

4.7 Image formats...........................................................................................45

Section 5 Managing data and distribution lists5.1 Introduction................................................................................................46

5.2 Always aim for opt-in ............................................................................46

5.3 Make sign-up easy .................................................................................47

5.4 Keyword consistency ...........................................................................48

5.5 Tailoring to the smartphone................................................................48

5.6 The opt-out process...............................................................................49

5.7 Customised opt-in....................................................................................49

5.8 Requesting information.........................................................................50

5.9 The unsubscribe link .............................................................................50

5.10 Temporary opt-out ....................................................................................51

5.11 Recipient feedback .................................................................................52

5.12 Mailing list management ......................................................................52

5.13 Summary.....................................................................................................53

Section 6 Analysing the results

6.1 Introduction................................................................................................54

6.2 Reporting What to expect from your platform?......................54

6.3 Industry standard statistics................................................................56

6.4 How to improve your emails ...............................................................58

6.5 Understanding user behaviour..........................................................60

6.6 Auditing and benchmarking effectiveness.....................................61

Contents





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Section 7 Segmentation7.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................64

7.2 Understanding the value of email marketing ..............................63

7.3 What is segmentation?.........................................................................64

7.4 Why segment? .........................................................................................64

7.5 Does segmentation work?..................................................................65

7.6 Managing and collecting data.............................................................66

7.7 Putting segmentation into action......................................................67

7.8 Using segments to analyse campaign success .......................78

7.9 The secret to advanced marketing..................................................69

7.10 Summary 10 steps to segmentation success.........................70

Section 8 Email integration8.1 Introduction..................................................................................................71

8.2 Strengths and weaknesses of email................................................71

8.3 Integrating email into the customer relationship........................72

8.4 Integrating email into your brand personality ..............................758.5 Integrating email into the customer journey.................................77

8.6 Integrating email into the decision-making process..................78

8.7 Integrating email into social media...................................................79

8.8 Summary.....................................................................................................80

Section 9 Automation9.1 Introduction.................................................................................................81

9.2 What is marketing automation?........................................................829.3 Using triggered messaging .................................................................83

9.4 Closing the sales/marketing gap ......................................................85

9.5 Selecting a vendor..................................................................................87

9.6 Summary.....................................................................................................89

9.7 Key learnings.............................................................................................90

Contents





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B2B Marketing is the comprehensive information resource for business-to-business marketers. Its mission is to provide practitioners with the

information they need to perform better and achieve more, whateversector of the B2B space they are operating in.

B2B Marketing is a multi-faceted resource, delivering a broad range of

content in a variety of different forms and formats. Its key products are:

B2bmarketing.net: An interactive community and content archive,focusing on the key aspects of business-to-business marketing via its

Knowledge Bank portal. Interactive elements include forums, blogs,webcasts and a suppliers directory.

B2B Marketing magazine: The essential monthly guide to business-to-business marketing, with a key focus on best practice guidance, plusmonthly features looking at current trends, regular research, profiles

etc.

The B2B Marketing Awards: The showpiece event for brands andpractitioners, attended by over 600 people, and with winners including

a host of top-tier B2B brands, including Barclays, TNT, AmericanExpress, HP, Microsoft, JCB, Symantec, Volkswagen, Stanley, RSA, and

many more

Events and training: Regular seminars and training sessions aimed athelping marketers hear and learn first hand from the experts in order to

hone their skills.

Research and reports: Indepth research and analysis into key

marketing issues and trends, offering exclusive insights and practicalguidance. The product line includes best practice guides, benchmarkingreports and buyers guides.

Premium membership: Become a premium member and receive all ofour research and guides for free. You will also receive exclusive invitesto members-only networking events, get discounts on our training,

seminars, conferences and receive a subscription to our monthlymagazine. There are different levels of membership available so please

call 0207 269 6590 to find out more.

For more information on any of these products or services go to

www.b2bm.biz or call 020 7438 1373


About B2B Marketing




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Section 1. IntroductionThis chapter will provide an overview of email in the current B2B

marketing environment. It will focus on the mixed messages andconflicting perspectives regarding emails status, potential and prospects.

It will also examine the major issues affecting email marketing, highlightthe key factors marketers need to consider when planning or reviewing

their activity, and provide a context in which the rest of this best practiceguide can be read and understood.

Section 2. Developing your newsletter strategyFor email marketing to be effective, it must be based around a clear androbust strategy, which ties in with broader marketing and business

objectives. This section will help you devise such a strategy andunderstand how to deliver this on a tactical basis. It will examine how to

set objectives and how to understand and focus on different audiencesor customer groups. It will also look at developing lists and a

communications schedule, choosing an email marketing platform orservice provider, spam and issues surrounding subscriber loyalty.

Section 3. ContentAny email marketing strategy or campaign is only as good as the contentthat it utilises, a fact becoming increasingly understood by marketers in

all sectors. Content will ensure that your email marketing performs andcontinues to perform as a customer engagement tool, and that it is

effective in ensuring your customers understand the value and relevanceof your offering. This section will focus on how to make your content

compelling, how to ensure that it effectively drives conversion and howto make it scannable. It will also look at profiling the different kinds of

content that could be included and will compare their various merits.

Section 4. Design and formattingThe effectiveness of your email in ensuring it communicates the correct

message is largely due to design and formatting. This chapter will exploreissues surrounding the creation and management of email design ensuring

a consistent brand experience, and developing a profitable relationshipfrom existing customers and prospects. It will consider issues such as

subject lines, grid-based layout systems, use of images and image formats,the relevance of the fold and its impact on your messages, use of multiple

page templates and considerations for mobile usage.

Section 5. Managing data and distribution lists

Research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA)indicates that carefully monitoring and managing who you send email


Executive summaryFor email marketing to be

effective, it must be based

around a clear and robust

strategy




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Research conducted by the

Direct Marketing Association

(DMA) indicates that carefully

monitoring and managing who

you send email communications

to will drive 50 per cent more

response than the creative

content or timing of what you

send

communications to will drive 50 per cent more response than the

creative content or timing of what you send. A little time and care inthis area can provide the foundation for any programme to achieveits fullest potential. The section will discuss driving registrations,

managing opt-outs, data hygiene, integrating different platforms anddiscrepancies such as the out-of-office dilemma.

Section 6. Analysing campaign resultsThis chapter will focus on the importance of analysing the results ofyour email marketing endeavours. It will look at what determines the

outcomes you can expect to achieve (both good and bad), theunderlying reasons and the role that email plays as a channel for sales

call prioritisation and lead development. From establishing yourbusiness objectives to the selection and operation of a suitable

operational platform, this section will discuss the roles that technologyand customer engagement play in applying email as an immensely

powerful sales and marketing tool. It will look at how to capture,aggregate, store and use customer data to maximise its potential and

how this information forms the capability to deliver highly targeted one-to-one email marketing strategies. It will also examine the role

behavioural analytics plays in email design, appropriateness,development and statistical testing.

Section 7. Segmentation and targeting

The more focused your email activity can be in terms of its content, thebetter it will address the needs of a target audience and therefore the

more effective it will be in meeting marketing objectives. This sectionexamines how to segment and target your email marketing activity in

order to maximise its effectiveness. It will examine the value of an emailaddress, how to manage data into effective and viable segments, how

to implement a segmentation strategy and how to analyse your results.

Section 8. Email integrationThis section will focus on how to integrate email as part of a

thoughtfully constructed marketing strategy. It will address:

Integrating email into your relationship with the customer: Howthe nature of email activities depends on the relationship with the

customer, and the different levels of relationship that brands canhave with prospects and customers across email.

INTRODUCTION Executive summary





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B2B marketers ability to

immediately respond to

customer or prospect behaviour

can be the difference between

relationship-building, revenue

generation and missed

opportunities

Integrating email into your brand: How all email activities need to

be consistent with the brands voice and personality.

Integrating email into the decision-making process: Thedifferent roles that email marketing plays at different stages in thebuying cycle, from need identification through to post-sale.

Integrating email into social media: The emerging issue of howemail complements social media strategies and plays an importantrole in helping to develop a social media presence.

Section 9. Marketing automation the next step for email?

In todays competitive and cost-sensitive environment, marketers areincreasingly relying on marketing automation solutions to improve

effectiveness and drive results. B2B marketers ability to immediatelyrespond to customer or prospect behaviour can be the difference

between relationship-building, revenue generation and missedopportunities. Marketing automation enables companies to implement

sophisticated, triggered communications programmes that respond torecipient actions and interests.

In examining the nuances of an effective marketing automation platform,

this chapter will reveal what marketers need to look for and the questionsthey should ask when selecting a vendor to help optimise their process;

from campaign planning to execution to analysis.

INTRODUCTION Executive summary





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John BottomCo-founder, Base One

John is a co-founder of Base One, a specialist B2B agency based in

Teddington, London, where he holds the title of head of content andcommunications. A regular speaker, author and blogger, John began his

career as a copywriter, which explains his fondness for the art ofcommunication. Much of his current work involves both planning and

advising on digital communications, from email to social media. He isalso involved with how brands can be effective in not only conveying a

distinctive personality via consistent tone of voice, but also drivingbusiness through compelling messages.

[email protected]: 0208 943 9999

Peter ByreClient services director, Concep

Peter has worked at Concep for five years and in that time has worked

with many professional service firms, helping them to get the most outof their email marketing. As client services director, he provides

strategic direction to the existing customer base, enhancing andoptimising client performance using Concep's various digital

communications solutions. He also manages the growing team ofaccount managers within the business.



Contributors biographies




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Denise CoxEmail communication specialist, Newsweaver

Denise Cox is the email communication specialist for Newsweaver, anemail engagement specialist, providing unique microsite technology,

advanced personalisation and in-depth customer insight to more than1500 organisations in 26 countries. Involved in all aspects of email

marketing for over 10 years, Denise is a regular speaker at conferencesand seminars, as well as conducting email marketing workshops

throughout Europe. Denise also contributes to a wide variety ofpublications around the world.

[email protected]: +353 (0)21 247277Twitter: @denisecox

Richard EvansDirector of marketing EMEA, Silverpop

Richard attended Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned aBachelor of Science degree in public policy with a focus on Internet and

telecommunications. With more than a decade of experience in the fieldof email marketing, Richard currently leads Silverpops marketing efforts

throughout EMEA. Prior to this role, he managed product marketing forSilverpop, developing the companys go-to-market strategy for its

Engage product line.

Before joining Silverpop, Richard was vice president of interactiveservices at Target Resource Group, where he spearheaded the

development of a suite of online marketing tools. He also providedmarketing counsel to north Americas largest and most renowned

performing arts companies in the areas of email marketing, direct

marketing and ecommerce. Richard has served in executive andmarketing roles as the managing partner of EM Interactive Media inAtlanta, as well as at Nortel Networks.


INTRODUCTION Contributors biographies





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Skip FiduraDigital director, DotMailer

Skip has been in marketing for over 15 years, having worked in contactcenters, direct marketing, customer analysis, and digital marketing. Most

recently Skip was email partner at OgilvyOne London and prior to thathe was the director of European operations for Acxiom Digital. He has

worked with clients such as Hallmark, BT, Kodak, HP, and Travelocity.


Anthony GreenPresident and co-founder, Concep

Anthony Green is the president of Concep's north American operations.He is an industry-thought leader on digital marketing and business

development for professional services firms.

Anthony is heavily involved with the LMA (Legal Marketing Association)New York chapter and is an active member of AAM (Association of

Accounting Marketing). Anthony was the founding chairman of the IABUK B2B council and a member of the IAB UK email marketing council.

Anthony regularly presents for the LMA, ILTA and AAM and was namedone of the top 20 B2B marketers in the UK in 2005.

[email protected]: +1 212 925 0380






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Tink TaylorManaging director, DotMailer

Tink is one of the founding directors of the DotDigital Group(www.dotdigitalgroup.com), established in 1999 as a full-service digital

marketing agency. With offices based in London, Manchester andNorthampton the agency drives site traffic and sales through strategy

and design, providing smart, easy-to-use but sophisticated digitalmarketing products along with creative and consultative services. Tink

is managing director of DotMailer and a member of the email marketingcouncils at both the DMA and IAB.

[email protected]: 0208 662 4814Twitter: twitter.com/dotMailer

Andy ThorpeDeliverability and compliance manager, Pure360

Andy is the manager of customer accounts at email marketingcompany Pure360. He and his team manage the vast majority of

Pure360s customers, offering proactive email marketing consultancy,advice on how to get the best out of the software and general account

management. Andy first joined Pure360 as a customer accountmanager in 2006 just after attaining his honours degree in business

software development. He is a keen blogger, contributes advice and tipson many LinkedIn groups and occasionally finds the time to update his

own email marketing blog: GetInTheInbox.com.






Documents

E-Mail Marketing a B2B Marketing Best Practice Guide