Email marketing still delivers the highest ROI of any sales and marketing activity. It doesn’t depend on algorithms, it isn’t based on popularity and likes, and you own it completely. To make it work for you, you need to focus on the strategic aspects of email marketing before you write a single message.
One of K2’s own brand messages is “We focus on what’s-in-it-for-me communications.”
Email marketing works the same way. Many of you are registered for our eight-week challenge emails, which we send out about four-six times per year, all focused on quick-and-easy ways you can improve some aspect of your marketing: email, social, web, inbound, data, etc. (If someone forwarded this to you, feel free to send me a message asking to be added to our list.) Every once in a while, we’ll put in a promotional message, but generally, we provide specific solutions to marketing challenges without requesting anything in return.
That’s exactly the way to approach your email marketing: Provide value first. What’s in it for your target audience? Why should your prospects care?
Targets and Goal Setting
Our audience is specifically tech marketers and CEOs, so while the industry may be different, the roles, activities, and pain points are generally the same.
However, if you are a highly focused B2B tech product, your outreach needs to focus on the specific pain points of each role within your targeted industry. Segmentation is key, by industry/vertical, buyer stage, or engagement level.
Don’t forget SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,and Time bound. Make sure your mail segmentation, sequences, and CTAs are setup accordingly.
Make It Helpful
K2 actively promotes the 80/20 rule for its clients and itself. Eighty percent of your content needs to be practical and useful, while 20 percent is promotional. While your content calendar should support your marketing and sales campaigns, make sure the topics around the campaigns add value. Focus on information your clients and potential clients want to know. Do you have industry insights based on your solution's proprietary data you can share?
What’s key is automating as much as you can while maintaining a personal approach. While we focus on B2B marketing and sales, the real approach is business to person. Make sure that you add value not only to them as employees but also as professionals who wants to advance their careers.
Once you’ve established your email messages as valuable, don’t start the hard sell. A well-placed, well-phrased CTA may be enough.
Don’t forget A/B testing; see what messages really resonate with your audiences.
Email Marketing Success
Keep “What’s in it for me” as the strategic basis of your communications, and everything flows more easily. If you need assistance with your email marketing communications, feel free to reach out for a no-cost consultation.