The many options for advertising that social media has brought can leave even the most seasoned strategist confused as to where to begin! Even though some are starting to think it’s a bit outdated, email marketing is not going anywhere, and there are different voices that need to be used for different recipients. It can be a huge mistake to use B2C strategy for B2B brands, as one has a logical base and the other is quite emotional.
Here are some general rules to follow as you reach out to your existing and potential customers:
Defining the Target Audience:
B2B target audiences have a rigorous specialization and are more focused, as businesses must narrow their vision when it comes to partnering with other companies. B2B Marketing styles are often completely implemented around the logical thought process that a predominant decision-maker would have. Any digital marketer that wants to champion B2C efforts will have a focus on what moves and motivates an ordinary individual.
The Variable Buying Cycles:
B2B and B2C customers are naturally going to have different mindsets, since their buying cycles are different. A B2C email strategy offers more recipients needing a human touch that are present in the decision-making process. A B2B sales cycle must appeal to the logistics and supply chain that the decision-makers have to consider. Since a B2B value proposition may be more expensive in the long run, it’s important to move through a few more steps before the copy that closes the sale.
B2C email marketing should focus on increasing engagement and developing brand awareness, and always read as a little more personal. The “winning touch” for B2C marketing can often involve empathy and the customers’ desire to simplify their life and achieve their dreams.
The Purchase Process:
Within the B2B email marketing mindset, the decision maker can spend their entire day attempting to increase revenue and improve their return on investment. This customer has quite a bit of restraint before making a purchase since they must look at multiple goals and the chain of events afterward. Logic is much more of a driving factor over impulse while B2B email marketing. A well-established relationship within a B2B context makes more sense than a tactic that is in place to rapidly sell.
When it comes to B2C email types, there can be many more emotional triggers present. Acknowledging the customer’s time and the pressure everyone is under can work wonders during your copy strategy outlining sessions. A personal message goes a long way!
Message Molding During Content Creation:
In B2B emails, it is important to avoid the tactics that everyone has asked them. Although they are useful questions that you’d ask just about anyone, you’re going to lose some B2B targets’ interest in the numbers game. There are many ways to personalize things in the subject line, but some busy A-level execs are going to scrap your email within seconds into the trash.
The human eye scans for keywords much like a search engine or resume reader, and you can’t appeal to everyone right away. The reason why TV commercials use the word NOW so often is that the B2C model plays on a sense of urgency! Case studies and quarterly reports make so much more sense for the B2B email reader, as they illustrate valuable ways that your pitch can manifest itself.
Forego the Spam Filter:
Anyone who wants to get their product or service’s message across is going to want to reach as many people as possible. Here it’s important to remember the times when you were checking your inbox and wanted to get rid of everything unwanted. There are now some sophisticated spam filters which will quickly single out anything promotional. Asking your subscribers outright to add you to their whitelist is one excellent first step.
Here are some of the phrases that could send your email unwittingly to spam:
- 100% Free
- Additional income
- Be your own boss
- Best price
- Consolidation
- Credit
- Discount
- Eliminate bad credit
- Extra income
- Fantastic
- Income
- Investment
- Lifetime
- Luxury
- Rates
- Score
- Search engine (this one is tough to forego!)
- Terms and Conditions
- Trial
- Warranty
- Work from home (also difficult post-pandemic)
Email marketing is best done by those with a vision for the long haul, and we can help grow your business one email at a time!