The Ultimate Guide to B2B Email Marketing: Strategies and Templates for Success

Key Basics of B2B Email Marketing

Focus on Providing Value

To ensure that your emails are engaging, prioritise delivering relevant and valuable content rather than just promotional messages.

Share industry insights, helpful tips and educational content to engage your audience. In B2B, your recipients are often looking for ways to improve their business operations and stay updated on industry trends, so cater your content for this and try to offer tangible solutions that can solve specific problems/improve their bottom line.

For instance, a SaaS company could share a case study on how their software improved a client's productivity by 30%, followed up with an email about the latest industry trends and software adoption in their industry.

This still enables you to do a ‘soft sell’ and highlight the benefits of your solution, but by consistently providing value, you position your brand as a trusted resource and thought leader that will help you be front of mind when that reader is in a stage of being ready to buy.

Personalise and Segment

Tailor your emails to specific segments of your audience based on factors like industry, company size and job role.

Personalisation is an incredibly powerful tool that makes your emails more relevant and impactful. Advanced segmentation can go beyond basic demographics – for example, segment your audience by their stage in the buyer journey or their past interactions with your emails.

At least 86% of consumers say they are more than happy to share their email contact if it means they’ll receive personalised offers.

Use personalised greetings, recommend content based on previous engagement, and send tailored offers that resonate with their unique needs and challenges.

Craft Compelling Subject Lines

Subject lines are arguably the most important factor when it comes to emails – they are the single factor that drives your open rates. Remember, you may have crafted a fantastic email, but if a boring subject line means your email isn’t even opened, the message won’t be read. Use clear, concise language that highlights the value or benefit to the recipient.

In B2B, professionals are receiving 100s if not 1,000s of emails every day, so your subject lines need to stand out. Consider using statistics, posing a question, or addressing a pain point directly. For example, “How to Reduce Downtime by 50%” or “Are You Making These Common Marketing Mistakes?”

Here are some examples of different types of different email subject lines that spark different responses from your audience:

• Curiosity

As you would expect, this type of subject line is intended to create mystery and intrigue and prompt the reader to click.

Here are a few examples:

• This is pretty strange…
• 54% higher open rates?
• Top lead gen tips inside

• Benefit

These ones are fairly straightforward too. They outline the benefits of what you are offering, inviting the reader to click before expanding on your promise in the body copy.

For example:

• Write LinkedIn copy that converts
• Try this foolproof lead gen tactic
• 10x your content with this too

• Urgency

Primarily used for sales calls and product launches, these subject lines suggest the reader is about to miss out on early access to a product, event tickets or hotly-anticipated sales meetings.

Try these:

• This is your last chance [NAME]!
• Deadline: 5pm
• You don’t want to miss this [NAME]

• Results

These subject lines use social proof, testimonials and case studies. They help you build authority and credibility.

Here are some examples:

• [CASE STUDY] £40,000 from one ad
• 1,193 leads from Facebook
• See a 400% return on investment [NAME]

Why not check out our article on the 9 highest performing subject lines?

Keep it Professional

Maintain a professional tone that’s appropriate for business communication. While creativity is good, it shouldn’t overshadow the professionalism expected in B2B interactions.

Use a professional tone but don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality to make your brand more relatable. Avoid jargon unless it's industry-specific and commonly understood by your audience.

Use Relevant and Engaging Images

Adding relevant images to your emails can make them more visually appealing and engaging for the reader, especially if there is a lot of text.

However, it is important to ensure these images are in line with your branding and chosen carefully to match the tone of your text.

Include Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Guide your readers toward the next step with focused CTAs. Whether that’s downloading a resource or scheduling a demo, make your CTA clear and actionable.

In B2B emails, your CTA should align with the recipient's stage in the buyer journey. Early-stage leads might appreciate a whitepaper or webinar invitation, while prospects further down the funnel might be ready for a product demo or a free trial.

Use strong action verbs and ensure your CTA stands out visually.

Optimise for Mobile

Research from eMarketer in 2023 found that 55% of emails are opened on mobile devices.

A responsive design ensures your message looks great on any screen. Keep your design simple, use larger fonts, and make buttons easy to tap, then make sure to test your emails across multiple devices to ensure a consistent experience.

Mobile optimisation also involves utilising concise copy; get to the point quickly and make your value proposition immediately clear.

Use Automation

Set up automated email sequences for lead nurturing, onboarding, and other key touchpoints. Automation helps engage contacts at the right time with the most suitable message.

Automated workflows can increase efficiency and ensure timely communication. Take an onboarding sequence for example, where you build in a 3-step email process that welcomes new subscribers, introduces your services, and reinforces your reputation with some social proof.

After this you can gradually educate them about how to get the most value from your offerings through a nurture campaign with blogs, case studies and guides. Additionally, use behaviour-based triggers to send relevant follow-up emails, such as sending an appropriate case study after a webinar signup.

Test and Measure

Continuously test different elements of your emails and track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

This data helps you refine and improve your strategy. A/B testing subject lines, email content and CTAs can provide insights into what resonates best with your audience.

Analyse your email performance data to identify trends and areas for improvement. Regularly review and adjust your strategy based on these insights to optimise your email marketing efforts.

Build Relationships

Focus on nurturing long-term relationships rather than just making quick sales.

Provide ongoing value to your subscribers to build trust and credibility. B2B sales cycles are typically longer and more complex than B2C, so it’s crucial to build a relationship based on trust and value.

Use your emails to consistently deliver useful content, acknowledge important milestones, and show appreciation for their engagement. Personal touches, such as birthday or anniversary emails, can also strengthen your relationship with subscribers.

Follow Email Best Practices

Ensure your email lists are ‘clean’, avoid spam triggers, honour unsubscribes and make sure your understand your responsibilities under the UK GDPR or international regulations where relevant.

Adhering to best practices ensures your emails are well-received and legally compliant. Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers which will reduce bounce rates and increase your engagement rates.

Use double opt-in methods to confirm subscriptions and avoid buying email lists. Clearly display unsubscribe options and honour requests promptly to maintain a positive reputation and comply with personal data regulations.

By focusing on these fundamentals, you can create an effective B2B email marketing strategy that engages your business audience and drives results.

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s take a look at five email templates you can use in your own marketing campaigns. You can easily use these as a great starting point, and simply add in relevant information about your product or service, tailoring it to your industry and target audience.