B2B marketers rely on email marketing more than any other marketing tactic, according to the latest Sagefrog B2B Marketing Mix Report. It’s not surprising given that email marketing is also cited by marketers as a top source of leads (second only to referrals). In fact, the ROI on email marketing is as high as $42 on every $1 spent on email marketing, according to Litmus Research.
HubSpot’s email marketing stats underscore the tactic’s effectiveness:
- Email marketing has the highest return on investment of any marketing tactic for small businesses.
- Roughly 80% of marketers have reported an increase in email engagement over the past 12 months.
- From a study of 1,000 small business owners, email marketing was ranked as the second most effective medium for building brand awareness.
- The number of global email users is set to grow to 4.48 billion users by 2024.
One of the most effective email marketing tactics is the monthly e-newsletter. While the thought of starting up an e-newsletter may seem daunting, there are user-friendly platforms (e.g., HubSpot, MailChimp, Constant Contact, and others) that make much of the groundwork and ongoing implementation relatively pain-free. A regular e-newsletter keeps you connected with prospects and customers, creates new leads and sales, increases web traffic, and positions your organization as a thought leader in your industry.
Newsworthy Advice: How to Start a Monthly E-Newsletter
Make your job easier by developing an outline you can follow from issue to issue. This creates consistency for you and your readers, makes your job easier (no need to reinvent the wheel each month), and allows you to develop a content calendar ahead of time. Just as important, the right mix of features will result in a newsletter that your readers find relevant, worthwhile, and educational.
Here are some features you may want to consider using each month, depending on your industry and audience:
- Project news: feature a project, equipment installation, or major contract.
- Blog: include a summary of and link to your latest blog post.
- Employee news: spotlight a team member, sharing personal news, a description of their job, and how they provide value for customers.
- Tips and tricks: share practical advice for how to use your products or services.
- Behind the scenes: provide a peek at how your products are designed, manufactured, or repaired.
- Community news: promote a worthwhile business, nonprofit, or event in your community.
Start Spreading the News
The e-newsletter is a tried-and-true B2B marketing tactic, keeping marketers connected with customers and prospects while providing an exceptional ROI in the form of leads and sales. If you don’t already have an established e-newsletter — or if you’re having trouble staying on schedule — perhaps you could use some outside help. (According to the same Sagefrog report, 62% of B2B marketers use a combination of in-house and outsourced, or fully outsourced, help with marketing tactics.) Revel develops effective e-newsletters for many of our clients each month. Send us an email or give us a call at (231) 727-9778.
