Remember the days of writing a letter, addressing an envelope, affixing a stamp, and sending it off? Although the era of communication via postal mail is not that far behind us, it almost seems archaic now.

The evolution of email has changed how we communicate not only personally, but in the business world as well. Although we have changed how we deliver our content, the goals to impact the audience and encourage a response remain the same.

Email Does Not Have to Equal Boring

Email marketing does not have to equate to uninteresting. Business contacts are looking for something readable, conversational, and relevant. B2B email content is not bound by a code of yawn-worthy information and dry speech.

B2B business contacts are bombarded by multiple emails every day. Worldwide, we are sending and receiving billions of emails each day. It becomes almost impossible for us to open and read each and every message, which means we skim, or ignore altogether, the emails that do not catch our attention or appear to be irrelevant for our need.

What will make your marketing email stand out and be the one to read?

The Goal of B2B Email Content

B2B content comes in many forms, from blog posts to podcasts, videos to infographics. Somewhere in there comes email newsletters, landing pages, and campaigns with the potential to reach a large audience of potential buyers.

We are a society marked by information overload, inundated with thousands of messages each day from TV, social media, radio, emails, and text message alerts. Did you know that mobile email alone account for 15-70% of email opens?

The goal of B2B email content marketing should be to encourage readers to open, read, and engage in the material. Too often, B2B email content is irrelevant, recycled, and boring.

Spear Marketing offers some tips for effective B2B email marketing, with the goal to help the reader understand the whole point:

• What the offer is
• Why the benefits matter to the reader as a potential customer
• How to take action in response to the offer that is being presented

What B2B Email Content Marketing is Not

• A sales pitch
• A generic “batch and blast”
• A way to only measure click-through rates
• Impersonal and generic
• A message sent to an empty space-potential buyers are real humans

In the same way you would (hopefully) research before organizing a mass-mail campaign, there are questions to consider before developing a B2B email for content marketing:

#1. Who is Your Audience?

Research: Engaging on social media is essential in understanding who your readers are and what they need. The opportunities for conversation, feedback, and advice seem endless and cost very little, if anything at all.

Understand: Oftentimes, emails go to multiple buyers across the decision-making crowd. Although emails can be conversational and informal, there also needs to be a tone of professionalism and knowledge.

#2. What is the Target?

B2B email content is not the place to be broad. Information should be targeted and specific. Too much irrelevant information will weigh the audience down and encourage potential customers to move onto the next thing.

B2B email is the place to offer readers an opportunity to move forward via an invitation to sign up, make a request, or be a part of an event. Creating shareable, conversational content gives readers an opportunity to pass on relevant and useful information.

#3. How is This Email Different?

Is there an interesting, attention-grabbing subject line? Is the address from a person or a company?

Does the landing page take a reader where he or she wants to go? Is the email a sales pitch, or a more creative approach in order to engage readers?

Salesforce recently released their “State of B2B Marketing” report, which found that the only marketing channel used more than email in B2B marketing is the company website. Content marketing through email channels remains an effective marketing tool when utilized in the right way.

B2B email as a content marketing strategy can be challenging, but it does not have to be boring. When you know your audience, understand the content goals, and develop a unique approach to your email marketing, your reader base will grow and your message will be delivered to the right people.

How do you put together effective emails for content marketing? What tips or practices do you have for B2B email campaigns?