Last time we took a look at how to how to report on all the efforts you’ve put into your email marketing campaign, from what metrics to look out for, to how to A/B test your content. If you missed the blog, check it out here.  

This time we’re taking a look at how to use email marketing for SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses). Email marketing changes depending on who you’re marketing to, your industry, and whether it’s  B2B (business to business)  or B2C (business to customer). You’ll have to look at your current audience and who you want to attend your events to decide which bracket you’ll fall into.  

We’ll also look at the best email marketing services to help you choose which would work best for your needs. 

Below are some key stats to consider when putting together a campaign that’s either B2B or B2C specific. 

B2B key email marketing stats:

• Emails that are triggered by an action perform 3X better than nurture emails or drip campaigns 
• Email is the preferred communication channel for 86% of professionals 
• 60% of marketers believe that email marketing produces a positive ROI 
• Click-through rates are 47% higher for B2B emails than B2C 
• Subject-line emojis accounted for increased open rates for 56% of brands 

B2C key email marketing stats:

• 78% of consumers have unsubscribed from lists because a brand was sending too many emails 
• Over 90% of consumers check their emails daily 
• Video increases CTR by 64.8% 
• Email subscribers are 3X more likely to share social content than others 

Best email marketing services 

Hopefully, you should have a pretty good understanding of email marketing campaigns in their entirety, so the next step is to pick an email marketing company that works for you. When choosing an email service provider (ESP), make sure it offers the following services:  

• CRM platform with segmentation capabilities 
• Good standing with Internet Service Providers 
• A positive reputation as an email service provider (ESP) 
• Easy-to-build forms, landing pages, and CTAs 
• Automation 
• Simple ways to comply with email regulations 
• Ability to split test your emails 
• Built-in analytics 
• Downloadable reports 

These features generally come as standard with most ESPs, but it’s always worth double-checking to ensure you get the most for your money. 

Email marketing templates

Templates take the design, coding and UX (user experience) work out of crafting your emails. Unless you’re a designer or developer, templates will save you lots of time when it comes to putting together a beautiful email to send out to your audience. 

When making your choice remember to choose templates that are proven to be effective; high-quality templates come from reputable ESPs that have tested them against many alternatives. Do your research, and you’re sure to find one that works for your needs. 

Email marketing examples

One of the first steps you can take is to look at your own inbox. Which marketing emails have you opened lately? Think why you opened them. What did they do that made you open that email or click on that link?  There are plenty of online resources to help you gather ideas and seek inspiration, so we recommend finding some examples you like and building from there.   

Whilst it may seem there are many rules when putting together an email marketing campaign, as long as you keep this key rule in mind, you won’t go far wrong: Treat your subscribers like humans. You can achieve all your email marketing goals if you keep this golden rule in mind regarding every subject line or call to action (CTA). 

Your subscribers have chosen to hear from you, and they want to relate to you. So be genuine, informative, and valuable to them, and they will look forward to hearing from you.