B2B Monday Myth: No One Is Receptive to B2B Marketing Over a Holiday Weekend
by MGB2B
The Myth: No One is Receptive to B2B Marketing Over a Holiday Weekend
The Truth: That 4th of July Email Might Be Much More Well-Received Than You Thought
Holiday weekends in the summer usually mean a few things: Fireworks. Sun (hopefully). Swimming. Maybe a few beers, a trip to the beach, or grilling hamburgers out on the deck.
For most people, it doesn’t mean a day in the office, being stuck inside responding to email. or dialing into a call. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn the holiday into an opportunity. Occasions like 4th of July weekend are actually the perfect time to reach out with an email campaign. Why? Because what you don’t achieve in mass, you’ll make up for in quality. Prospects who actively engaging with your emails over holiday weekends have taken time out of their holiday weekend to read what you have to say.
Here Are Some Marketing Tips for July 4th Weekend:
- Make It Count. If someone is opening your email over the holiday weekend, they are genuinely interested in what you’re offering. Give them some meat instead of holiday “fluff.”
- Establish the Context: Even if you are writing a substantial email, you may actually be able to find a link between your brand and the holiday. If you’re in an industry that embodies American innovation and quality, emphasize this!
- Make a Special Offer: This is one area in which we can take a lesson from consumer marketing, especially where holidays are involved. If you want to introduce a brand new product or service, or offer a limited-time deal, holidays are a great time to do this. And the relaxed holiday mood we all get into might refresh and energize your client enough to make them want to look into new decisions once they get back into the office.
- Think for Mobile: Even if your prospects are out on the deck, many have their phones an arm’s reach away. You should assume that your audience will be receiving your email on their mobile device, so keep this in mind as you decide on format. Don’t forget a snappy — and preferably short — subject line to catch their attention.
- Coordinate Your Social Media: A full-fledged social campaign might not be necessary for every holiday, but your message will be reinforced tremendously if you can coordinate your different channels. If you email out a summer holiday message, repeat the same message on your Twitter and Facebook feed. You can get more lighthearted with your content here as well, complementing your substantial email with some fun posts that really show your brand’s personality. Bonus: this is an easy way to incorporate some eye-catching color into your posts and your timeline.
Remember That B2B Decision Makers Are People Too
You’re targeting businesses with your marketing, but that doesn’t mean your audience isn’t made up of real people. And everyone enjoys a well-meaning message every now and then, just so they know you’re thinking about them, the customer. While holidays are always a time to advertise deals and encourage sales, it’s also the perfect opportunity just to simply wish your clients well. On that note, have a very Happy 4th of July!
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Emails Should Always Be Responsive
by MGB2B
The Myth: Emails Should Always Be Responsive
Truth: Not All Email Programs Are Ready for Responsive Design
More and more people are using mobile devices to access Internet content. When you look at the time adults in America spend online, you won’t be surprised to find that mobile usage is higher than desktop. So, it’s no longer a question of whether mobile marketing is important. It’s now all about mobile users’ habits and which content format (as well as the content itself) is most effective.
So what about responsive emails for B2B brands? Of course, a mobile-friendly website is essential, and in this case, responsive design is your best bet. (It has been for a few years now.) Responsive web design refers to a site’s ability to adapt its layout to different screen sizes and devices. You don’t want your prospects to be pinching and zooming on their phones to try to find what’s on your site. You might think that your marketing emails should be responsive too. It would allow users to engage more easily with your content, right?
Not necessarily.
Responsive emails are certainly ideal for some email programs. There is an issue, however: responsive design is not supported by all email clients. For example, some Android and Windows phone users will find their device doesn’t fully support media queries. This means responsive emails don’t show up on their phones, at least not formatted the way they should be. This can be incredibly harmful to your email campaign – an entire community of users is now unable to see your content as intended.
And when your prospects can’t read your emails, they are more likely to delete them.
The takeaway for you? Be careful about how you create your emails. You can craft and target your message perfectly, but the way it looks when it reaches your audience on their mobile device plays a huge role in whether they actually read it. A custom design created in a one-column format is usually the most effective route. Your prospects don’t all open email in the same programs, so make sure your designers are using the lowest common denominator to ensure that 100% of your audience is seeing your email correctly.
One day – and we anxiously await this day – all email programs will be able to handle responsive design. But until then, it’s best to play it safe.
Questions about email design or marketing strategy? Drop us a line.
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B2B Monday Myth: My Email Blast Should Be a Product Promo Machine
by MGB2B
The Myth: My Email Blast Should Be a Product Promo Machine
The Truth: Email Should Be Used to Distribute Relevant Content (with Some Product Promo Mixed In)
How many emails do you delete a day? Perhaps you don’t even take a peek before deleting. A barrage of daily promotions often ends up in the trash folder. The fact is, people don’t want to be bombarded with B2B product promotions in their already-crammed inboxes. Audiences will get email fatigue if you send them product promotions every day. So how do B2B companies successfully keep their prospects interested? Answer: Engaging content.
Email blasts can be a powerful tool, especially since the lists of contacts you’ve created are people who have willingly supplied you with their information. You’ve already captured them in your marketing funnel: they know of your company and your products, and have probably expressed some interest or purchased in the past. They’ve subscribed, so you’ve already won half the battle. But how do you create emails people actually want to open? The goal is to regularly send relevant insights via email, to provide information and position yourself as a trusted brand in the minds of your prospects.
Newsletters Are Great, But You Can Do More
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 77% of B2B content marketers are using email newsletters to update their audiences. These scheduled blasts are informative, often contain links to blog posts and other interesting pieces of content, and can be easily sent out to your audiences en masse. But you can go further, especially with tall of the automated email programs out there today.
B2B prospects are especially hungry for informative content that is relevant to their list. And going beyond the newsletter enables you to segment, and target by industry and interest. You are the experts in your field. All you have to do is own it. One of your engineers could write an article on using a product, to help clients who have already purchased. A manager could create a blog post with his take on industry trends. No matter where your client is in the buying cycle, there is information that they want. It’s up to you to create and deliver it.
Segment Your Audiences, Then Tailor
In another B2B Monday Myth, we busted the idea that all audiences are the same. As it turns out, not all audiences are created equal, and content must be personalized for each one. Email is one of the easiest channels to distribute personalized content. Instead of sending out one email blast to everyone on your list, you should segment your contacts. This could be based on vertical/industry, phase of the buying cycle, position in the marketing funnel, or even the subscriber’s job title. A sales representative is interested in different content than a software engineer. Those in the medical industry have different preferences than those working with consumer products. The long-time buyer wants different information than the prospect who expressed interest in your capabilities. Keeping your segments in mind when tailoring different emails will help you target more successfully, and wield better conversion rates.
It’s About Them, Not You
You’ve got your segments and have created emails that they would find insightful. Now, shift your focus off yourself, and turn it to the subscriber. Many companies get caught up in getting their message across and their product sold immediately. But you can’t force people to buy products by sending them dozens of emails all the time. By distributing relevant content, you will show you are trustworthy and establish yourself as an authority in your industry (and theirs). A good mix of relevant content and new product introductions can drive people to your website. Or it might put you at the top of the list the next time a prospect needs a job done. A little promotion tastefully thrown in is okay, but the content should be your primary focus.
While it’s easy for your company to fall into the trap of sending generic, promotional emails out to your entire contact list, start to go about crafting your emails more strategically. Tailoring your engaging content to relevant segments is a great place to start.
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