Email Marketing for Manufacturers

Email Marketing for B2B Sales Cycle

By Jack Burnett

I recently read an article on B2B marketing from Bronto, an email service provider TwinEngines partners with to provide email marketing services for our customers.  TwinEngines concentrates on integrating email services with internal CRM systems and websites to enable the most effective, lean use of email marketing. While we consult with small and mid-market manufacturing companies on email programs and strategies, we tap into Bronto's knowledge for specialized email marketing information.

The article explained how a global technology leader in electrical components decided to use email marketing to support their B2B sales efforts.  The question was how can email marketing support the sales cycle and add value to the sales funnel.  A lifecycle marketing strategy was introduced with campaigns defined to support the B2B sales cycle.

When analyzing email marketing to decide if/how it fits into your overall sales and marketing efforts, first start with the main marketing goals.  After you define them, then think about the information the audience needs at each stage of the sales funnel.  Different types of email content address different needs during the sales life cycle.  Have a desired response to each type of email defined - something that can be measured to analyze success and improvements.

A sample is shown below:

 

Keep Your Email Marketing Subscribers

By Jack Burnett

Email marketing programs are a great way to retain and engage customers, dealers and manufacturing representatives.  They give companies a very cost-effective way to communicate their message, plus comScore found that there is a 4.4% sales conversion on eCommerce websites from emails in the United States.

Email marketing is the last marketing tactic companies are cutting during this recession.  However, with the increases in companies sending emails, people are becomming more and more selective about what they want to receive. According to an Epsilon and ROI Research study, 14% of e-mail subscribers in North America unsubscribe from opt-in e-mails frequently - and 55% do so occasionally.

The number one reason people unsubscibe is because the content is not relevant and useful.  If you are sending email blasts to your house list without careful consideration about the relevance of the information to all those people, then chances are you are causing some people to drop off your emal marketing program.  Segmenting your email lists to receive targeted communications based upon user preferences or past behavior is one way to send the most useful information.  When you integrate your email marketing metrics with your eCommerce data and your CRM database, you are able to segment your list wisely.

The next reason people unsubscribe is because they receive a company's emails too frequently.  This ties into the relevance of the information, but shows that you need to plan the email communications for a calendar year.  You can also help avoid this issue by explaining the freqency of emails when people opt-in, and by offering options on how often to receive an email.

Privacy concerns and the belief that their email address will be shared or sold ia a top reason people unsubscribe.  Your website needs to state clearly what your privacy policy is and how to contact you regarding questions.  A link to the policy should be clearly visible on your website page for opting-into your email program.  The link should also appear on your emails too - for those people who received a forwarded email from a friend.

Another reason is that people just don't remember signing up for the emails.  Sending a confirmation email when people opt-in with information about the communications can help. Analyzing the email metrics and incorporating tactics to target people not responding can help get people to engage with you.

Keep your customers in your email marketing program by addressing these top reasons causing people to unsubsribe.  Implemeting an email marketing program requires planning for the website and the program itself, and crafting each email requires analysis and consideration about the relevance of the message to each person.

Carbon Emissions and Email Marketing

By Jack Burnett

I just read Eric Taub's article on planning for the cap and trade of carbon emissions, and then I see a report on how spam emails contribute to global warming.  I didn't consider TwinEngines having much of a carbon footprint, being a firm that advises on optimizing the manufacturing value chain and builds IT-based solutions.  But we do partner with email service providers and we do send email newsletters to our community, and we do receive and deal wth a lot of emails.

According to "The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report," released by the security firm McAfee, the annual energy used to transmit, process and filter spam totals 33 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh).

Chart by McAfee, Inc.

To put it into perspective, eMarketer says that is equal to the electricity used in over two million US homes - and creates the same greenhouse gas emissions as 3.1 million cars using 2 billion gallons of gasoline.  eMarketer also reports that nearly 80% of the energy waste created by spam is due to people deleting it or trying to find legitimate emails.

At our annual event for small and mid-market companies, Eric spoke about carbon emissions from transportation, electricity usage and other facets found in the manufacturing industry.  He didn't mention carbon footprints from generating or just deailing with spam emails.  No matter what side of the debate you are on, carbon emissions is becomming a business issue that may very well provide benefits to your company if you are prepared for cap and trade laws when they appear.

First, if you are not taking advantage of email marketing for promotional offers and to talk about about your products, services and your company, then you are most likely missing an opportunity to generate more business.  If you are using other means such as direct mail, TV,  and print, then you may be not be achieving the cost savings and ROI associated with email marketing.

For those of us marketing our products and services with email newsletters though, now there is this issue of the carbon footprint directly from your emails and indirectly from the email service provider you choose (If you send your own email blasts from your PC, please call immediately - 404-522-4262!).  Are you following best practices to generate and manage email lists and interacting with your customers via email?  Are you in compliance with the Can-Spam Act? Is your web site a souce for spam emails? Do you filter out spam emails going to your employees?

There are steps a company can take to contribute in the quest to reduce spam emails, save energy, reduce carbon emissions and thus save our planet!  McAfee recommends, as a first step, that businesses instal effective spam filters. They estimates that spam filtering saves 135 terawatt-hours of electricity each year - or taking 13 million cars off the road.