Email is a crucial part of your lead generation and marketing funnel. It’s the only communication medium from which customers can’t ignore you. Don’t miss out on working on your communication skills one iota by letting your content inbox get crowded by template-based emails.
Here’s some sample email marketing templates and tricks on how to write b2b emails…
Welcome email template
Example provided by Buffer
First impressions count. A lot. Therefore, if a subscriber signs up to something, whether it is to receive future blog posts or a series of email tips, it makes sense to thank them and welcome them. By doing nothing, you make it difficult to create a strong impression. When you sign up on their web form, Buffer’s welcome email includes links to their support email address and a link to their Twitter profile. Simple yet effective!
How to implement: Whether you use auto-responders or send the emails manually, welcoming new subscribers to your company email list is a great way to build a strong relationship from the beginning. In the email, make sure you introduce yourself and company. You can also provide helpful links to content such as most popular blog posts or white papers, or links to your social media profiles
When to send: Each time you get a new subscriber
Curated content email template
Example provided by Hiten Shah
Each week, CrazyEgg and Kissmetrics founder, Hiten Shah sends a roundup of his favorite posts on topics that include SaaS, marketing, sales and growth. Hiten is able to deliver great content directly to his readers without them having to search the content out online. He’s helping his readers do better, which adds a lot of value to his subscribers.
How to implement: Whether you’re in customer service, social media, banking or the automotive industry, you can create a list of the best content you’ve read and share it through email to your subscribers with links to this content. You don’t need a fancy design either! In doing so, you’re delivering value without being self-promotional.
When to send: Weekly or monthly, depending on how often you can curate content
Company announcement email template
Example provided by SumAll (now acquired by another company).
“Extra, extra – read all about it!”
In in the mid-19th century, newspaper vendors would shout out when there was newer “news”. Even though the channels have changed (unless, of course, you have hired street vendors lately…), newsworthy content about your company is still valuable content for your readers. In fact, 26% of all B2B subscribers sign up because they want to be kept informed on company news, according to research by Chadwick Martin Bailey:
When SumAll acquired Flutter, a tool that helps businesses grow their Twitter following, one of the first things they did was inform their subscriber list. In doing so, they were able to create new interest in their product offering. So for prospects that were not sure whether SumAll was the right fit for their business, announcing this kind of news is likely to have a more positive impact.
How to implement: Whenever you have news to share, such as winning an award, changes to product offering or new pricing options, for example, announce this news to your subscriber list. You can either include all of the company news within the email or itself, or link the email to a landing page. (This email template works well for lead nurturing or customer marketing campaigns).
When to send: Each time you have news to share.
New article email template
Example provided by Gerry McGovern
Gerry McGovern has long been sending new articles that he publishes in his weekly “New Thinking” email series. The email content, which is a copy of the article content that is published on his website, is a great way to update his email subscriber list of new content, without the subscriber having to visit Gerry’s website. It’s not promotional in anyway, other than providing the reader with some thought-provoking content.
How to implement: Whether you use this example for new blog post content or article content, you can copy and paste the content directly into the email, like Gerry does, or provide a link to the webpage and drive readers to your website.
When to send: Each time a new blog post or article has been published
Video email template
Example provided by Backlinko
When Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko, sends an email, the chances that it contains a video are pretty high. By providing actionable content through video, Brian is able to not only deliver value, but build a rapport with his subscribers as they get to see and hear Brian on a regular basis, which builds an even deeper connection with his audience than he would create compared to reading web copy, as the person watching the video feels like they really know Brian.
How to implement: Take one of your best performing pieces of content and create a video version, and provide the tips in the content in your video. It doesn’t have to require a film crew or include special effects, all you need is to be visible and on screen.
When to send: Monthly. It’s a great way to engage on a new level with your audience
Inactive user email template
Example provided by Perfect Audience
According to Epsilon, approximately 40% of your email list in inactive!
This means that each time you send out an email, almost half are no longer interested in hearing from your company. In the example above, Perfect Audience has sent out an email to a new user who has become inactive. This email is a great way of restarting the conversation and reminding the user that they can use the product, or get answers to any questions they may have.
How to implement: Create a list of email subscribers who have not read or opened an email during the last 12 months (or, customers who have not logged in to the product within 60-90 days), and send an email that includes:
- Who you are and what you do
- Why they signed up in the first place
- A question or an invite to start a conversation
When to send: Two-three times per year
Product promotion email template
Example provided by VWO
Accurate data is important to marketers’, especially when it comes to running tests on their website. When VWO launched SmartStats, they informed their audience of the new change and how it impacts users – and how it can help them with their tests. For prospects on the fence as to which vendor to choose, this is the kind of change that can lead to an increase in new customers.
How to implement: Your company’s product will evolve, and each time you add a new feature of improve an existing feature, it could be the improvement that turns many prospects into a customer. However, you need to get the word out and inform them so they are aware of these changes. The next time you update your product, send an email to your subscribers with a list of changes/ updates. Remember to use simple language so instead of including “Feature enhancement 4.2”, you explain how this change impacts the user, i.e. Users can create quotes and send via email in one click”.
When to send: Each time you update your product
Gated content email template
Example provided by SuperOffice
Each time SuperOffice launches a new white paper or guide, we send an email to our subscriber list. This is the fastest way to get more people to read and download the content. The reason why we do this is because according to research, 36% of B2B buyers’ seek out white paper content during the initial stage of the buying process (as shown in column one in the chart below). By delivering educational content directly to our subscribers’ inbox, we make it easy for them to consume the content they demand, while at the same time keeping SuperOffice top of mind.
How to implement: Next time you launch a new piece of gated content, announce the launch to your subscriber list. Just like in the example above, keep the email short, benefit driven and include a call to action, which asks the reader to download the guide from a dedicated landing page. The goal of the email is to drive readers to your website.
When to send: Each time you launch a new piece of gated content
Webinar email template
Example provided by Kissmetrics
As far as customer acquisition channels go, webinars are one of the most effective ways of speaking directly to your potential customers. Kissmetrics uses email marketing as one of the ways to promote a webinar, which makes it easy for subscribers’ to learn about upcoming events and schedule the time to attend. Webinars are a great way to showcase your expertise and engage with buyers’ who are further down the sales cycle and looking to make a purchase.
How to implement: Instead of creating a brand new topic to host a webinar on, use existing content and repurpose it into a webinar topic. For example, take a piece of content that performed well, and on a topic you are comfortable talking about, and then send an email to your subscriber list with an invite to a webinar. Make the date and time of the webinar clear, and include a description of what the webinar topic is about.
When to send: Each time you host a webinar
Live event email template
Example provided by ConversionXL
When Peep Laja launched his ConversionXL conference this year, it wasn’t too long until he let his email subscribers know about it. Do you know why? It’s because his subscribers are potential event attendees (and therefore customers)!
In fact, during a live AMA (ask me anything) on Inbound.org, Peep went as far as saying 80% of his conference ticket sales come from his email list!
There’s no better way to promote an event that to invite people that already know who your company is and what you do. A study by BrightCove and Content Marketing Institute found that meeting potential customers is the most effective tactics for B2B marketers’. So next time you host an event, invite your email list!
How to implement: While hosting an event can be expensive and time consuming, there’s no better way to get face-time with prospects and create a relationship than event marketing. Promote the event through email marketing, and include the details of when, where and why attendees should join. And for your event, get your best sales people ready to meet and greet future customers!
When to send: Each time you host an event (I’m guessing one to two per year)
Case study email template
Example provided by Eyequant
As B2B buyer’s move further down the funnel, the value of a case study grows. A case study is a great way to show how your product can help a business improve, whether that’s in terms of sales, productivity or communicating with customers.
Eyequant’s case study email starts by explaining the challenges similar companies face. This is followed by the details of the case study, which includes how to use the product and what kind of results you can expect. The results are the most important part of a case study. Showcasing product value for companies similar to your prospects is a great way to earn trust and turn them into customers.
How to implement: You can take an existing case study and send an email to prospects with a link to the study, or you may have to ask your customers if they would like to be featured as a case study. The latter might take more time, but once you have a case study or two, you can use these for several months or years to come. Remember to focus on the results part as this is where the real value lies!
When to send: Bi-monthly or quarterly. This is for later stage buyers.
The Demo Email
💌 Email template business: Instapage
👋 Email subject line: 4x Higher Conversions for Your Campaigns
💡 What it is: Instapage emails people who have likely expressed some interest (e.g. I requested more info about their Enterprise plan), but haven’t scheduled a demo or signed up yet.
💥 Why it’s effective: If your product isn’t completely self-serve, and you have a Sales team that sources leads, it’s a great way to follow-up 1:1 with people that are likely high quality leads as they initiated contacting your team.
Tips to replicate:
- Personalize email content: If you know more about the person’s role, it’s a great idea to personalize the content to their needs. For example, Instapage calls out how they help marketers and demand gen experts, which resonates well with me.
- Humanize your email templates: Instapage signs off with a small thumbnail image of their Head of Sales, which adds a nice human touch and lets you get a glimpse of their team.
- If you have leads that have signed up for a newsletter, downloaded content, or took actions that show they’re interested but aren’t yet a customer – you can try sending a follow-up email to book a demo with your Sales team e.g. a few days, 1 week, or 2 weeks after they’re inactive.
The Webinar Signup Email
💌 Email template business: G2
👋 Email subject line: Tomorrow: The “G2 ROI Masterclass” Webinar
💡 What it is: G2 lets people with an account know about upcoming webinars and events they host. Their webinar in the email example focuses on how one of their customers CloudCherry sees ROI with G2, which hits on a KPI all marketers care about.
💥 Why it’s effective: Webinars are a great scaled channel for generating leads and educating them. 73% of B2B marketers and sales leaders say webinars are the best way to generate high-quality leads. On top of that, email drives 57% of webinar registrations – so emails are a great way to both source attendees and nurture them afterwards.
Tips to replicate:
- Find webinar partners: While it’s a good idea to have your own ongoing webinars to onboard leads and demo key features, you can also try partnering with industry leads or even customers like G2 does. This can give you different content to test and let others speak about their success with your services (which is always the most effective 😉).
- Give a teaser: Include a short teaser into what people will learn in the webinar, any promotions you’ll provide for people who attend, plus any other benefits from joining.
- Personalize the message sender: G2 personalizes the message by having it come from Adam Goyette, their VP of Marketing. They also keep their message short and direct, with a clear CTA.
The Account Growth Email
💌 Email template business: Pinterest
👋 Email subject line: 3 steps to complete your Pinterest Business account
💡 What it is: When you signup for a Pinterest Business account, but haven’t yet created an ad (or taken other actions), Pinterest emails you with steps to complete your account setup and launch an ad.
💥 Why it’s effective: Being direct and tactical in emails can make them more actionable and help you increase conversions. Pinterest also keeps their email content very succinct and clear, with just 3 easy and short steps & a large CTA.
Tips to replicate:
- When someone creates an account, it’s a good idea to setup an email onboarding series. You can try different types of email content and timing in between each email. For example, keeping them direct and tactical like Pinterest does, by giving them specific steps to take next, sharing best practices, and even showcasing success studies from similar businesses.
Conclusion
There are two types of email marketing campaigns, one is B2C and the other is B2B. While both have their own advantages, it’s imperative that you choose the appropriate template for your business. Here are some insights into the most important aspects to focus on for each campaign.