A recent report by MarketingSherpa outlines the top priorities and challenges facing those of us that use this marketing tool. A free copy can be downloaded here.
This report re-emphasizes the fact that email marketing is not only alive, but is still an important part of the overall marketing programs of most companies.
Top 5 process priorities for B-to-B marketers include:
- Growing and retaining subscribers – 64%
- Delivering highly relevant content – 72%
- Achieving or increasing ROI – 39%
- Increasing email engagement metrics – 41%
- Integrating email with other marketing tactics – 30%
It makes sense that to grow and retain subscribers, you need to deliver good and meaningful content. Another important consideration is list size isn’t as important as the quality of the list. You should be interested in building lists of followers who are active and want to share information.
B-to-B marketers usually have longer sales cycles, so it’s important to engage and take your prospect through the various stages of the buying process. This is reflected in 70% of B-to-B companies identifying this as an area for improvement.
The top 5 barriers facing B-to-B email marketers include:
- Inadequate staffing – 53%
- Lack of an effective email marketing strategy – 37%
- Difficulty merging email lists with other systems – 36%
- Unclear or constantly changing objectives – 31%
- Inability to manufacture relevant content on a consistent basis – 31%
So tell me about your priorities and what your biggest challenges are with email marketing.
