5 Keys to Effective Emails for ECM Resellers
Emails are a cost-effective tool for B2B marketing. Give your emails a better chance of success with the tips offered in the newest Digitech Times article, "5 keys to effective emails for ECM resellers."
If you’re not sending your customers and prospects emails, it’s time to dust off the keyboard. Emails are one of the most cost-effective tools in B2B marketing. They’re essentially free. And they get noticed. Yes, spam messages can still gunk up email boxes. At the same time, though, valuable emails find their way through and get read. Virtually all of us (99%) check our email boxes at least once a day and 20% of us check at least five times a day, according to this report by a top marketing agency.
How can you give your emails the best chance of getting noticed? While we’d never claim to be the world’s best emailers, we have learned a few things over the years. Keep reading for our list of five keys to effective emails for Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Resellers. These tips are geared specifically toward helping you succeed as a reseller of information management products and services. They build upon the general email tips you can find online. First up on the list: Know one of the key ways B2B emails are different from other emails.
1. Stick with it: B2B requires more emails over a longer period of time
Buying decisions in the B2B space can take months and you should design your email campaigns to fit that timeline. Here's a list of options for the kinds of emails to send out:
- Welcome emails.
- Event Emails. Send an email to invite customers to a webinar, online demo or open house. Note: a value-added benefit of your partnership with Digitech Systems is you can utilize Digitech Systems' webinars and online demos rather than produce your own.
- Announcements. Send an email when a new product or service or product feature launches.
- Educational materials.Here again your partnership with Digitech Systems carries advantages. MyDSI offers a large library of briefs, how-to videos and other ECM educational materials you're encouraged to share with your customers. Many of the materials include space for your company name and contact information.
- Exclusive content. Set yourself apart from competitors by sending periodic emails that demonstrate your expertise and include a link to materials such as an industry insider blog post, whitepapers or business trend infographics. These resources also are available on MyDSI.
2. Include a clear Call To Action (CTA).
Don't leave customers guessing as to what you want them to do next after they read your email. Should they: Fill out a form to set up a free consulting session? Be on the lookout for more emails? Call to get started today? Reach out to learn more about how ECM works? Stay tuned for details about an exciting upcoming event? Tell them clearly what to do next.
3. Timing is important to the Calls to Action you choose.
Include a phone number and/or a “Request a Consultation” signup somewhere in every email but the primary Call to Action of your emails should change and evolve over time. Early in the buying process, it’s effective to focus mostly on education with a link to an offer such as a how-to video or eBook. Follow those with emails about your expertise to include exclusive content such as a case study, webinar replay or whitepaper. Lastly, send emails encouraging the reader to reach out to get started. These final emails are where you want to really emphasize a phone number, a “Request a Consultation” form or a special deal.
4. Use the subject line to grab attention.
The subject line often determines if your message will be read, so it's important to get it right. Here are several suggestions on how to use the subject line to give your emails a better chance of getting opened:
- Keep it short and to the point, i.e., You're invited.
- Use power words, i.e., sneak peek, exclusive, expert. Check out several lists here.
- Use pain points, i.e., Office still moving at the speed of paper?
- Use numbers, i.e., 4 benefits of an automated AP system.
- Highlight the email offer, i.e., Free consultation on digital transformation.
- Make an announcement, i.e., Check out the all-new file transfer feature.
- Personalize the email. Type the email recipient's first name directly into the subject line and/or mention a product or service that is of known interest to the email recipient, i.e., Joe, we're offering deals on wide-format scanning.
5. Showcase customer testimonials.
Don't forget to add a quote or video clip from a satisfied customer (to include a link to a case study if available) to each email. More than 70% of consumers say positive reviews and testimonials make them trust a business more, according to this report.
As with other B2B companies, you face a challenge in that converting an ECM prospect to a customer can take a long time. Emails are a cost-effective way to provide information and nurture prospects through the sales funnel. Get even better results if you tailor your messages to include offers, Calls to Action, subject lines and testimonials that relate directly to shoppers of ECM products and services. Make sure the timing of your messages and offers fit the buyer’s journey. By following these tips, you’ll generate more leads and close deals faster.
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Digitech Systems Sales and Marketing