B2B Email Marketing Best Practices

B2B email marketing best practices: a snapshot

• Maintain a clean and active email list. Use quality, verified email addresses and remove inactive ones to reduce bounces and protect your sender’s reputation.
• Deliver hyper-relevant content. Tailor your emails to match recipient interests and buyer journey stages for maximum engagement.
• Build and protect your sender’s reputation. Send to opted-in addresses and avoid spam triggers to ensure your emails consistently reach inboxes.
• Prioritize data compliance and privacy. Adhere to GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other regulations to protect customer trust and avoid penalties.
• Optimize for mobile and cross-client compatibility. Design responsive templates and test emails across devices and clients to ensure flawless rendering.

Email list management best practices

A clean, accurate, and engaged email list ensures that your campaigns reach the right audience, drive better engagement, and deliver higher ROI.

On the other hand, neglecting your email list can lead to issues like poor deliverability, wasted resources, and potential damage to your sender reputation.

Here are a few email marketing best practices to keep your contact database clean, organized, and effective for driving results: 

Think quality, not quantity

Focus on building a list of high-quality leads who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

A small, engaged list will always outperform a large, unresponsive one. For example, 100 active and qualified B2B subscribers can generate more conversions and revenue than 1,000 unengaged general contacts.

When starting, prioritize organic list-building using ethical and effective strategies. Avoid purchasing email lists, as they can harm your sender reputation and overall marketing efforts. 

The goal is to focus on sources that attract your desired B2B audience. Here are some options to get you started:

• Offer free resources like whitepapers, case studies, or templates.
• Promote your brand on LinkedIn through posts, groups, and ads to attract sign-ups.
• Collect emails through webinar registrations or virtual event sign-ups.
• Use exit-intent pop-ups with gated content on your website.
• Create referral programs offering business incentives.
• Gather emails at industry events or trade shows through QR codes or sign-up forms.
• Include a subscription checkbox during account creation or contact form submissions.
• Provide early access to reports or tools in exchange for an email address.

Remember to use a double opt-in process to reduce fake sign-ups and confirm their intent. 

Target smarter, not harder

Effective targeting starts with breaking your B2B audience into smaller, focused groups based on their buyer personas, engagement level, job title, etc . This way, you can send content that actually speaks to their specific needs and interests. 

For instance, new subscribers will appreciate a welcome email with tips on how to start, while repeat customers are more likely to engage with emails suggesting complementary products or new features.

Take a look at this welcome email from Coda, a collaborative productivity tool.

The email explains how to get started with the product without overwhelming a newbie with too many feature details.

You can segment your B2B audience in a variety of ways, like:

• Firmographics: industry, company size, and job role/title.
• Geography: country, region, language, and time zone.
• Behavior: website visits, content downloads, webinar attendance, and email engagement.
• Customer journey stage: new leads, qualified prospects, active clients, or lapsed clients.
• Technographics: tools and software a company uses, such as CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, or email providers.
• Pain points: challenges faced by the company, like compliance, security, or scalability.
• Engagement level: highly engaged, moderately engaged, or inactive prospects.
• Intent: buying signals like visiting your pricing page, requesting a demo, or downloading a whitepaper.
• Referral source: organic search, paid ads, social media, or partner referrals.
• Contract renewal date: segment customers based on upcoming renewals or expired contracts.

The key to smart targeting is to gather solid data about your potential customers. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your messaging to their needs.

However, you don’t need to collect all this information at once and from the beginning. Start with the data that is most important for your business. As you learn and test your ideas, you will gradually collect more details about your users.

Keep your list clean

A clean email list improves deliverability and enhances every aspect of your email marketing, especially engagement.

And the truth is that engaged email subscribers are more likely to open your emails, click through, and take action, which means better results and a higher ROI.

Plus, a healthy list improves inbox placement by protecting your sender reputation, reducing spam complaints, and keeping you compliant with privacy laws.

Here are some easy ways to keep your list in a good shape:

1. Identify and delete inactive subscribers who haven’t engaged in a specific time frame.
2. Move unengaged subscribers to a separate list for targeted re-engagement campaigns.
3. Remove or merge duplicates.
4. Correct typos in email addresses to avoid undeliverable messages.
5. Use double opt-in to confirm a subscriber’s intent and verify their email address.
6. Monitor bounce rates and remove invalid or hard-bounced email addresses.

Learn other vital steps to keep your email list up-to-date and which tools to use for that in our dedicated guide. 

Email deliverability best practices

Email deliverability measures how successfully your emails reach recipients’ inboxes instead of bouncing or getting sent to spam or junk folders.

A good mix of solid technical email infrastructure and engaging, audience-focused content is the secret to achieving high email deliverability. Here’s what you should keep in mind:

Email authentication

Email authentication is the process of verifying that an email is sent from a source authorized to send messages on behalf of a specific domain. 

SMTP, the protocol responsible for sending emails, was not originally designed with built-in authentication to prevent spoofing or unauthorized activity. 

This is why you need to implement additional measures to secure your emails and maintain trust with both recipients and email providers.

You should use SPF and DKIM as the minimum level of protection. SPF checks if an email is sent from a server authorized by your domain, while DKIM adds a digital signature to ensure the email hasn’t been tampered with during transit.

If you want even better protection, consider configuring:

• DMARC to add rules for how to handle unauthorized emails and provide reports for monitoring.
• Reverse DNS to confirm that the sender’s IP address matches the domain name.
• BIMI to display your brand logo with authenticated emails to improve trust and visibility.

For more information on the protocols and how to implement them, read our dedicated guide. 

Build a rockstar sender reputation

Sender reputation reflects how email service providers (ESP) perceive the quality and trustworthiness of your email-sending practices. It’s a combination of your IP reputation and domain reputation.

Some of the key factors that contribute to your sender reputation include:

• Spam complaints
• User engagement
• Email bounce rates
• Sending frequency and volume
• Unsubscribe rates

Your sender reputation is calculated based on how well your past email campaigns performed. 

For example, a B2B SaaS provider frequently sending generic email blasts to an unsegmented list may experience higher spam complaints, which will harm their sender reputation. 

If your sender reputation is for some reason poor, here is what you can do to turn things around:

• Clean your email list. Remove invalid email addresses and inactive subscribers to lower bounce rates and improve engagement.
• Implement authentication protocols. As I mentioned above, ensure to use email protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your emails and build trust with ESPs.
• Focus on relevance. Send personalized, targeted, and valuable content to engage your audience and increase open rates — more on this later.
• Monitor and improve engagement metrics. Regularly analyze key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints to identify areas for improvement — more on this later.
• Avoid purchased lists. Use only verified, permission-based lists to ensure your audience is genuinely interested in your content.

For more information on how to check and improve your sender reputation, check out our detailed guide.

Monitor deliverability metrics

Make it a habit to review your metrics after every campaign. Look for recurring patterns or sudden changes. Monitoring these metrics helps you identify issues early and make necessary adjustments. You’ll also gain valuable insights into your audience, which can improve future campaigns.

For example, if your bounce rate spikes, it likely means your list has many outdated emails. A drop in your open rate could indicate that your subject lines aren’t engaging enough or you send emails at the wrong time.

The key metrics to pay close attention to include:

• Delivery rate—the percentage of emails successfully delivered to recipients’ servers.
• Bounce rate—the number of emails that cannot be delivered.
• Open rate—the percentage of recipients who opened your emails.
• Click-through rate (CTR)—the proportion of recipients who clicked on links within your email.
• Spam complaint rate—how many recipients marked your email as spam.
• Unsubscribe rate—the rate at which recipients opted-out from your mailing list.
• Inbox placement rate—the percentage of emails that landed in the primary inbox versus spam or other folders.

Make It easy to unsubscribe

Subscribers value transparency and control over the communication they receive. When subscribers find it difficult to opt-out, they may mark your emails as spam, which can harm your deliverability rates and brand image.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Make the opt-out option visible and clear. Place the unsubscribe link prominently in every email.
• Use one-click unsubscribe. Simplify the process by allowing users to opt-out with a single click.
• Offer a preference management center. This is where users can adjust their subscription settings instead of opting-out entirely.
• Provide confirmation and feedback. After unsubscribing, display a confirmation message to reassure users that their request has been processed.
• Follow legal compliance. Ensure that your unsubscribe process meets the requirements of email regulations.

See how Semrush, a digital marketing tool, does it in this newsletter: 

Email sending best practices

Your B2B email marketing success hinges on more than just the message — it depends on how and when it’s sent. Here are some must-have tactics for you:

Keep a consistent sending schedule

A proper email schedule will help you establish trust with your ESP by maintaining a steady sending pattern. Sudden spikes or irregular email activity can raise red flags, potentially harming your sender reputation and deliverability rates. It also strengthens your relationship with subscribers, as they come to expect and rely on your emails at regular intervals

Start by studying your audience’s engagement metrics to determine optimal sending times. For B2B communications, weekdays, particularly Tuesday through Thursday, during mid-morning hours, often yield better results.

Also, let subscribers know how often you’ll email them when they sign up. If you promise weekly updates, stick to it. 

Monitor engagement metrics to determine whether your schedule is working. If necessary, adjust your timing based on the data for better lead generation.

Use a reliable email service provider

When choosing an email marketing platform, make sure it offers these features:

• Email authentication tools. Support for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• High deliverability rates. The ability to send emails that land in inboxes, not spam folders.
• Advanced segmentation. Tools to group your audience based on various traits.
• Personalization options. Features to customize content, subject lines, and offers for each recipient.
• Marketing automation workflows. Options to send triggered emails like upsell or re-engagement emails.
• Scalability. The capacity to manage large email volumes as your business grows.
• Template libraries. Ready-to-use, customizable templates for creating professional emails.
• Technical support. Reliable help to solve problems or answer questions quickly.
• Pricing. The cost fits your needs and budget.

A/B test

A/B testing, or split testing, compares two versions of an email to see which performs better. Each version is sent to separate audience segments, and performance is measured using metrics like email open rates, click-through rates, or conversions.

You can test various elements of your email campaigns, such as:

• Subject lines
• Content layout
• Call-to-action buttons
• Visuals
• Personalization techniques
• Sending times

The goal is to find the best combination of elements to turn your emails into lead magnets.

To ensure accurate results:

• Use a large and representative sample size. Small samples can produce unreliable or skewed insights.
• Test one element at a time to isolate its effect. For example, if testing subject lines, keep all other components the same.
• Regularly review and refine testing parameters. Continuously evaluate your testing process to ensure it aligns with current audience behaviors, market trends, or changes in your business objectives.

Email content best practices

Strong email content delivers value, and prompts action. So, what does that look like in practice?

Send relevant content

B2B buyers value emails that address their specific needs, offer actionable insights, or provide solutions to their challenges.

Relevance lies in knowing who your audience is and what they care about. Conduct thorough research into their industry, pain points, and goals. You can gather this data using surveys, customer interviews, and analytics tools.

Once you understand what matters to your audience, structure your email copy to:

• Solve their problems. Share practical, helpful information that directly addresses their pain points.
• Be easy to read. Use clear, concise language that gets your message across without confusion.
• Feel personal. Tailor the content to their role, goals, and specific needs.
• Meet them where they are. Align your message with their current stage in the buyer journey.
• Encourage action. Add a clear, compelling call-to-action (CTA) that guides their next step.

For example, see how well Intercom, a customer communication platform, does with this email:

Personalize your email

There is more to email personalization than just addressing recipients by their first name.

Your goal should be to tailor emails based on individual preferences, behaviors, and needs. 

For example, if a marketing manager signed up for a demo, you can send them a follow-up email with a quick-start guide highlighting how your platform boosts campaign ROI.

You can use tools like Clay and PhantomBuster to automate data collection, such as job titles, recent activities, and industry trends and create emails that will directly address specific challenges or interests. 

For instance, a prospect in the tech industry could receive case studies relevant to their field, while a finance professional might get tailored whitepapers.

You can also use AI to:

• Create personalized subject lines based on user behavior.
• Generate tailored product or service recommendations.
• Craft dynamic content blocks that adapt to user profiles.
• Automate segmentation based on real-time user actions.
• Predict the best time to send emails for maximum engagement.

Nail the subject line

A 2023 Zippia research shows that 47% of email recipients decide whether to open an email based solely on the subject line. 

You can also use tools like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer for more insights and suggestions to refine your subject lines.

Avoid spam triggers

Spam filters are designed to protect users from unsolicited or malicious emails. They evaluate several factors to determine whether an email is safe.

One critical aspect is the language you use for your emails. Certain words and phrases, like “free,” “guarantee,” “no obligation,” and “risk-free” that are often referred to as “spam trigger words.” They can make spam filters flag your email and send it straight to the spam folder.

Think about alternative phrasing or more neutral language, skip the all caps, excessive exclamation points, and too many special characters. 

Spam filters also look at your text-to-image ratio and overall layout. Make sure your email has a nice balance of both.

Email design best practices

When it comes to email design, the focus shouldn’t just be on aesthetics but also on the technical aspects. Using proper HTML and CSS is key to making sure your emails are accessible to all your B2B audience no matter the device or email client they use.

Here are the key technical best practices to follow:

Use responsive email templates

Responsive design ensures all types of emails look great and function well on any screen size and email client, whether it’s Google, Yahoo, or Outlook. Here’s how to do that:

• Use pre-tested email templates (often provided by email sending tools). These templates are designed to work across various devices and email clients.
• Keep your layout simple and flexible. Multi-column designs may look great on desktop, but they can break on mobile. Make sure your emails automatically adjust into a single column for easier reading on smaller screens.
• Stick to widely supported fonts and design elements. Avoid things like custom fonts, hover effects, or animations that some email clients won’t display properly.
• Make sure your text is readable and buttons are easy to click. Most business emails are opened on desktop devices. However, many decision-makers and business owners use mobiles to check emails on the go. Make sure your template looks good on smaller screens, with clear text and buttons that are easy to tap on a touchscreen.

Test email templates 

Before sending, test your business emails (and save them as templates) on as many email clients and devices as possible. Testing identifies issues that could disrupt the design, layout, or user experience. You can check out this tutorial to know how to do this.

Tools like Litmus, Mailchimp, and Mailtrap allow you to preview emails in different environments and detect formatting errors, broken links, or missing images. This way, you can make sure your email looks professional and works correctly for all recipients.

Here are some of the things you must do:

• Check that the layout adjusts properly for both mobile and desktop views.
• Ensure all links and call-to-action buttons work as intended.
• Confirm that images load correctly and are not broken.
• Test the responsiveness of the email on smaller screens.
• Verify that alt text for images is accurate and displays when images do not load.
• Test that forms or interactive elements function as expected.
• Confirm fallback fonts display properly if custom fonts are not supported.
• Ensure consistent formatting across all email clients and devices.

Wrapping up

If you implement the above practices into your B2B email marketing strategy, you can better connect with your audience and establish your brand as a trusted, reliable partner.

If you want to dive even deeper, then you can watch some useful info on the topic here:

• How to check email deliverability manually
• How to perform email sender reputation audit
• Email infrastructure

We appreciate you chose this article to know about B2B email marketing tips! To read more articles on the related topics, visit Mailtrap blog!