B2B Email Marketing: What Still Works and What No Longer Does
Email is not a dead channel, but email sent to everyone with the same content certainly is.
Start with the list, not the content
A small relevant list beats a large purchased one. Make sure every contact knows why they are receiving your email, and record the source and consent in the CRM. The principles match consent for WhatsApp marketing.
Simple segmentation is enough
Three axes usually suffice: industry, role, and relationship stage (does not know you, considering, already a customer). The same content sent to three groups with different openings already beats one uniform blast.
A sensible sequence
For a new prospect: one email answering a real question, one example case, one invitation to talk. Nothing more before there is a response. Sequences that keep running without replies damage sender reputation.
Numbers to watch
Delivery rate, open rate, click rate, unsubscribes, and most importantly: conversations actually started. Emails with high opens and no conversations only create a feeling of activity.
Connect it to the CRM
Email that is not recorded in the CRM leads sales to call someone who just received three sends. One history per contact prevents that. See Zoho CRM.
Do not automate the personal part
Automated sequences suit early education. Real sales conversations are still written by people. See the limits of AI agents in sales.