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In our last post we spoke about the Siftrock report and how the Cloud 100 companies collect their leads. In this post we will be exploring how Siftrock found that the Cloud 100 communicated via email – after all, we all need to look up to someone!
Email marketing has come under a lot of fire in recent times, especially with the whole GDPR ‘setbacks’ in 2018. However, that’s not to say that it’s still not a useful technique, and these companies still using it shows why.
It was found that every Cloud 100 company sends emails to engage prospects, but the technology and tactics varied widely depending on who it was.
Software
51% of the Cloud 100 use Marketo as their marketing automation platform, whilst HubSpot and Eloqua are used by 17% of the companies and a wide range of software are used by the remaining companies.
As partners of HubSpot, we believe that HubSpot is best when it comes to email marketing, but everyone is different – it all depends on what your strategy is and what you need. Why not have a trial to see for yourself?
Speed of deployment
A common theme found in the success of the Cloud 100 companies was the speed that they engaged leads via email. It was found that 77% of the time, an email was sent within 7 days, and 36% of the time, the first nurture email landed within 24 hours of downloading content or webinars.
Here are some stats they collected of the time elapsed of a form being submitted to an email being received:
· Within 24 hours, 36% sent the 1st email and 3% sent the 2nd email
· Between 1-3 days, 18% sent the 1st email and 21% sent the 2nd email
· Between 3-7 days, 23% sent the 1st email and 34% sent the 2nd email
· Between 7-10 days, 8% sent the 1st email and 24% sent the 2nd email
· Between 10-14 days, 15% sent the 1st email and 17% sent the 2nd email
A lot of stats to take in, I know… but what we should be taking notice of here is the fact that 36% of companies sent their first email within the 24 hours of being in contact, with the highest 2nd email send being between 3-7 days. That means we should be aiming to follow up within the first 24 hours and follow up again several days later to get the most success. Hey, if it works for the Cloud 100, it works for us, right?
If you have your marketing automation set up then this is an easy tactic to emulate, just set up your triggers to fit in with your chosen timescale. Remember that you must run your lead nurturing strategy alongside your automations so that it flows well.
Personalisation
Another key aspect of email communication is the process of personalisation. In the study, it was found that 35% of emails from the Cloud 100 had a human alias in the ‘from’ tab and to be able to reply to, reflecting a trend towards personalised email driving 2-way engagement.
Whilst some companies used a “spokesperson” to create a human feel in their messaging, others sent emails on behalf of senior directors and account executives.
The research found that:
· 35% used a human alias
· 60% used a marketing alias
· 6% used a no-reply alias
It was also found that 78% of the Cloud 100 used ‘glossy’ formatted marketing emails, whilst the other 22% used ‘personal’ plain text emails.
So, what does this mean for us? Essentially, we need to be ensuring that we stick to our brand guidelines and overall strategy to keep everything on-brand. So if you want to send ‘glossy’ emails then go ahead, likewise with plain text emails – as long as you keep a constant theme then you’re good to go. The same goes with your choice of ‘sent from’. 60% of the Cloud 100 companies used a marketing alias, so if you’re just starting out then it’s probably best to stick with that.
If things don’t work well for you, then experiment, or, get in contact with an agency like us who can give you expert advice.
Adam Schoenfeld, CEO of Siftrock said, “It’s clear that B2B email marketing is transitioning from a 1-way ‘blast’ channel to a 2-way engagement channel. Marketers at high growth companies like the Cloud 100 are leading this charge. They are compelling audiences to respond and finding new ways to manage and automate engagement at scale.”
I think the key here is to remember that email is in fact, still alive.
Next steps
Want to know how you can move forward your email marketing strategy to be more like the Cloud 100 companies? Then check out some of these eBooks and blog posts, or just drop us an email at grow@bbdboom.com and we’ll be more than happy to help.
