If you want to close more deals, you need to open more doors, and one of the best ways to knock is with email marketing for lead generation.
Email may not seem as glamorous as other marketing endeavours. But when done right, it can effectively solve the puzzle of stagnating revenues.
And who doesn’t love a good puzzle?
So, are you ready to unlock loads of new opportunities?
Keep reading 👇
What is email marketing lead generation?
Email marketing lead generation collects potential customer information through email opt-ins to turn them into buyers. The goal is to collect contact data such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Think of it like collecting puzzle pieces:
Each piece slots neatly into place to move prospects further down the sales funnel and build the bigger picture of a successful sale.
It’s worth taking a quick step backwards to see how email lead generation has evolved.
Back in the day, email marketing was a one-size-fits-all affair. Marketers would blast out generic emails to massive mailing lists and hope for the best. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a whole lot more misses than hits.
Fast-forward to today and things have changed drastically.
Modern email marketing is way more targeted. This is thanks to the advances in technology and data analytics, which have blessed us with the powers of segmentation, personalisation, and automation.
We can now deliver highly targeted, relevant content to specific segments of our audience, vastly improving engagement and conversion rates.
Why do email marketing for lead generation?
Its single greatest virtue is that it’s a direct line of communication with your target audience.
Your prospects are willing to listen to what you say if they opt into your emails. You need to ensure that what you share with them is beneficial and engaging.
Let’s explore the numerous benefits of email marketing for lead generation👇
Cost-effectiveness
Email marketing for lead generation is incredibly cost-effective compared to other marketing channels.
There’s no need to blow your budget on expensive ad campaigns when you can reach your audience directly in their inboxes.
According to the Data & Marketing Association, for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average ROI return of $42.
Targeted outreach
B2B email lead generation allows you to be more targeted.
You can segment your audience based on demographics, behaviour, or past interactions and send tailored messages that resonate with each segment. This level of personalisation is the golden ticket to higher engagement rates.
For example:
A software company might send different emails to CTOs and marketing managers. Each highlights how their product solves specific pain points for those roles.
Measurable results
One of the most significant advantages of email lead generation is its ability to be measured. You can track open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and more.
This marketing data gives you valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to tweak your strategy in real-time.
For example:
If you notice a particular type of subject line consistently gets higher open rates, you can double down on that approach.
Relationship building
Email marketing campaigns are fantastic for building and nurturing relationships.
Regular, value-packed emails keep you top of mind with your prospects, building trust and positioning your brand as a thought leader in your industry.
This is especially important in B2B marketing, where the sales cycle can be long and complex. Consistent communication helps nurture leads through the funnel until they’re ready to decide.
Scalable
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, email marketing scales with your needs.
You can start small and ramp up your efforts as your business grows.
With the right tools, you can manage a growing email list without a proportional increase in effort.
Improves efficiency
With modern email marketing tools, you can automate large parts of your lead generation process.
From welcome emails to drip campaigns, automation saves you time and ensures consistent communication.
This means you can focus on more strategic tasks while your email campaigns run in the background, nurturing leads and driving conversions.
How do you generate and close more leads with email marketing?
Like solving a Rubik’s Cube, generating leads with email marketing becomes much easier when you use the right combinations.
A strategic approach that mixes creativity, data, testing, and consistency is a recipe for success.
Here’s how you can get things started:
1. Create a quality email list
Your email list is your most valuable lead generation asset.
But let’s be clear:
Quality always trumps quantity. A small list of engaged prospects is far more valuable than a massive list of uninterested contacts.
Here are some ways to build a quality list 👇
Content upgrades
Offer valuable content in exchange for email addresses. This could be an eBook, a white paper, a checklist, or other helpful content for your audience.
For example:
A marketing agency might offer a free guide on the latest SEO trends in exchange for subscribing to a newsletter using your email address.
Opt-in forms
Use opt-in forms on your website and blog. Make sure these forms are easy to find and fill out. Pop-ups, slide-ins, and in-line forms can attract email marketing leads.
Remember to keep the forms simple; asking for too much information upfront can deter potential subscribers.
Social media
Promote your email newsletter on your social channels. Share snippets of your email content, tease exclusive offers and direct your followers to your sign-up page.
For instance, you could run a contest or giveaway that requires participants to subscribe to your email list to enter.
B2B data vendors
B2B data providers like Cognism and ZoomInfo make it easy to access, update, and build lists with B2B contact data. This is the most effective and easiest way to create quality email lists for lead generation.
Interested to learn more? Book a call with a Cognism data expert 👇
2. Craft irresistible offers
For this email lead generation technique, you must offer something your audience can’t refuse. This could be a free trial, a discount, an exclusive webinar, or any other enticing offer.
The key is understanding your audience’s pain points and desires and crafting offers that provide a solution.
3. Create engaging email content
Your lead generation emails should be engaging, informative, and visually appealing.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Subject lines
Your email subject line is the first thing recipients see, so make it count. Keep it short, intriguing, and relevant. Avoid words that sound like spam, and be clear about what’s inside.
For example, instead of “Special Offer Inside,” you might use “Boost Your SEO with a Free Guide.”
Personalisation
Making your emails more personal makes them more relevant and less likely to be ignored.
Address recipients by name, reference their past interactions with your brand and tailor your content to their interests. Personalised emails can deliver six times higher transaction rates.
Visuals
Use images, videos, and other visual elements to make your emails more engaging. But don’t go overboard—too many visuals can slow load times and distract from your message.
A balance between text and visuals helps keep your email visually appealing without overwhelming the recipient.
4. Optimise for mobile
Prospects open more than half of all emails on mobile devices. If you don’t optimise your lead generation emails for mobile, you’re missing out on many potential email marketing leads.
Use responsive design and keep your content concise to ensure your emails look great on all devices. This means using larger fonts, single-column layouts, and touch-friendly buttons.
5. Use a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Every email should have a clear call-to-action that tells recipients exactly what you want them to do next.
Your CTA should be compelling and easy to follow, whether signing up for a webinar, downloading a white paper, or scheduling a demo.
Use action-oriented language like “Get Your Free Guide” or “Schedule Your Free Demo” to make it clear and enticing.
The best way to do this is with a targeted email marketing signature like this example from Cognism 👇
6. Utilise automation software
There are numerous options available for email automation software nowadays. It allows you to set up a series of automated emails triggered by specific actions or conditions.
For example:
You can schedule a welcome email to send directly after someone signs up for your newsletter. Follow that with an automated series of nurturing emails that provide valuable content and guide the email marketing lead through the sales funnel.
Automation saves you time and ensures that leads receive timely and relevant emails, increasing your chances of converting them into customers.
7. Test and refine
Email marketing for B2B lead generation is not a set-it-and-forget-it endeavour. It requires constant testing and refinement. A/B test different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, content, visuals, and CTAs, to see what works best. Use the data to improve your campaigns continually.
For example:
You might find that emails sent on Tuesdays have higher open rates than those sent on Fridays or that a particular type of CTA drives more conversions.
7 best techniques for email lead generation
Think about if you had to tackle a monster 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
You wouldn’t start by randomly trying to fit pieces together; you’d start with the edges and group pieces according to colour.
There are tried and tested ways to do things; the same applies to email marketing B2B lead generation.
Let’s take a look at seven email lead generation techniques that will boost your efforts:
1. Segmentation
By dividing your email list into smaller, more targeted groups, you can make your emails more relevant and personalised. Start by making a list of criteria that allows you to divide your email list and then use these segments to create tailored emails.
Here are a few examples of criteria you can use to segment your list:
- Demographics: Age, gender, location, job title, industry, company size
- Behaviour: Past purchases, website activity, email engagement, content downloads, event attendance, etc.
- Preferences: Product interests, communication preferences, preferred content types, frequency of emails, etc.
- Psychographics: Lifestyle, values, interests, opinions, and attitudes.
- Sales funnel stage: New leads, engaged prospects, near-conversion leads, existing customers.
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): High-value customers, low-value customers.
- Engagement level: Active subscribers, inactive subscribers, re-engaged subscribers.
Cognism can help you build enriched target account lists. Using the tool, you can find accounts that are hiring, receiving funding or even using specific technologies. Moreover, you’ll have access to contextual data points that make account list building a breeze.
See it in action 👇
2. Drip campaigns
Drip email campaigns are one of the best email lead generation tactics. These are a series of automated emails designed to nurture leads and guide them through the buyer’s journey.
Here’s how to set up an effective drip campaign:
Welcome series
Start with a welcome series introducing new subscribers to your brand and the value they can expect in future communications.
What’s important is that you affirm their decision to become your subscriber and position you as a valuable resource.
The series could include a welcome email and emails highlighting your most popular content and showcasing your expertise.
Educational series
Follow up with educational content that addresses your audience’s pain points and showcases your expertise.
For example:
A SaaS sales company might send a sequence of emails explaining how their software solves specific industry problems.
Engagement series
Send emails encouraging engagement, such as asking for feedback, inviting recipients to webinars, or offering exclusive content.
For example:
You might invite subscribers to a free webinar that offers deeper insights into a topic they’re interested in.
💡You might also like to read how you can generate leads with webinars.
3. Personalisation and dynamic content
Making things more personal goes beyond just using the recipient’s name.
Use dynamic content to tailor different parts of your email based on the recipient’s data.
For example:
You can show different images, offers, or product recommendations based on their past behaviour.
This lead generation through email marketing strategy makes your emails more relevant and engaging, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
4. Lead scoring
Lead scoring is an essential part of lead generation for email marketing. It assigns a score to each lead based on their behaviour and interactions with your brand. This helps you identify the most qualified leads and prioritise them for follow-up.
Use a lead scoring system to track email opens, clicks, website visits, and other engagement metrics.
For example:
You might assign higher scores to leads who have opened multiple emails and clicked on links, indicating a higher level of interest.
5. Re-engagement campaigns
Not all email marketing leads will convert right away, and that’s okay. Re-engagement campaigns are designed to win back inactive subscribers and keep your list healthy.
Here are some re-engagement email marketing tips for lead generation:
Win-back emails
Send a series of win-back emails to inactive subscribers. Offer an incentive to re-engage, such as a discount or exclusive content.
For example:
You might offer a free consultation to lapsed subscribers to entice them back.
Surveys
Use surveys to find out why subscribers became inactive and what you can do to improve. This feedback can be invaluable in refining your email strategy.
Clean your list
Regularly clean your email marketing list by removing or segmenting inactive subscribers. This improves your delivery rates and keeps your engagement numbers high.
For example:
You might segment inactive subscribers and send them a re-engagement series. If they still don’t respond, consider removing them from your list.
Cognism makes cleaning your email list easy!
Check out how Enrich can ensure your lead lists are always up to date.
6. Integrate with other marketing channels
Email marketing for lead generation doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Integrate your email campaigns with other marketing channels for a more cohesive strategy.
For example:
- Social media: Promote your email content on social media and encourage followers to join your email list. Use social media ads to drive traffic to your sign-up page.
- Content marketing: Use your email list to drive traffic to your blog and other content assets. For example, you might send a weekly newsletter highlighting your latest blog posts and other valuable content.
- Paid advertising: Use retargeting ads to reach email subscribers who haven’t yet converted. For example, you might run LinkedIn ads targeting subscribers who have engaged with your emails but haven’t taken the next step.
7. GDPR and privacy
Adhere to privacy guidelines to maintain compliance in your region. Ensure you have explicit consent (a double opt-in option is even better) before adding anyone to your email list.
Be transparent about how you’ll use their customer data, and always provide an easy opt-out option.
Email lead generation best practices include regularly cleaning your email list to remove inactive subscribers and protect sensitive information.
Email marketing and lead generation: is it a win?
It should no longer be puzzling how email can be a highly effective solution to improved lead generation.
It’s not about blasting emails into the ether. It’s about building relationships, segmenting your audience, providing value, and guiding prospects through the buyer’s journey.
Use what you’ve discovered to confidently unlock more sales opportunities and improve the quantity and quality of your email marketing leads.
With these email lead generation techniques, you can look forward to looking at a lead generation puzzle you’ve been battling with and say, “I’ve mailed it!”
Get quality email marketing leads from Cognism
Successful email marketing for lead generation requires quality, compliant B2B data.
And that’s exactly what you get with Cognism, plus:
- Unrestricted access to person and company-level data*.
- Verified emails.
- Intent data by Bombora.
- Quality GDPR and CCPA-compliant data.
- A database checked and cleaned against global DNC lists.
Start your journey - click the banner below to book a demo with one of our data experts👇
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