B2B marketers have significant potential to enhance their email marketing efforts. The inaugural State of Email Trends report by Litmus and Oracle Digital Experience Agency revealed that B2B brands are lagging behind their B2C counterparts in adopting many email marketing trends. While B2B and B2C brands operate in different spaces, the gap in email marketing adoption suggests untapped opportunities for B2B marketers.

The Shrinking Divide Between B2B and B2C

Historically, B2B brands have operated differently from B2C brands, particularly when it comes to email marketing. However, technological advancements have blurred these lines. Today, many businesses use platforms like G Suite and Office 365, which share spam filtering and email rendering technologies with consumer inboxes like Gmail and Outlook. Additionally, B2B customers are also consumers, and their expectations are shaped by the seamless, personalized experiences they receive from B2C brands.

While differences between B2B and B2C still exist, the narrowing gap means that B2B brands have a unique opportunity to adopt and benefit from email marketing elements traditionally used by B2C brands.

Where B2B Brands Lead

The report, which surveyed nearly 500 email marketers, highlighted 38 email marketing tactics, elements, and technologies. B2B brands led in just three of these areas:

1. Account-Based Marketing (ABM): B2B brands are 206% more likely to use ABM than B2C brands.
2. Video: B2B marketers use video in emails 76% more than their B2C counterparts.
3. Sentiment Trackers: B2B brands are 26% more likely to use sentiment tracking.

These areas showcase where B2B brands are leveraging email marketing effectively. However, there are many more opportunities for B2B brands to explore.

Opportunities for B2B Brands

While B2B brands have made strides in certain areas, they trail behind B2C brands in many others. Here are four key email marketing opportunities that B2B brands should consider:

1. Loyalty and Rewards Programs

Traditional transaction-based loyalty programs may not suit most B2B brands, but modern engagement-oriented loyalty programs could be a game-changer. These programs reward customers for engaging with the brand in meaningful ways, such as attending webinars, reading blog posts, or participating in user conferences. By incentivizing these behaviors, B2B brands can foster stronger customer loyalty and advocacy without resorting to discounts that could devalue the brand.

2. Triggered Emails

Triggered emails—whether based on actions, inactivity, dates, or operations updates—are among the most effective emails a brand can send. These automated messages address key moments in the customer journey, reducing friction and enhancing the overall experience. B2B brands should continuously explore automation opportunities to ensure they’re addressing every critical touchpoint in their customer’s journey.

3. Website Pop-Ups for Subscriber Acquisition

Although pop-ups are often disliked by consumers, they remain highly effective for subscriber acquisition. The key is to implement pop-ups in a respectful and user-friendly manner. This includes limiting the frequency with which pop-ups are shown to the same visitor and making them easy to dismiss. When done right, pop-ups can significantly boost a B2B brand’s email subscriber list without alienating potential customers.

4. Dark Mode Optimization

With around 35% of emails being viewed in dark mode, optimizing emails for this setting is crucial. Dark mode can render text and other content illegible if not properly optimized. B2B brands should ensure that their emails look great in dark mode by adding strokes to logos and icons, carefully selecting background colors, and using high-contrast text colors. Given the widespread use of dark mode in corporate settings, this optimization is essential for maintaining a professional and readable email experience.

Conclusion

B2B brands have significant opportunities to enhance their email marketing programs by adopting strategies and technologies that have been successful in the B2C space. Whether through loyalty programs, triggered emails, subscriber acquisition tactics, or dark mode optimization, B2B marketers can drive better results by embracing these trends. As the line between B2B and B2C continues to blur, the time is ripe for B2B brands to innovate and elevate their email marketing efforts.