Let’s face it: most inboxes are war zones. Over 100 emails a day land there, competing for attention, with the vast majority destined for the “delete” button. For B2B marketers, the challenge is clear: how do you keep your emails from becoming just another casualty?
At Vende Digital, we believe the answer lies in a balanced mix of AI, automation, and the occasional dash of humor. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s talk about email fatigue, why it’s real, and how to fight it like a marketing ninja.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Email Fatigue
What Does Email Fatigue Look Like?
You may not hear buyers yawning over your emails, but the signs are unmistakable:
- Declining Open Rates: Your subject lines are a dud, or people simply don’t care.
- Click-Through Rate Flatlines: You could be offering a free puppy, and they still wouldn’t click.
- Unsubscribes: Ouch. You sent one too many “Hey, just checking in” emails.
What Causes It?
- Over-Sending: “If we send it, they will convert,” said no successful marketer ever.
- Generic Content: If your email screams, “I have no idea who you are or what you care about,” then congrats—you’ve joined the spam brigade.
- Inbox Overload: Buyers have a finite amount of attention. If your emails don’t stand out, they’ll never make it off the battlefield.
Adding Value: How to Stand Out in the Inbox
Shift to Value-Driven Content
B2B buyers don’t want another hard sell. They’re looking for solutions to their problems, not your quarterly sales goals. Pro tip: start with content that:
- Educates them (e.g., “How to Build an AI-Driven Email Workflow”).
- Solves a problem (e.g., “5 Email Strategies to Increase Open Rates”).
- Inspires action (e.g., a downloadable checklist to streamline email automation).
Remember what recent Demand Gen Jam Session guest and email expert Sheri Otto said: “Buyers don’t want to be pitch-slapped. They want information that helps them make good decisions.”
To effectively meet these buyer needs, it’s crucial to strike a balance between providing valuable insights and guiding them toward practical solutions. By framing your content around their goals, challenges, and potential outcomes, you establish trust and position yourself as a resource rather than a sales pitch. This approach not only captures their attention but also nurtures stronger connections throughout the buyer’s journey.
Infusing Humor and Humanity
Most B2B emails sound like they were written by a robot. Not the cool kind like R2-D2, but the kind that makes you unsubscribe instantly. Humor cuts through the monotony and humanizes your brand.
How to Add Humor and Humanity to Your Emails
- Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t say it at a networking event, don’t put it in an email.
- Reference shared experiences or trends. Buyers appreciate a little “I see you” moment.
- Keep it real. Nobody likes a try-hard, so make sure your humor aligns with your audience’s vibe.
B2B doesn’t have to mean boring or overly formal. In fact, adding a personal and engaging touch can make your content stand out. Share behind-the-scenes insights into your company, funny anecdotes from everyday work life, or relatable stories that your audience can connect with. For example, brands like The Marketing Millennials excel at blending valuable marketing insights with humor, entertaining their audience with relatable, witty stories that always spark a laugh. This mix of education and entertainment not only keeps followers engaged but also builds a stronger connection with your brand. So, don’t be afraid to show your personality—it could be the key to making your B2B content memorable.
AI to the Rescue
AI tools like Jasper are transforming email marketing, making it easier than ever to create personalized subject lines, engaging content, and attention-grabbing one-liners. Think of AI as your tireless assistant, working behind the scenes to ensure your emails shine—while you take all the credit for the creativity.
Start by using AI to polish and refine your existing drafts. Whether you need to expand an idea, adjust the tone to better match your audience, or make your message more concise, AI can handle it effortlessly. But don’t stop there—leverage AI to generate subject line suggestions tailored to your campaign goals, and use A/B testing to find the most effective options. With AI, you can save time, enhance impact, and elevate your email strategy with ease.
Once you’re comfortable with AI prompts, try creating email copy from scratch. AI can craft messages in various lengths, tones, and styles, complete with compelling calls-to-action (CTAs). These options are perfect for email testing and optimization, helping you discover what resonates most with your audience and aligns best with your brand.
Balancing Automation with Authentic Engagement
Avoiding the Over-Automation Trap
Over-automation is like overcooked pasta: it ruins the whole experience. When workflows are impersonal or repetitive, buyers notice—and not in a good way.
Instead, spice things up! Keep those workflows human, relatable, and—dare we say it—actually interesting. Here’s how to tell if your emails need a reboot.
- Emails are overly generic, lacking personalization and failing to resonate with the specific needs or interests of the audience.
- The frequency feels relentless, with messages being sent too often, leading to frustration and email fatigue for recipients.
- Buyers aren’t engaging despite high send volumes, as the content doesn’t capture their attention or provide enough value to encourage interaction.
Creating Behavior-Driven Workflows
At Vende, we use marketing automation to listen to what buyers are telling us (through their actions, not their words). For example:
- When a visitor meets specific qualification and activity criteria and views our pricing page, a notification is sent to our sales team, prompting them to follow up with a personalized message.
- Event attendees receive tailored resources along with a replay link in their inbox.
- Coming Soon: Our event attendees will be added to an events-centric email subscription that will deliver all our latest event updates straight to their inbox.
Maintaining the Human Touch
We balance automation with manual engagement for high-value accounts. Think automated emails to nurture leads and personalized follow-ups from sales reps when engagement spikes. It’s the best of both worlds.
Re-Energizing Your Email Strategy
Email fatigue is real, and let’s face it—your audience is probably tired of being bombarded with boring, irrelevant emails. But don’t worry, it’s not a lost cause. With the right mix of AI wizardry, automation magic, and a generous splash of good ol’ human charm, you can wake up those snoozing subscribers and keep them coming back for more. Here’s how to revive your emails and your audience’s attention:
Vende Digital’s Quick-Start Checklist (a.k.a. Your Email CPR Guide)
- Audit Your Emails: Start with some self-reflection. Are your open rates tanking? Are unsubscribes climbing faster than your inbox count on a Monday morning? If yes, your emails are crying for help. Dig into the data to spot where you’re losing your audience.
- Add Value Like You Mean It: Nobody wants to read another “Check out our latest offer!” email. Give your audience something they can actually use—like educational tips, how-to guides, or action-packed advice that leaves them thinking, “Wow, that was actually helpful.” (Bonus points if it makes them look smart in front of their boss.)
- Humanize It—Seriously: People are humans, not robots (well, most of them). So, write like you’re talking to a friend. Ditch the corporate jargon and throw in a little conversational flair. A well-placed joke or witty remark can work wonders—just don’t go overboard and turn into a stand-up comedy routine.
- Use Automation, But Don’t Be Creepy: Automation is your bestie when it comes to keeping your audience engaged, but let’s be real—it’s only as good as the rules you set. Create workflows triggered by actual buyer actions (like visiting your pricing page or downloading that shiny new eBook) instead of random guesswork. Precision beats spammy every time.
- Test, Tweak, Repeat: Think of your email strategy as a never-ending science experiment. A/B test subject lines, content formats, and even email timing. Maybe your audience loves receiving emails at 6 a.m. (weird, but hey, it happens). Or maybe emojis in your subject line are their kryptonite. Keep testing until you crack the code.
- Segment Like a Pro: Not everyone on your list is into the same stuff. (Shocker, right?) Split your audience into bite-sized chunks based on their preferences, behaviors, or anything else that makes sense. Tailor your content to each group, and suddenly, you’re the email MVP they’ve been waiting for.
Level Up Your Email Game
Ready to revive your email strategy and boost your campaign results? Download our comprehensive Diagnostic Checklist for B2B Email Marketing to identify gaps, fine-tune your approach, and start creating campaigns that truly engage and delight your audience. This checklist is designed to help you craft impactful emails that drive results without overwhelming your readers. Start transforming your email marketing today!
Key Takeaways
Feeling overwhelmed by all the email marketing advice? Don’t sweat it. Here’s the TL;DR version so you can get back to crafting emails that don’t immediately get sent to the trash.
- Know your audience like you know your favorite coffee order—because generic emails are so last decade.
- Segment your contacts into targeted groups; nobody wants to feel like just “Dear Subscriber.”
- Personalization isn’t optional—ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and make it feel like you wrote the email just for them.
- Stop measuring success solely by open rates; clicks, replies, and conversions are the new MVP stats.
- Test, tweak, repeat. A/B testing is your BFF for figuring out what actually works.
- Keep your subject line sharp and snappy—no one has time for “Reaching out” or “Just checking in.”
- Value your audience’s time. If you wouldn’t read a novel-length email, neither will they.
- Include CTAs that actually compel action. “Read more” isn’t it. Make it irresistible.
- Stick to one clear message per email. Overloading your audience is a surefire way to send them running.
- Review, refine, and refresh constantly. Email game strong = staying ahead of the curve.
