The Rodney Dangerfield of B2B marketing

B2b autoresponders don’t get the respect they deserve. Sometimes they get lumped in and confused with email newsletters. They are  related but different. Email newsletters work on an ongoing editorial calendar and are  usually formatted as html.

Autoresponders often work best as text emails , providing a more intimate feeling. They should feel and read as if they are written for one person as opposed to a broadcast message.

Often b2b autoresponders are simply used as a one email follow-up to people who have opted in to receive a report or other offer. That’s missing multiple opportunities to engage the prospect and bring them closer  to a meeting.

Or because good consumer autoresponders can be so engaging, writers sometimes write the same kind of autoresponder for a b2b audience, even though the degree of personal revelation  found in consumer emails doesn’t quite fit b2b marketing.

It’s clear that b2b autoresponders are misunderstood or relegated to a marketing afterthought.

So what  should b2b autoresponders be?

Like consumer  autoresponders, b2b autoresponders are follow-up emails to someone who has opted-in to receive some kind of offer – usually free. The follow-up emails should always be a carefully constructed series of emails, generally about 4-7 (though they can run much longer) . And the emails  should be related to the offer that was downloaded.

But b2b autoresponders differ in tone and objective from consumer b2b. Generally the goal of consumer autoresponders  is  get people to buy a product online. B2b autoresponders are  designed  to stimulate a call from the recipient  or act as a prelude to a phone call from the sender.

Effective consumer autoresponders are often quite personal. While  B2b autoresponders are not as personal they should  be personable. Stories and analogies are fine  but they need to be shorter and should relate directly to the product or service. They can contain news and observations of what’s happening in the field.

In short, b2b autoresponders are more on point than consumer autoresponders.

Let’s take an example.

A company marketing executive signs up to receive 3 videos explaining  a new  software platform for his industry.

Each autoresponder email follow-up is  a bit of a tease for the ensuing video. . . what it’s about, what the recipient will learn and why it’s valuable. Each email should be enticing enough so the recipient clicks the link to the next video.

But the series should not end with 3 emails introducing the next video.  Emails 4 and 5 can talk about  people and companies who have been using the software,  like  mini-case  case studies.  Or they can talk about a problem in the industry and how a new software platform solves it.

The last few  emails can add urgency and scarcity to your promotion.

If  the emails follow a downloaded report or white paper , each follow-up can talk about one important aspect that’s contained in the report. You can mix in references to case studies, but make them seem more like telling anecdotes in the email rather than  formal case studies.

You may argue that the recipient has downloaded the report or white paper and already has this information. Don’t be too sure. People  often download a report then forget about  it. Or they do a quick skim and miss some of the most important points. 

The b2b autoresponder is a workhorse.  Follow-up emails not only remind the recipient about the report (or white paper, video, etc.), they also provide deeper understanding and broader context. Through the autoresponder series you are adding value to the report and in doing so also adding perceived value to the emails you send.

Respect the b2b autoresponder and what it can do for your company and  you’ll reap the rewards.

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