B2B buyers prefer email over other channel. But email ranks only third among the most effective channels by marketers, according to B2B Digital Experiences Report, a study by Episerver.
Among B2B prospects, 43% prefer to hear about companies via email. And email’s importance is reflected by the fact that 49% of vendor companies plan to invest in email systems.
When conducting research, email is preferred by 45% in the U.S. and in the UK by 51.%. In addition, 44% of German B2B customers choose email communications, along with 44% in Sweden and 29% in
Australia.
In addition, of the B2B leaders surveyed, 54% want brands to communicate more frequently by email than by other channels. The least-desired option: Phone calls.
Still,
marketers list these channels as most effective in reaching customers:
- Paid search—21%
- Website—14%
- Email marketing—13%
- Paid social media—11%
At the same time, 48% provide personalized content on their websites and/or via email.
By 2022, B2B companies plan to invest
in:
- Web analytics/business intelligence—51%
- Email marketing system—49%
- Ecommerce platform—38
- AI-based
technologies—31%
- Web content management system—30%
- Personalization technologies—24%
- Marketing automation—24%
- Customer
data platform—17%
- Digital marketing/demand side management software—15%
Episerver surveyed 700 decision makers from the U.S., UK, Germany, Sweden and Australia.
They represent enterprise manufacturing, distributing, retail and service providers organizations.