• by Ray Schultz , January 9, 2023

Email is the most popular B2B marketing channel for both senders and recipients in the UK, according to The State of Prospecting 2023, a new study from Sopro.

Among marketers, 59% believe email is more than twice as effective at generating leads than PPC and paid social media. Next  are referrals (42%) and webinars or face-to-face events (24%)

Moreover, 77% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted by email, more than double any other channel. 

Perhaps alarmingly, 23% utilize bought lists to conduct prospecting, although Sopro cautions against it. Of the companies polled, 32% do not do any form of email prospecting.

And anticipating a recession, 23% of B2B companies plan to make budget cuts over the next 12 months, and 20% are considering it. Overall, 88% of UK companies expect a recession. 

Of the companies that conduct prospecting, 53% use manual search and outreach. 

Overall, the report shows that “the personal touch is still very much valued, whether that is a bespoke email, a face-to-face meeting or hosting a webinar or event to share information and knowledge,” says Ryan Welmans, CEO and co-founder of Sopro.

Sapro surveyed 359 marketing decision makers, and analyzed nearly 50 million emails.