B2B Email Copywriting | Everything You Need To Know

B2B email copywriting is no easy feat. You’ve got your lists ready, you know the contacts you’re reaching out to, and that text body just sits there in all its blankness—a testament to the insurmountable variables that make it difficult to write the perfect email. 

The goods news? 

Your perfect B2B email exists. You just need to pick away at the ice until you unveil the shape beneath.  

This guide is your icepick, and it’s a lot better (overall) than this metaphor. 

B2B Email Copywriting 

The B2B email marketing space, while being difficult to learn, produces incredible results. In fact, most B2B marketers prefer email over any other marketing channel. Why? Because, unlike B2C, businesses share a lot in common with each other. 

This means they face the same problems, which makes identifying pain points, providing solutions, and communicating a product easier (of course, this is a matter of perspective). 

Given that this article is being written on [05/16/2020], the changes brought forth by COVID-19 have also directly influenced the email marketing space. With the sheer volume of emails we’re receiving from brands and organizations, the landscape is more competitive than ever. 

It should come as no shock to you that your B2B email marketing strategy needs to be direct, persuasive, and unique. 

No Matter What, Always Be Pointed! 

For instance, have you noticed that we’re three paragraphs in and we still haven’t explained how to write a perfect B2B email? 

That’s something you don’t want to do in your email campaign. While we’re building a narrative, today, if your reader has to fight to understand the point of your email, you’ll lose them, and they’ll open another one of the 100 unread messages collecting dust in their inbox. 

How To Write A Great B2B Email 

There is no single “effective” formula that can be applied to all B2B emails. While one form might work incredibly for a company, it’ll fail for another. Thus, we’ll breakdown a few of the mechanics that contribute to an effective email marketing strategy:

1. The story, playing the heartstrings 
2. Building trust, not writing to sell 
3. Clarifying your narrative, pointed CTAs 
4. Simplicity—it’s your best friend 
5. The header, it’s probably more important than the email 

#1 Tell A Story, Wonderful Writers 

If you’re trying to learn how to write a fantastic email marketing copy, then you’ve probably heard “you have to tell a story.” But what on earth does that mean? Should you write about Neo and the Matrix? The little piggies that went to the store? 

The story you tell, in whatever way you tell it, must—first and foremost—relate specifically to your reader’s need for your product/service.  

The reality is that we seek solace in stories. If they’re emotional, we relate. If we relate, we trust. When it comes to using a story-driven B2B email, remember to: 

• Build A Valuable Narrative – Do you have another client similar to the one that you’re targeting who greatly benefited from your services? Can you explain your mission statement and why you’ve built a solution perfect for them? Great. Your story needs to be about them, for them. 
• Keep It ASAP—As Short As Possible – This story can’t drone on. If you’re selling a project management software, then tell a story about the issues that come with managing projects manually. Build the pathos. Conclude the story by plugging in your platform. Whatever you do, don’t write a novel. You’ll lose your reader.
• A Story Should Be Unique – If you’re using this method because you want to be compelling, yet what you have to say is better as a statement, be wary that telling a story might come across as inauthentic. 

At Copycat, we’re storytellers. We understand how valuable a well-positioned story can be in a marketing campaign. 

But the biggest pitfall in copywriting for emails is telling an irrelevant one. 

#2 Building Trust, Not Selling 

Digital marketing has forever changed lead gen and the sales funnel. 

Today, it’s not about making a sale, it’s about making an impact—one that starts a conversation and begins a relationship. Consumers have more time to convert and an immediate sale isn’t the priority—a lifetime customer is. 

Your B2B email copy needs to reflect this. Best yet? This is easier to do in the B2B space than anywhere else. Why? Because you’re speaking to businesses that are trying to create their own solutions, who are likely dealing with the same issues you are. 

They too want to market their product—they too want to nurture leads. 

In which case, avoid sounding like a salesman. This is a different caliber of communication. Here at Copycat, we always recommend focusing on one specific objective—be it a quick phone call, downloading gated content, driving leads to a landing page, etc. 

Note: the objective should always be geared towards starting a conversation, rather than driving a sale. 

#3 Clarifying Your Narrative, i.e. Get To The Point! 

In the age of COVID-19, how many times have you opened an email that said “during these troubling times [insert more copy about how horrible these times are], we’re here for you.” And yet, you’re looking through the text, trying to find the “secret ingredient,” only to come up short.

How? How, Company, are you here for me? What are you doing to help save for writing this email? 

The same mechanic applies to B2B email copywriting. 

While you might tell a great story, write compelling copy, and address problems that are relevant to your reader, if you’re not clear about your intention, then they’re going to bounce out. 

Remember to: 

• Write With Intention, Stick To The Point – Whatever it is you’re trying to market, be sure your reader knows exactly who you are. This doesn’t mean you need to frontload your entire mission statement. Rather, be clear about what you can do for them, as this is arguably more important than who you are. 
• Clear CTAs – Your Call(s) To Action needs to be well-positioned, pointed, and easily accessible. This could be as simple as “Do you have 5 minutes to hop on a call?” to a button that sends them to a landing page. Once you’ve piqued their interest, it needs to be clear that their next step is “to do this.” 

In copywriting, one of the main facets of blog structure is skim-ability. Readers want to find their answer and they don’t want to wade through 2000 words to do it. While emails are personal (meaning you have a bit more wiggle room), the same phenomenon applies. 

Get. To. The. Point. 

#4 Simplicity, Your Best Friend 

Have you ever received a cold email, only to open up a four-paragraph text wall with seven links, a few award and accolade shoutouts, and a couple pictures in the mix? It’s like trying to read binary code. 

Where the hell do you start? 

Your best friend, then, is simplicity. 

Focus on one angle of your platform and use that to create the relationship. Don’t overwhelm your reader. And this isn’t merely from a copy perspective. We can tell you to write “simply” day in and out, yet you can still write simply about extremely complex subjects. 

This pertains to what you’re saying as well as how you’re saying it. 

The focus is the reader. Address a problem, build a narrative, and explain your product/service in the simplest way (without sacrificing any integrity). 

#5 The Subject Line, Your First Impression 

When it comes to a B2B marketing email, your subject line is the most important input. Why? Because the perfect email might be crafted in the body, yet if your header fails to compel, your reader will never open it. 

When it comes to writing a compelling headline, this could, in itself, be an entire article. The reality is that identifying the perfect subject line usually pertains to testing your email copy. With that being said, we’ll give you a few Copycat subject line tips that we use here on our end.

• Minimalism — Less. Is. More. Can you say it with us? If you’re struggling to create an effective subject line, sometimes a clear, concise, and pointed headline is what’s going to make your email stand out. Dependent on your brand voice, you might not have the room to be comedic or jarring. That’s totally okay. Are you offering a new product? Introducing a new deal? Then, Your New Sparkplug might be all you need. 
• Questions — Whenever we see questions, we almost immediately generate an answer. Questions can be an effective and stylistic way to open an email. For instance, if you’re a new product on the market, it could be—Hey Copycat, are you tired of Google Doc’s spellchecker turning off? Hey Copycat, did you know that Donald Trump is just a bunch of bees in a human suit? Hey Copycat, when’s the last time you were happy with your taxes? As you can discern, a well-positioned question can turn ears. 
• Personalization, but not too Personal — Using someone’s actual name in an email has become so commonplace that most us scan over it. Instead, can you target your audience’s specific lexicon? Their lifestyle? Then curate? For instance, if you’re selling some sort of hangover cure, you could target your audience on Sunday mornings with an email like: Feeling like hell? We can fix your morning. Try to use their language, cater to their lifestyle, and write a subject line that’s aligned with their overall existence. 

The reality is that your perfect subject line depends on variables specific to your business, target audience, and the time of day that you’re sending your email. 

Our biggest tip? Test, test, test. You might be surprised to find that some idiotic or lackluster headlines outperform that which you thought most brilliant. 

The marketing gods work in mysterious ways. 

Your B2B Email Copywriting Service

While we have the utmost faith in your ability to produce fantastic B2B email copy, we have zero idea how long it’s going to take you to get there. If you want to learn everything you need to know about running a B2B email marketing campaign, you should reach out to your neighborhood cats (us) and ask for a complimentary piece of content. 

We are experts in email copywriting services and will help you formulate a strong B2B email marketing strategy. 

Why tell you how to write B2B email copy when we can show you? 

Your perfect email is literally a click away. 

Just look below.