Defeating Audience Churn in B2B Email
Justin Berger
Chief Operating Officer
As fast as the world is changing, email marketing remains a key channel in B2B marketing year after year. It works, it’s cost effective, and it’s simple to execute. According to Content Marketing Institute, a staggering 81% of B2B marketers cite email as their most used channel for content marketing.
With this reliance on email, it’s natural that marketers and audience leaders worry about email audience churn. But fear not: with the right tactics and strategies, it is possible to reduce attrition and even grow your audience.
The impact of audience churn is a significant challenge. In fact, “list churn eats up about 25-30% of the average email list every year,” according to GetResponse.
Some of our audience members slip away silently, leaving their organizations and disconnecting from our communications. Others get lost in the sea of marketing messages bombarding them every day, tuning out and moving on.
And then there are those who actively churn. They opt-out of emails, unfollow our brand on social media, or – gasp – discontinue paid subscriptions!
Some level of churn is inevitable and even healthy. That said, as B2B leaders, we hate to see our most valuable asset – active, engaged readership – grow smaller.
The good news is that savvy B2B leaders have a fighting chance against churn. By implementing a few simple tactics, we can reduce attrition and even grow our audience.
- Analyze trends by segment: Take a close look at different audience segments, like Job Function, Seniority, and Industry. Are certain cohorts more likely to churn than others? What can these trends reveal about how key segments perceive our brand?
- Understand content consumption: What topics matter most to our readers? Do we have the capability to distinguish these trends based on their demographics and intent? By aligning our content with our audience’s needs, we can foster stronger connections and keep them coming back for more.
- Segment and Personalize: The best antidote to churn is high engagement, and engagement thrives when the right audience is served the right content. Serving unique, personalized experiences to your key segments is an everyday expectation for savvy B2B audiences seeking content that’s valuable to their industry and role.
- Be proactive: Churn is a reality we can’t escape entirely, but we can take a proactive stance. How are we actively growing our key segments? Are organic methods enough to counteract audience loss? By investing in targeted strategies and staying one step ahead, we can drive positive net churn, attracting more new users than we lose. Many B2B organizations are creating health reports and audience engagement dashboards for their markets.
For many organizations, audience size and engagement are crucial metrics. This is especially true in the media world, where a brand’s viability hinges on its ability to reach valuable decision-makers that advertisers covet.
As B2B leaders, fighting against audience churn is a constant battle. However, armed with data-driven insights and best practices, you can successfully reduce attrition and foster audience growth. Remember, audience health is a long-term game, and consistency is key. By adopting an ongoing strategy that evolves with your audience’s needs, you can win the battle against churn and ensure your reach keeps growing and thriving.
The seas of audience churn can be treacherous. But, with the right crew, it’s always possible to chart a course towards growth. Connect with 7 Knots Digital to discuss strategies to measure, grow, and improve your audiences today.
Contacts:
Justin Berger,
Chief Operating Officer at 7 Knots Digital Inc
Related Links
www.7knotsdigital.com
