E-mail is key for b-to-b marketers in UK: Newsweaver survey

As more American ESPs have been taking on clients and opening offices in the UK — for example, e-Dialog and Datran Media — UK-based b-to-b e-mail marketing is on the rise, according to a new survey by e-mail marketing firm Newsweaver.

According to the survey, in which B2B Marketing magazine and Newsweaver questioned 175 b-to-b marketers, 78% of UK-based b-to-b marketers consider e-mail to be either a "critical" or "very important" part of their marketing efforts.

Sixty-eight percent of b-to-b marketers believe that the versatility of e-mail is on the rise. These marketers are integrating e-mail more into their overall marketing programs, with more than 40% of respondents saying they are using e-mail as part of integrated marketing campaigns, the survey said.

The survey also found that b-to-b marketers have a handle on e-mail. Sixty-seven percent of those interviewed said that their understanding of e-mail and how to leverage its effectiveness is either "excellent" or "good".

B-to-b marketers are increasing their use of e-mail, as 71% of those surveyed said that the number of e-mail campaigns they send out has increased and 69% said that the volume of e-mail they send has also increased in the last year.

The survey showed that "prospecting" and "generating new sales leads" are the most popular uses of e-mail with 90% of b-to-b marketers using e-mail to communicate with prospects. This is followed by using e-mail for "maintaining customer relationships,” as 83% of those surveyed use e-mail to communicate with customers.