Many great questions came up during the question and answer session after our last Webinar. Read on to find out what were some of the hot questions on attendees’ minds and how Nello and Chris addressed them.

Q: Increasing customer engagement seems easy for a B2C company but what about for B2B companies?

A: Although the strategies for customer engagement are driven largely by the B2C market, most of their techniques can be adapted for the B2B customer.

First, preference centers are ideal for B2B customers because they allow your clients to select how, when, and what information they receive from you on your products and services.

Next, because B2B can sometimes feel more remote, it’s important to humanize your campaigns. For example, if you’re promoting a Webinar or white paper, feature a photo of the author or presenter. Video is another great way to humanize your messaging.

User-generated content can also be leveraged by B2B companies to increase customer engagement. For example, our customer GuideStar – a leading reviewer of nonprofit organizations – developed a “write a review” program for their website. Visitors and customers were invited to “write a review” on any of the 1.7 million nonprofits profiled. The program helped engage customers but it also helped create a more robust site with over 12,000 customer reviews.

Q: What is a preference center?

A: A preference center refers to a place where you collect data from your subscribers on what kinds offers they want to receive, how they want to receive them and how often. We recommend to our clients that they include access to the preference center in the welcome email confirmation. When subscribers have just registered, their level of engagement is high, and it’s far more likely that they’ll be willing to provide data.

The key here is to ask questions that put you in a position to better meet their needs and preferences. You can ask about frequency, topical interest, product interest, and special offers. Once you have collected this data, it’s critical to deliver what you promised. If your subscriber signed up for a monthly newsletter, don’t presume that it’s OK to send it weekly. Or, if your subscriber indicates interest in a specific topic, don’t bombard them with content on other topics that aren’t of interest. It’s a good idea to provide ongoing access to the preference center. That way your subscribers can update their preferences as they change.

Q: Can you discuss acceptable or average unsubscribe rates? How can you recognize that you have a problem?

A: Average unsubscribe rates vary by source. Some industry experts say that the average unsubscribe rate is between 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent. Others believe it is less than 1 percent for well-maintained lists. There is no finite "real" percentage because there are so many factors involved, such as age of list, list quality, sender reputation and so on. We’d recommend you review your process if your unsubscribe rate climbs higher than 1 percent.

When working with customers who are concerned about unsubscribe rates, I also encourage them to take a look at their opt-in rates. These typically range between 15 percent and 25 percent in a month, so helps keep the inevitable opt-outs in perspective.

Q: The concept of coordinating email and mobile marketing is compelling, but how can I determine how much of my limited budget to allot for mobile marketing initiatives? The short answer is, by knowing your audience.

A: There are applications available to help you determine your mobile penetration, but this is an area where preference centers can provide what you need. Ask new subscribers about their mobile usage and preferences. And if you don't have this information for everyone else on your list, utilize a survey or poll – including an incentive – to find it out. Once you have a clear picture of how many of your subscribers are reading your emails on mobile devices, it becomes easier to prioritize. If your mobile readership is low, then there are probably better ways to invest your resources. But if you are seeing 20 percent or higher mobile readership, it's time to get moving.

Download the Guide: The Lyris Email Report: 5 Strategies to Jumpstart Your 2012

About the Author

Nello Franco is Senior VP Of Customer Success at Lyris.
Chris Benkert is Business Analyst and Training Manager at Lyris.