Continued sales growth depends on lead generation — and there’s no better way to generate leads than email marketing.

In fact, according to a Hubspot study, 59 percent of B2B marketers consider email their most effective channel for revenue generation. No wonder businesses are seeing a return of $44.25 for every dollar spent on email marketing (source: ExactTarget).

As you can see, email is the key to maximizing your business’ sales growth. With that in mind, let’s look at 5 best practices for email lead generation.

Get to the Point

In a recent infographic by Wolfgang Jaegel, respondents were asked what determines whether or not they open an email. The two biggest factors were sender name (64 percent) and the email subject line (47 percent). The takeaway here is that you can’t beat around the bush if you want email marketing to boost sales growth.

• Use your company name and email to be certain recipients know who your emails are from.
• Keep email subject lines short and to the point. Studies show you only have 3-4 seconds to grab a reader’s attention.

Optimize for Mobile

Being mobile-friendly is no longer optional. Did you know that almost 91 percent of consumers check email at least once a day using smartphones? Or that 64 percent of key decision makers now read emails on their mobile devices? (source: Acxiom Digital Impact)

With that in mind, you have to adjust your approach to email:

• Keep subject lines 50 characters or less to ensure mobile users get the message.
• Optimize images for mobile viewing and always use ALT text — not all mobile browsers download images automatically.
• Body content should connect the dots from the subject line to the CTA. Be brief and to the point.
• Use headings and bullets to make it easy to skim.
• Make your CTA clear, visible and easy to click on.

Focus on Your CTA

Without a clear call to action, you’re not going to get the click-throughs, lead generation or increased sales growth. Tell the reader exactly what you want them to do — and what they can expect to receive for doing it. There’s no need to get fancy. Here are a few examples:

• Download our FAQ.
• Get your free whitepaper.
• Sign up for a free demo.
• Make an appointment today.

Don’t Forget the Landing Page

When you think of email marketing for sales growth, maybe the landing page isn’t the first thing that comes to mind — but maybe it should be. While your home page may be beautiful and easy to navigate, sending readers there only adds miles to the journey — the customer could get lost along the way.

• Always use dedicated landing pages. Customized landing pages have been shown to improve conversion rates by more than 25 percent (source: Mckinsey).
• Make sure your landing pages are consistent with your emails, both topically and visually.
• Keep landing pages short and to the point. At a glance, readers should be 100 percent clear what to do next.

Keep the Funnel Full for Optimal Sales Growth

Without a continuous stream of prospects flowing through the funnel, lead generation and sales growth will suffer. Perhaps the best way to keep those new prospects coming is by purchasing professionally vetted email lists. This gives you instant access to an unlimited stream of quality data.

Not Just Any Software Will Do for Sale Growth

Keep in mind, your Email Service Provider and/or marketing automation software isn’t equipped to clean and handle cold contacts. To send to a purchased (or cold) email list safely, and boost lead generation and sales growth, you need Email Lead Generation software.

To learn how our Email Lead Generation software can help you expand your database and improve sales growth, sign up for a free demo today.