With the proliferation of email — as well as the influence and popularity of social media platforms that offer beautiful food photography and culinary personalities — some marketers are questioning the relevance of this tactic in their marketing mix. When it comes to foodservice and B2B, email continues to be one of the most effective ways to reach decision makers, drive engagement, and foster long-term relationships with operators who control purchases.
Key Email Statistics
ROI
According to Litmus research, email marketing offers an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent.1 This number far exceeds other marketing channels, including social media, where the measurement of direct outcomes can be less clear.
Engagement
Data from Campaign Monitor shows that email marketing has an average open rate of 21.5% with click-through rates averaging 2.3%.2 While these figures may not seem astronomical, they represent engaged, targeted audiences who are more likely to take action than the fleeting likes or shares on social media platforms.
Decision-Makers Prefer Email
HubSpot reports that 86% of professionals prefer to use email when communicating for business purposes,3 significantly more than any social media platform. In foodservice, where decisions can involve long sales funnels, email remains a critical tool for staying top-of-mind.
Why Email Wins in B2B Marketing
Ownership and Control
Social media algorithms change frequently, which can limit your visibility even to followers who have opted in to receive your updates. With email, you maintain ownership of your audience. There’s no risk of a platform deciding to change how often — or even if — your message gets seen.
Personalization and Segmentation
One of email marketing’s greatest strengths is its ability to deliver highly personalized content based on past behavior and data. This means being able to segment email lists by company size, foodservice channel, purchase history, or even specific cuisines.
According to a report by McKinsey, personalization can deliver 5-8 times the ROI on marketing spend and lift sales by 10% or more.4 This power is especially critical in B2B, where clients expect tailored solutions and content that speaks to their specific challenges.
Lead Nurturing
The foodservice purchasing journey is often much longer than in direct-to-consumer industries. Email provides a structured way to nurture leads through this complex cycle. With marketing automation, you can set up email drip campaigns that target different stages of the buyer’s journey — from awareness to decision — providing useful information at each step.
Measurable, Actionable Insights
Email marketing provides detailed metrics that let you assess performance. You can track opens, click-throughs, bounces, and conversions in real time. This data is invaluable for refining your messaging, tweaking/testing subject lines, and optimizing delivery times.
Extend the Power of Your Sales Force and Brokers
With larger territories and uneven times between sales calls, marketing emails allow your sales teams to stay on customers’ radars throughout the year. Plus, it gives the opportunity to connect with highly profitable independent operators who are likely too small for your sales team to target.
Direct Response
Have you ever hit “reply” to a marketing newsletter and asked a question? Chances are, someone on the other end is going to be delighted to answer — quickly. Whether you’re the author or recipient, it’s useful to take advantage of the inherent back-and-forth nature of email.
Email Isn’t Going Anywhere
When it comes to honest, effective foodservice and B2B marketing, email’s ability to create relationships, nurture leads, and drive conversions is steadfast and true. By integrating the strengths of email marketing with the nimbleness of social media communication, you can create a comprehensive approach that maximizes both reach and results.
Curious how we can help you optimize your email and social marketing mix? We’re always ready to have a conversation.
1 Litmus, 2022, “The ROI of Email Marketing”
2 Campaign Monitor, 2023, “Email Marketing Benchmarks”
3 HubSpot, 2021, “How B2B Buyers Interact With Your Email Marketing”
4 McKinsey & Company, 2021, “The Impact of Personalization”