As 2013 comes to a close most businesses aren’t just reflecting on the past year, they’re looking forward to the next one. Even tactics that served your business well in the past year might need to be adjusted to suit 2014’s needs.

There are a lot of different aspects of any marketing program that may need to be re-evaluated in light of the changes that inevitably occur over the course of a year: tactics for improving lead quality, increasing product or service awareness, reaching decision makers, or working within budget.

However, research has shown that there is one challenge that decision-makers in the B2B market are most concerned about. According to MarketingProfs, generating more leads is the biggest challenge B2B marketers are facing. But how do you improve your lead generation for 2014? MarketingProfs offers some guidance in The Best Methods for Finding New B2B Customers in 2014.

Out of the 26 lead generation methods studied, “Email or Electronic Newsletters” ranked fifth, well above blogs, all types of social media, direct mail, and even webinars. eNewsletters shared the spotlight with other successful marketing channels:

• Inside sales
• Executive events
• Telemarketing
• Tradeshows/conferences

One thing all of these high-performing methods have in common is that they connect you to individual people. Although these tactics are still broad ways to reach out to large groups, they allow individual contact and some form of direct interaction.

And even better — compared to the in-person events that are ranked similarly, an outsourced email marketing program is substantially less expensive. That means you get more bang for your buck with an eNewsletter than with, say, an executive event. Plus, they’re consistent — you don’t have to wait for a conference to crop up once a year to highlight your products and services. Instead, you can connect with your audience and generate leads on a regular basis.

eNewsletters aren’t just a 2014 marketing trend, but if you’re not already taking advantage of their benefits then this is a great year to start. Email marketing is a tried and true tactic that not only consistently reminds readers of your products and services, but that also gives all of your other marketing efforts a boost, too.

Upgrade your email marketing program for 2014! The experts at Proven Systems can help. Contact us today for a no-cost, no-obligation evaluation of your current email marketing practices.