What's the difference between B2B and B2C email?

A B2B email usually reaches several people at a company who are making a considered decision over weeks or months. It builds the case and leads to a conversation. A B2C email usually reaches one person who can buy right now, and it deals with whatever stopped them. That changes the triggers, the timing and the tone.

I sell to both businesses and consumers. Can you plan for both?

Yes. I'd treat them as separate audiences with their own segments and flows, sharing your brand and your templates where that makes sense.

Which email platforms can you work with?

I can work with platforms such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot and Marketo. If you use something else, tell me what it is and I'll check what it can do.

Do the rules differ for B2B and B2C lists?

They can. In the UK, the rules for emailing individuals differ from those for company addresses, so I consider consent and email marketing best practice for each list as part of the plan. For legal advice on your own list, a solicitor or the ICO's guidance is the place to go.

Email Marketing

B2B and B2C Email Marketing Strategy

A B2B nurture sequence and a B2C abandoned basket flow solve completely different problems. I plan your segments and messages around the people on your list, the decision they're making and how long it takes them.

Start an email strategy project

B2B or B2C

Example emails

First emailSpread over weeks

Audience: Several people at one company, deciding together
Trigger: Downloads a guide or asks for a demo
Timing: Spaced over weeks, in step with a long decision
Goal: A sales conversation

From: Example Studio

The buyer's checklist you asked for

Here it is. Over the next few weeks I'll send two short notes on the questions that tend to come up when teams compare options.

Audience: One shopper, deciding alone and often quickly
Trigger: Leaves items in the basket without checking out
Timing: Starts within hours and stops as soon as they buy
Goal: A finished order

From: Example Shop

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What you can expect from email strategy

A clear picture of your audience

Who's on your list, what they're deciding and how long it usually takes them, written down as the starting point for every email.

The flows that fit how you sell

A B2B list often needs nurture sequences and a handover to sales. A B2C list often needs welcome, abandoned basket and repeat purchase flows. I'll recommend the ones that suit you.

A segmentation plan

Which groups to split your list into and why, using data you already hold, with consent and email marketing best practice considered from the start.

Messages for each group

The main points, tone and next step for each segment. A finance director and a first-time shopper need different words.

Triggers and timing

What starts each flow, how far apart the emails sit and when they stop. B2B flows tend to run over weeks, and B2C flows often begin within hours.

Measures that match the goal

Agreed before launch. A B2B sequence might be judged on sales conversations started, and a B2C flow on finished orders.

How an email strategy project works

Step 1
Audience and lifecycle
We go through who you sell to, how they buy and what happens between first contact and a sale. I'll also look at your list, your platform and the emails you send now.
Step 2
Segments and flows
I map the groups worth separating and the flows each one needs, with the audience, trigger, timing and goal written down for each.
Step 3
Messages and plan
You get the key messages for each group and a written plan showing what to build first and why.
Step 4
Build and report
I build the templates and automation on your platform, or hand the plan to your team if you'd like to run it yourselves. If I'm running it, you get plain-English reports on what's converting.

Common questions

It depends on what's involved: how many audiences you have, the state of your list and whether I'm building the flows as well. I'll agree a clear scope and price with you before work begins.