Good For Business: Email Preferred For B2B Buyers, But Multi-Channel Strategy Most Effective

“Email remains the foundation of B2B outreach.”

That could be an evergreen marketing statement, but coming from Sopro’s prospecting perspective in The State of Prospecting 2025, it rings particularly true.

Sopro’s declaration does come with a multi-channel qualifier — it’s preceded by the statement, “While multi-channel reaches more of your audience and drives better results” — but the study’s stats on email back up the overall sentiment, specifically with three-quarters (73%) of buyers saying they prefer to hear from vendors via email.

(Source: Sopro)

Telephone (49%), in-person event (38%), and social media (28%) also ranked high for B2B buyers, who ultimately picked an average of 2.5 channels. Considering almost 9 in 10 B2B say they want to hear from vendors while researching and evaluating their options, the struggle is real for marketers trying to find that perfect balance.

“75% of B2B vendors say results are better when multiple prospecting channels are combined,” the study says. “71% of B2B businesses say prospecting complements inbound marketing channels well. This shift emphasizes the value of a multi-channel strategy — one that integrates proactive outreach, personalization, and multiple touchpoints to meet buyers wherever they are in their journey.”

Diving deeper into one particular email aspect, the study found that certain types of subject lines were more likely to garner opens from B2B buyers, led by personalization with a name or company name (66% were likely to open), an offer (62%), a question (56%), a topical, trending, or current affair (56%), or something humorous (51%).

“It’s fair to say that 2024 tested the resilience of B2B sales and marketing teams,” the study concludes. “Despite this, there’s cause for optimism as we move into 2025. Signs of economic recovery — falling inflation, stabilizing interest rates, and steady GDP growth — hint at a more favorable business environment. Combined with evolving tech and fresh strategies, these shifts present new opportunities to stand out, connect with buyers, and drive growth.”

For more information about how to improve your email deliverability, download A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing by Mirabel’s Marketing Manager: