Email marketing is increasingly being used by business-to-business (B2B) companies, it has been observed.

According to MediaPost, the medium has generally been used to target existing and potential customers in the past.

However, B2B marketers are now recognising the advantages of such lead generation efforts, particularly in terms of returns on investment.

The portal explained that B2B campaigns are becoming more comprehensive, with newsletters one of the key areas that have improved.

"Long the bastion of self-serving product announcements, press releases and company news, these newsletters have evolved to incorporate articles on research, best practices, trend analysis and other content that buyers seek," it stated.

Email marketing was also highlighted as a means to educate clients about features and services being offered - rather than simply sell them - which "can boost retention and penetration".

Earlier this week, the Email Experience Council observed that a growing number of companies are choosing to outsource email marketing campaigns in order to benefit from higher returns.

The organisation cited Forrester research showing the number of messages per user will double over the next five years as evidence that the medium will become increasingly competitive and therefore require expertise.