Despite the prominence of social networks, email continues to be a reliable method to deliver your marketing messages – if you use it effectively. Here are four types of emails that B2B companies can send to educate existing customers and generate new leads.

• Educational Emails. If your target audience is facing a problem or issue that your company can solve, an educational email can be highly effective. Use this type of email to share content such as new white papers and infographics.

• Promotional Emails. You can send a promotional email whenever you want to recipients to take action. New products, upcoming events and limited time offers are great content for a promotional email.

• Lead Nurturing Emails. Because many website visitors are not yet ready to buy, lead nurturing emails can help build trust over time. You can use a marketing automation platform to send a series of emails to engage prospects during a pre-determined time, such as 60 business days.

• Newsletter Emails. Finally, and most importantly, be sure to send a newsletter email to your list every month. This type of email should contain the top 3-5 content items you’ve created during the last month, such as news releases, videos and blog posts.

Whichever type of email you choose to send, remember that customers today are much more informed – and busier – than ever. So, your B2B email marketing content must be both compelling and relevant. According to a recent Marketing Sherpa report, a lack of relevance is the top reason that recipients stop reading business emails.