Email has been around for 50 years now, and it's still a viable marketing strategy—provided you know how to pique the interest of your prospects.

When the pandemic and economic uncertainty of 2020 changed the business world, many marketers redoubled their email efforts, focusing on a channel they could control. About 36% more marketing emails than usual were sent during the stay-at-home summer, HubSpot reported.

Considering that substantial increase, you might think that audiences grew tired of full inboxes. But the same HubSpot report found that marketing email open rates remained at 10-20% above average.

Marketers will undoubtedly continue to capitalize on the current success of email campaigns. Moreover, increasing investments in tools such as Outreach, SalesLoft, and HubSpot indicate that many professionals are streamlining their marketing communications.

An environment with more emails and increased engagement, however, means heightened competition for B2B marketers. To reap the benefits of the email trend, you'll have to get ahead of the crowd. That's why you must refresh your approach.

Focus on the following four tactics to improve your email marketing strategy in 2021.

1. Deliver value in your email above all

If you're struggling to engage prospects, that doesn't mean you should ditch email entirely. It just means you need a better approach.

Leave the self-promotion behind and pack your communications full of the kind of content that your prospects find valuable or interesting. The content could be authored by your in-house subject matter experts or by a different source entirely. Put prospects' needs first, and they'll think of you when it's time to buy.

Lots of marketers who aim to deliver value provide educational materials. That's a great start, but it's not the only way to captivate your audience. Make your email content entertaining, whether that means signing off each communication with an industry-specific joke or sending a silly meme or GIF you think prospects will appreciate. If you can make prospects want to open your emails, you'll have greater success.

2. Prioritize personalization in your email marketing strategy

Scripted pitches are underperforming, so you'll need to personalize your emails to get more meaningful engagement from prospects.

Test to see which approach resonates the most. Is your audience looking for discounts? Are they hoping for more interaction opportunities (e.g., polls)?

Learn more about your prospects with each email, and make sure they know that you're listening. Playing the long game is expensive, but it's an investment you have to make in an uncertain economic environment.

Marketers often overlook the importance of sharing information about themselves, but relationships are a two-way street, after all. Don't be afraid to include fun family pictures as we all try to navigate through the pandemic. The same suggestion goes for pets: No one will turn down a picture of a cute dog or cat!