According to the survey provided by Newsweaver, 78% of UK B2B marketers surveyed consider email to be either a "critical" or "very important" part of their marketing mix. Anyway e-mail is an essential part of the B2B marketing mix.

The results show that e-mail’s visibility frequency increases. 68% of B2B marketers who completed the survey, believe that the versatility of email is on the increase. 40% of respondents are using email as part of integrated marketing campaigns. According to B2B marketers’ - 67% evaluate email either "excellent" or "good". In comparison to previous years, 71% of B2B marketers noticed that the number of email campaigns they send out has increased, 69% noticed rise in the last year especially.

"This year's survey shows that marketers are growing in confidence in their use of this channel. But as they increase the number of campaigns and the volume of email they are sending, companies must strike the right balance and strive to send only timely, targeted and relevant emails". said Denise Cox, Newsletter Specialist Newsweaver.Survey revealed that 90% of B2B marketers use email to communicate with prospects and 83% to communicate with customers.

Results:
22% of respondents do not use any personalisation at all
22% use more than just name to personalise their email
16% are using dynamic content.

According to the press release on SourceWire, the biggest challenges facing email marketing are "Inbox overload" and "Spam undermining the medium".

And that is what Cox advises, "A wanted and valued email is always welcome in the inbox. This is why it is so important for marketers to create campaigns and relationship emails that are coming at the right frequency, with the right information and to the right individuals. These types of emails will always cut through the clutter and get opened".

References:
http://www.b2bm.biz/news/?groupId=13219&articleId=28246&keyword=inexorable
http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=38898&hilite=