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What does it mean when visitors to our website don’t return? It likely means they came through an ad but quickly lost interest. They might even be clicking "buy" on a competitor’s site right now.
Turning ad-generated leads directly into customers is a challenge. So how can we turn leads into quality prospects ready to buy? The answer is simple: Lead nurturing.
Lead nurturing means building steady, ongoing relationships with prospects from the moment they show interest until they make a purchase. In this article, we’ll cover why lead nurturing is important and share step-by-step strategies for success.
Lead nurturing is a marketing strategy that guides and manages every stage of a prospect's buying journey. The goal is to engage prospects, build trust in your brand and product, and guide them toward a purchase decision.
For example, if a visitor comes to your website and leaves after reading product info, you can send them a follow-up email with an article or newsletter a week later to remind them about the product. For leads who downloaded a service brochure, sending competitor comparisons or customer case studies can help push them toward a decision.
In short, lead nurturing is a personalized communication process that ensures prospects naturally choose your product when they’re ready to buy.
The ultimate goal of lead nurturing is not just to convert prospects into customers but to build long-term relationships. You can do this by creating personalized content using multiple channels like social media, email, and marketing content, and using automation tools for a structured, efficient approach.
Today’s customers research products thoroughly before buying. Studies from Gleanster and MarketingSherpa show that half of the leads a company collects are not ready to buy right away. Without proper lead nurturing, there’s a high chance these leads will turn to a competitor.
Lead nurturing helps build trust and brand awareness. It’s also a chance to show the value of your product or service. Nurtured leads are 47% more likely to make bigger purchases than non-nurtured leads. Lead nurturing is a must for maximizing sales and increasing customer lifetime value (LTV). While it can be time-consuming, it sets the stage for long-term success and profitability.
Lead nurturing is all about boosting the chances of converting prospects into paying customers. This process is usually managed by the marketing team and covers the stages before a prospect becomes a customer.
Once a lead has been nurtured and converts into a customer, the focus shifts to customer nurturing. At this point, the goal is to turn customers into loyal, repeat buyers. The customer success team usually handles this, and just like lead nurturing, regular communication is key. This strategy helps build a strong, long-term relationship with customers.
A good lead nurturing strategy focuses on personalization, timing, and relevant content. Here are seven steps to help you succeed:
The first step in lead nurturing is to get to know your prospects. To deliver personalized content, start by sorting leads into segments. This can be based on demographics like age and gender or by looking at their website behavior and traffic sources. Segmentation helps create marketing strategies that cater to specific needs, boosting engagement.
The buying journey has gotten more complex with multiple channels. However, most leads still follow stages like "awareness," "consideration," and "decision." Mapping this journey helps you identify problems and offer content that solves them, leading prospects smoothly toward a purchase.
Content is the heart of lead nurturing. Create various types like blogs, e-books, webinars, and reports. Make sure the content is valuable, relevant, and not too promotional. Using a content calendar helps keep things consistent.
Well-planned email marketing is still one of the best tools for lead nurturing, even with the rise of social media. Personalized email campaigns deliver content directly to the prospect. Drip campaigns, which send automated emails triggered by actions, are great for nurturing leads over time. Each email should build on the last, guiding prospects through the buying journey.
Not all leads are equal. Some are more interested in your product and likely to convert with a little nudge. Lead scoring assigns points based on behavior and engagement. For instance, someone who visits the pricing page would score higher than someone who reads a blog. Lead scoring helps marketers see where each lead is in the process.
Managing leads manually wastes time, and prospects may forget they ever looked up your product. Automation is key to scaling lead nurturing. Automating tasks like email sending lets you nurture leads at scale without losing the personal touch. Marketing automation tools like HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot can help track lead behavior, segment customers, and manage email campaigns effectively.
Measure how well your lead nurturing campaigns are performing. Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Identify what’s working and what needs improvement. A/B test subject lines, designs, and CTAs to find what drives better results.
As digital marketing becomes more complex, lead nurturing’s importance grows. Engaging prospects who haven’t converted yet and keeping your brand top-of-mind is essential for business growth. B2B marketers need to keep researching lead nurturing strategies and consider how to apply them within their own companies.
