“Lead nurturing is like gardening,” says Banish Angural, founding father of Banish Media. “It’s about time, relevance, and a positive atmosphere to anticipate the expansion from the seeds you’ve got sown.”
And as a B2B marketer, I couldn’t agree extra. B2B services take time to promote. It’s tough to take a prospect from not figuring out about your organization to creating a sale with out warming them up.
That’s why lead nurturing emails are one of the efficient methods to boost your gross sales funnel and e-mail advertising technique, lower advertising prices, and enhance conversions. On this put up, I’ll stroll you thru what I realized from talking with advertising specialists, one of the best practices for lead nurturing emails, and how you can write them successfully.
Desk of Contents
What’s a lead nurturing e-mail?
A lead nurturing e-mail has one objective: transfer your prospect down the gross sales funnel. How? By partaking, engaging, and inspiring your results in work together together with your model additional. As they turn into extra conversant in your organization they are going to be transformed into clients (and upsold on different merchandise).
The Benefits of Lead Nurturing Emails
- Lead nurturing results in extra gross sales. Corporations that use lead nurturing efficiently generate 50% extra sales-ready leads at a 33% decrease price (Marketo).
- The ROI of lead nurturing is so excessive as a result of you possibly can tailor your messaging to the client. In any case, there’s a cause the best e-mail advertising methods are segmentation (78%), personalization (72%), and automatic e-mail sequences (71%) (HubSpot).
- Lead nurturing emails join your buyer to your product with out arduous promoting. Half of customers buy from advertising emails month-to-month (Salecycle).
- Automated emails on triggers with excessive intent usually carry the very best ROI. Deserted cart emails have triple the conversion price of different automated emails (E mail Software Tester).
How does lead nurturing work?
In my expertise, lead nurturing is all about constructing and sustaining relationships with potential clients who aren’t fairly prepared to purchase. It’s a option to keep top-of-mind and supply ongoing worth — in order that when the lead is able to buy, your model is the primary they consider.
In that sense, Paul Stainton, director of content material and search engine optimisation at AgencyAnalytics, thinks of lead nurturing emails as “strategic touchpoints to interact prospects and remind them why they related together with your model within the first place… Consideration spans are brief, and it is easy for potential results in neglect why they initially confirmed curiosity in your organization.”
The method begins when a lead first interacts together with your model, whether or not that’s by signing up for a publication, downloading a whitepaper, or attending a webinar.
At this level, they’re sometimes on the high of the advertising funnel, simply starting to study what you and your organization provide. And from there, a sequence of focused emails helps information the lead by means of the funnel.
(Tip: In the event you’re unfamiliar with lead nurturing, we encourage you to take our free lead nurturing course.)
Are lead nurturing emails efficient?
Nurtured leads make 47% bigger purchases than non-nurtured leads. In addition they produce a 20% enhance in gross sales alternatives (on common). So, in brief? Sure. Lead nurturing emails have confirmed to be extremely efficient at shifting potential clients by means of the gross sales funnel and in the end driving conversions.
For example, Stainton seen that some customers had been signing up free of charge trials however not finishing a key onboarding step wanted to totally make the most of the platform. To handle this hole, he began “sending a easy reminder e-mail urging customers to discover these options, which resulted in a 15% enhance in person activation.”
Equally, Joe Kevens, director of demand technology at PartnerStack, shares that the model often sends its leads “emails like ‘5 straightforward steps to construct a accomplice program’ containing a ‘Partnerships 101: The Final Partnerships Guidelines’” as a part of its lead nurturing e-mail sequence to assist them construct their accomplice basis and set them up for fulfillment.
General, I seen a couple of commonalities among the many entrepreneurs I spoke with. Your lead nurturing e-mail wants to attain three separate targets concurrently to be efficient:
- Get your prospect’s consideration.
- Be customized to the best way they discovered your model.
- Educate your prospects on options and advantages they won’t pay attention to.
What’s a lead nurture e-mail marketing campaign?
A lead nurture e-mail marketing campaign is a sequence of focused emails despatched to leads over a time period with the objective of shifting them nearer to a purchase order choice. It’s a strategic warming-up tactic that’s usually customized and optimized with the objective of constructing relationships and belief with potential clients who’ve proven curiosity in your model.
That mentioned, because the phrase nurturing implies, you sometimes don’t ship a single e-mail. It takes a couple of emails to attain the targets I listed above. So entrepreneurs, right here’s how you are able to do simply that:
Lead Nurturing E mail Sequence
A lead nurturing e-mail sequence is a sequence of emails which are robotically triggered when the lead takes a sure motion. For instance, as soon as a buyer provides an merchandise to their cart, a lead nurturing e-mail sequence may embody a purchase order reminder, a limited-time provide, or an inventory of comparable merchandise they might like.
I’ve discovered that the extra segmenting and personalization you possibly can add to a lead-nurturing e-mail marketing campaign, the higher it’ll carry out and the extra conversions you’ll get.
Now that you just perceive how lead nurturing matches into your funnel, I’ll dive into some finest practices.
Lead Nurturing E mail Greatest Practices
- Present beneficial, focused content material that addresses pursuits and/or ache factors.
- Concentrate on one related subject per e-mail.
- Maintain it brief.
- Make sure the emails progress naturally.
- Check your emails and observe key metrics.
- Personalize and section the emails.
- Keep constant together with your model.
I’ve discovered that lead nurturing emails take time to optimize. It’s difficult to place collectively an e-mail sequence that may convert at a excessive degree the primary time round. As with every advertising initiative, testing is the way you see what works finest. And when you discover a working method, you possibly can apply it to all of your e-mail campaigns.
That mentioned, listed here are some basic finest practices that may assist enhance your e-mail sport.
1. Present beneficial, focused content material that addresses pursuits and/or ache factors.
Your lead nurturing emails needs to be all about your viewers. Take the time to know their pursuits, challenges, and targets. Then, craft content material that speaks on to these wants.
In the event you’re nurturing leads who downloaded an book on 10 Ideas for Higher E mail Advertising and marketing, use your follow-up emails to dive deeper into every tip. Share actionable recommendation, real-world examples, and your personal experiences. The extra focused and related your content material is, the extra possible your leads will interact with it.
Stainton agrees and emphasizes, “In the event you can remedy a possible buyer’s primary downside, they’re way more more likely to flip to your organization once they need assistance fixing a extra advanced downside.”
Professional tip: I’ve seen the most important needle movers in lead nurturing emails are the concepts behind the e-mail — not essentially the copy itself. In the event you’re a SaaS firm, which may imply testing totally different options in your e-mail, for example.
2. Concentrate on one related subject per e-mail.
Much less is commonly extra with lead nurturing emails. I’ve discovered that specializing in one key subject per e-mail is way more practical than attempting to cram a number of concepts into one e-mail. It retains your emails concise, digestible, and straightforward to behave on.
Plus, it means that you can actually dig into every subject and supply worth reasonably than simply skimming the floor. For instance, in case your lead downloaded a whitepaper about immutable backups, they is perhaps eager about some type of information safety.
Your first e-mail is perhaps about how you can promote the thought of information safety to your staff. It’d be counterproductive to speak about an irrelevant subject, like VPNs, in case your objective is to promote them on cybersecurity companies.
3. Maintain it brief.
Take into consideration the final time you opened your inbox and took the time to learn an e-mail for greater than 5 minutes. The reply is more likely to be fairly far and few between. That’s why I at all times attempt to preserve emails brief.
Most individuals simply scan their inboxes — particularly if it’s an e-mail from a model they’re not conversant in. Knowledge means that your emails needs to be between 50 and 125 phrases. Purpose for that vary, however don’t be afraid to go a bit longer if you might want to flesh out a subject.
For instance, some B2B subjects are way more advanced and require in-depth explanations, whereas an e-mail for an ecommerce retailer may not want as a lot copy.
Professional tip: As a reminder, Chad Debolt, founding father of Surchability, says, “E mail nurturing isn‘t meant to speak about your self…it’s meant to nurture. Folks need you to assist remedy their issues,” so ensure that your language is customer-focused.
4. Make sure the emails progress naturally.
An ideal lead nurturing sequence ought to really feel like a pure, logical development. Every e-mail ought to construct upon the final, guiding your leads towards a particular objective or motion. I prefer to map out my sequences upfront to make sure a cohesive, compelling narrative.
Take into consideration the place your leads are of their purchaser journey, what data they want at every stage, and how one can progressively transfer them nearer to a conversion.
Use cliffhangers, teasers, and calls to motion to create momentum and encourage results in open your subsequent e-mail. By crafting a sequence that tells a transparent, purposeful story, you will preserve your prospects engaged and invested within the lead nurturing course of.
5. Check your emails and observe key metrics.
As entrepreneurs, everyone knows testing is the secret. And lead nurturing emails aren’t any totally different. What works for one viewers may not work for one more. That’s why I at all times advocate A/B testing totally different subject concepts.
Past subjects, I like to recommend testing topic traces, content material, calls-to-action, and even the timing and frequency of your emails. Nevertheless, be sure you’re testing one variable at a time.
For instance, you could possibly arrange your e-mail sequence to ship emails on daily basis consecutively to 50% of the listing and each different day to the opposite 50%.
Throughout e-mail testing, take note of these key metrics:
- Open charges. Decided by the topic line and preview textual content.
- Click on-through charges. Decided by the “huge thought” and name to motion within the e-mail.
- Conversion charges. Decided by your provide, touchdown web page, and the way effectively you’ve conveyed your message within the emails.
6. Personalize and section the emails.
With high-tech e-mail instruments, personalization and segmentation are the most important levers you possibly can pull to see one of the best outcomes when used alongside testing.
Generic, one-size-fits-all emails merely don’t lower it anymore. To really resonate and join together with your new leads, you might want to personalize your emails based mostly on their distinctive pursuits, behaviors, and stage within the funnel.
For instance, Lyn Collanto, outreach specialist at KBA Net, personalizes lead nurturing emails this manner: “If a lead visits our pricing web page a number of instances however would not convert, we would set off a particular welcome e-mail sequence that highlights buyer success tales and gives a limited-time low cost.”
I like to recommend creating a number of automated e-mail sequences based mostly on particular actions. Some companies might have extra alternatives than others, however by personalizing the set off level, you possibly can concentrate on the precise intent of the lead.
To take it one step additional, you possibly can section inside every e-mail sequence. For example, if a lead doesn’t open the primary two emails, you would possibly wish to ship them down a special path — like emails with extra intriguing topic traces.
Or, in case your leads are opening emails, clicking hyperlinks, and even replying however not changing, you possibly can set off a lead-nurturing e-mail sequence designed to beat objections.
7. Keep constant together with your model.
Keep in mind that your lead nurturing emails are an extension of your total model. They need to really feel cohesive and per the remainder of your advertising supplies, out of your web site to your social media posts.
Use colours, fonts, and imagery that align together with your model pointers. Write in a tone and magnificence that feels genuine to your model voice — whether or not that’s pleasant and informal or skilled and authoritative. Consistency helps construct belief and credibility together with your leads over time.
That mentioned, exhibiting your character in emails will help make you extra memorable, constructing connections sooner. The extra real and human your emails really feel, the extra possible your leads are to attach with them on a private degree. It’s one thing I like to recommend you take a look at.
How one can Write a Lead Nurturing E mail
- Determine a objective.
- Personalize the greeting and topic line.
- Handle ache factors.
- Embody testimonials.
- Share a data bomb.
- Use a CTA.
- Embody an unsubscribe button.
- Observe up and optimize.
Now that what makes a terrific lead-nurturing e-mail, I’ll information you thru the method of making one. Let’s dive in.
1. Determine a objective.
Earlier than crafting your e-mail, take a second to think about its objective throughout the total lead nurturing sequence. Ask your self: What do I would like this e-mail to attain? Is it meant to coach the lead, encourage them to take motion, or provide a particular answer to their downside?
I’ve discovered that having a transparent, centered objective for every e-mail helps me create extra compelling content material that resonates with the reader and strikes them nearer to conversion.
Professional tip: Riccii Terro, advertising supervisor at Intellek, recommends you attempt to visualize the entire image at this stage as a result of: “Tailoring the messaging and content material provided to particular teams based mostly on their business, function, or stage within the shopping for cycle is essential.”
2. Personalize the greeting and topic line.
In my expertise, personalization could make a world of distinction in e-mail engagement. For example, you’ll wish to tailor topic traces to how your leads work together together with your model. In the event that they signed up for a lead magnet about content material advertising, your topic line could possibly be “The key to Google’s 2024 replace…”
I like to consider the topic line as a promise — what worth will the reader acquire by opening this e-mail? This inherently builds curiosity and can get your prospect’s consideration.
Professional tip: Try this information on how you can leverage segmentation to take your personalization efforts to the subsequent degree.
3. Handle ache factors.
After getting their consideration, it’s time to deal with potential ache factors together with your answer. Put your self of their sneakers and ask:
- What retains them up at night time?
- What obstacles are stopping them from attaining their targets?
- How are you going to body your e-mail to indicate that you just perceive their downside and may actively remedy it?
4. Embody testimonials.
Whereas not each lead nurturing e-mail would require social proof, it is best to embody it if you’re actively promoting. It’s contextual. Sharing success tales or testimonials from glad clients helps leads envision how your services or products can profit them.
For instance, you could possibly embody a number of brief testimonials. Or you could possibly write a complete story-based case examine e-mail that exhibits how certainly one of your clients solved the precise downside potential clients are going through together with your answer.
5. Share a data bomb.
I at all times try to incorporate at the very least one aha! second in every lead nurturing e-mail. This could possibly be a stunning statistic, a thought-provoking perception, or a beneficial piece of business data.
In advertising, you wish to persuade the prospect to consider their downside in your phrases. This shifts your prospect’s perspective and positions your model as the precise answer to the issue.
For instance, let’s say you’re in a cybersecurity agency and determine to ship out an e-mail overlaying information safety. In that case, chances are you’ll cite statistics about how X% of corporations know information safety is a matter, however solely X% are efficiently avoiding threats through the use of your organization’s distinctive answer to guard information on the highest ranges.
6. Use a CTA.
Each lead nurturing e-mail ought to have a transparent, purposeful CTA that guides the reader towards the subsequent step of their buyer journey. When crafting your CTA, ask your self: What do I would like the result in do after studying this e-mail?
Is it to schedule a demo, obtain a useful resource, or just interact with one other piece of content material? Ensure your CTA is distinguished, unambiguous, and aligned with the general objective of the e-mail sequence.
7. Embody an unsubscribe button.
Whereas it might sound counterintuitive, you at all times wish to embody an unsubscribe button. As a marketer, I’d at all times select a lean, 5,000-person e-mail listing that’s actively engaged and able to purchase over a 50,000-person e-mail listing that’s not.
Plus, together with an unsubscribe button retains you according to authorities and ensures your deliverability price is excessive.
8. Observe up and optimize.
Lead nurturing is an ongoing course of, and there is at all times room for enchancment. That’s why I persistently monitor key e-mail metrics like open charges, click-through charges, and conversions to establish areas for optimization.
If an e-mail isn’t performing in addition to anticipated, I’ll experiment with totally different topic traces, CTAs, or content material angles.
Lead Nurturing Emails Are Important
Lead nurturing emails bridge the hole between preliminary curiosity and ultimate conversion. And infrequently they’ll construct belief, set up credibility, and information leads towards a purchase order choice throughout the two factors of preliminary curiosity and conversion.
Efficient lead nurturing saves time and sources by specializing in essentially the most certified leads. It means that you can section your viewers, personalize your messaging, and ship the precise data on the proper time.
When your lead nurturing technique is finished appropriately, it’ll assist you appeal to extra of the proper clients whereas filtering out the incorrect clients.
Editor’s word: This put up was initially revealed in December 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
