I was reading an eBook the other day and one statistic really floored me.  According to HubSpot, 50% of leads are qualified but not currently ready to buy.  Although this may sound discouraging, I assure you that with some due diligence and a good strategy, an effective lead nurturing campaign will position you right where you need to be. 

What IS lead nurturing?  The definition on Techopedia.com says “Lead Nurturing is a marketing term for building relationships with potential clients even if they are not currently looking to buy a product or service.”  That is to say, wherever you find your prospect in their buyer’s journey, you are taking steps to educate, to provide relevant content and establish thought leadership and trust.  

Ultimately, the goal is to position you as the “go to” product or service, when that buyer is ready to sign on the dotted line.  To do this, you must stay top of mind!  

Lead nurturing begins with email.  You are, after all, looking for more engagement from your online leads.  In her eBook An Introduction to Lead Nurturing, Magdalena Georgieva says “As an inbound marketing tactic, lead nurturing is all about understanding the nuances of your leads’ timing and needs by getting these details right, you set yourself up for success.”  

Now it’s time to begin crafting your lead nurturing campaign.  Do you know what kinds of emails you will use?  Here are the six types, used most often:

Educational Email Content - teach them something they didn’t already know.  Or, offer a fresh perspective!  This is imperative to your efforts to establish thought leadership.  After all, who knows your business better than YOU?

Promotional Email Content – use these emails sparingly, but don’t be afraid to let your prospects know about your latest offer, ESPECIALLY if it directly pertains to them.  This can be the message that gives your buyer that little push they need to help guide them to the next stage in their buyer’s journey!

Best Practices Email – this can also be considered educational email content.  However, the key difference is with understanding your prospect’s interests.  What are their pain-points?  What brought them to you to begin with?  With this knowledge, you can offer a best practice email campaign tailored to their exact needs.

Demo or Product Email – often used in later stages of the buyer’s journey.  Did the lead click on a specific product?  Since you’ve provided educational content and promotional offers in previous messages, maybe now’s a good time to offer a free trial or a demo?  It’s time to take it live!

Personal Email – this is a quick note to touch base and establish that you’re a real person.  Give your brand a voice - a real person to associate with your company.

List of Resources – this is an opportunity to show your buyer that you’re in tune with their needs and that you’re here to help…not just to sell your product or service. 

I have read and re-read this statistic from many sources, so I will paraphrase: on average, email marketing sees a 2x return on investment as compared to other channels.  Most of us check our email inbox exponentially more often than we do our outdoor mailbox.  Heck, even our grandparents are using email! 

With just a little creative thinking and elbow grease, you can use email as a business driver that positions you directly in front of your buyer, when they’re ready to spend.  Through your lead nurturing campaign, you’ve established yourself as a thought leader, consistently ready and willing to help.  You’re someone who that buyer trusts and a name they’ve come to know.  This is EXACTLY where you want to be!

Want to convert more of your online leads into sales?  Click the link below to our Inbound Primer and you'll be well on your way to creating stellar Lead Nurturing campaigns!