Lead nurturing is that process of converting your leads into actual customers through a whole series of actions based on engagement and content sharing. Here I explain what it is and why it is so beneficial.
If you hang out a bit in the world of Web marketing, I imagine you are aware of how important it is to interact with your audience and have a broad base of contacts to whom you can target your offers.
La lead generation is one of the key first steps in building a successful business - and it is certainly a long process, requiring targeted campaigns built with data, analysis and research.
But that's not enough: you need to go further, which is to turn your leads into actual buyers.
How, you're wondering?
One of the most effective ways is just that: lead nurturing.
Have you ever heard of them?
If the answer is no, you will find the answer to all your questions in this article.
Read on to find out what lead nurturing is, why it is so important, and how you can use it to your advantage.
What is lead nurturing?
Lead nurturing is an important aspect of theInbound Marketing: assumes that when a user discovers your business and approaches it, he or she may not be ready to buy your products and services right away.
He needs to be "pampered," followed, stimulated.
Lead nurturing literally means precisely "nurturing or cultivating leads"-it is essentially about the ability to "care for" and establish a real relationship with your prospects in order to guide them on their path to purchase.
It is the next step in lead generation.
This relationship building occurs at every stage of the sales funnel, taking users on a journey from the first time they make a request to when they are ready to invest in your offer.
It is a process that helps you provide the information and solutions you need to improve your brand awareness, increase your credibility and establish a connection with potential customers before they are ready to convert into quality leads.
How?
There are several strategies, from the content marketing at email campaigns, aimed at increasing your audience's engagement by sharing valuable content and understanding their needs, providing answers and keeping an active emotional connection with them.
A good lead nurturing strategy can generate many positive results for your business: it allows you to provide relevant content at the right time to your current or potential customers, helping you gain their trust, increase your credibility and boost sales.
What are the goals of a lead nurturing program?
Let's say there are two main objectives behind lead nurturing:
#1 Engage leads and inspire them to action with personalized content
After discovering you, such as on social media or through your website, many people need time before making a purchase. They need to be "educated" about your brand, the services you offer, and all that you can do for them.
This is where lead nurturing comes in: once a potential client has shown interest in your services (e.g., by downloading one of your lead magnets), you can use the contact information to share informative and educational content about your industry and business with them, showing them the advantages and benefits they can get.
#2 Building stronger relationships with existing customers to retain them
Turning a customer into a consumer is not the end of the sales journey.
We need to be reminded of the importance of the last and most important stage, which is the customer loyalty.
This is because it is easier to sell to old customers instead of finding new ones.
A lead nurturing program allows you to re-engage your current consumers with offers, discounts, updates or even a simple "How's it going?" sent via e-mail.
This can help you respond quickly to problems and feedback, literally doing wonders for your brand's reputation.
Why is lead nurturing important?
You have already sensed how cultivating and sustaining relationships with all your customers, current and potential, is critical to the success of your business.
The goal is obviously to increase sales, but beyond that a lead nurturing program brings with it a whole range of important benefits:
#1 Simplifies upselling and cross-selling
One of the first benefits is to maximize profits and reduce customer acquisition costs.
How?
I'll explain right away.
When it comes to existing customers, you can use lead nurturing to inform consumers about other goods or services provided.
Specifically, you have these two tactics at your disposal: encourage them to purchase an additional product or service to the one they are already choosing or already have (upselling), or motivate them to purchase a complementary offering that will enhance the experience of the services they already use (cross-selling).
Both of these processes are made more accessible through lead nurturing: by supporting your current customers with an e-mail or update from time to time, you ensure that they don't "walk out" of your business system, and when the right time comes, you can start presenting your cross-selling and upselling offers.
#2 Maintains and increases involvement.
Delivering the right message at the right time is extremely important in marketing (you know that, right?).
Lead nurturing programs help you stay in touch with your leads and customers by communicating with them in the most effective way.
Timely engagement through sharing quality content can establish you as an expert among your audience and make your brand rank higher than your competitors.
In all this, "personalization" is the key word.
#3 Shortens the sales cycle
Lead nurturing provides you with an untapped pool of sales-ready leads without having to make new investments.
Getting potential customers to the top of your sales pipeline is generally an expensive activity that requires a lot of marketing effort and a significant investment of time, money and resources.
Lead nurturing filters out the most profitable prospects for you: through methods such as lead segmentation, prospects are grouped into various lists that make it easier for you to identify which leads are most likely to buy.
This helps you understand where you can get maximum results with minimum effort, thereby reducing the length of your sales cycle and increasing the ROI.
#4 Allows automation
Of software that saves you time and eliminates most of the manual work related to campaigns there are plenty - among them, you know how much I love Kajabi.
They help you create adaptive and responsive communications at scale by developing a compelling lead nurturing plan-the only work you have to do is to configure the automation tool to your preferences.
#5 Builds brand reputation
All the content you share with your customers as part of a lead nurturing strategy adds value to your cause to convert them into a sale and shows how actively you interact with your audience.
You can use potential customers as a good source to list frequently asked questions about your services, and existing customers can help you improve your brand by providing feedback.
By listening to the problems your consumers have with your brand in particular, you can act promptly and establish your credibility.
#6 Provides customized content
Each campaign is an opportunity to learn more about your prospects and strengthen your brand credibility. The more you understand your contacts, the better information you will be able to provide through your marketing efforts.
Lead nurturing comes down to instilling confidence in your prospects about their decision to do business with you.
You do this by sharing valuable content across all your digital channels, from newsletters to social media posts: the more your leads interact with it, the more personalized your consolidation campaign becomes.
#7 Makes you a thought leader
As you create relevant content, lead nurturing improves your reputation and helps you be seen as a thought leader In your industry.
If you communicate regularly with your potential customers, they will probably remember you more easily - and this will make them turn to you when they need you.
Lead Nurturing: Best Practices
Finally, here are some tips for implementing a lead nurturing program that is truly effective:
# Set goals wisely
Every strategy starts with goal setting, and of course lead nurturing is no exception. Whatever it is, from re-engaging "latent" leads to finding new ones, every one of your campaigns should be set based on a realistic and measurable purpose-in this i KPI Are absolutely helpful to you.
# Create Clear CTAs
If you want to convert a lead, they need to be clearly told what to do: make sure the next step in their path to purchase is logical and obvious. Create some call to action different for each stage, from simple "get more information" to direct "buy now!"
# Personalize your communication
Considering the rather fierce competition from the web marketing, you must do your best to engage users. Personalization allows you to provide your lead with an individualized approach with minimal effort.
# Do retargeting campaigns
Don't forget about the leads who have already interacted with you and your brand: users who visit your site pages, viewing products, for example, but without completing a purchase. With a retargeting campaign, you can win them back; this will help you increase sales and brand recognition.
Conclusion
Regardless of your more specific goals, cultivating and caring for relationships with the customers and prospects that gravitate to your business is truly an imperative action to be successful.
Whether you want to increase ROI or establish yourself as the go-to brand in your industry, lead nurturing should be part of your marketing campaigns.
By publishing and sharing content that answers your audience's questions and relates to their needs, effective lead nurturing strategies can help you protect and push leads in to the sales cycle.
This will allow you to have increased revenue and develop long-term customer connections.
One important thing: Don't think you have to wait until you acquire new contacts to start your lead nurturing program: do it now by testing it with your current customers.
What about you, are you already doing lead nurturing?
Let me know in the comments!