How To Nurture Your Leads
So what exactly do we mean by nurturing? It basically just means communicating with the people who have shown interest in your brand in some way, shape, or form. They’re not necessarily ready to buy, but by giving you their email address, they’ve invited you into their inbox.
It’s why an automated welcome series is such an effective way to nurture leads. They reach subscribers at just the right time – when they’re paying attention and ready to hear from your brand.
And by including valuable content and discounts with each email, it will keep your brand top of mind for subscribers, which pays off big time when it comes time to buy.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to nurturing leads with an automated series:
Don’t assume one email series fits all.
According to Jupiter Research, relevant emails drive 18 times more revenue than general e-blasts (ick), so tailor your series to fit the lead magnet they used to find you in the first place.
For example, if subscribers found you at a conference or business expo and snagged some free swag from your booth, your emails should not only remind them of who you are but also connect back to that shared conference or expo experience. Include a reference to an inspiring keynote speaker or the equally inspiring coffee and cookies from local bakeries.
Marketing automation doesn’t have to feel robotic.
Think about your buyer’s journey and use email to send relevant information that helps them better understand your business. A great way to stay human is to sprinkle in personal emails from you or a company representative along with automated emails scheduled to hit at specific intervals after the point of signup.
Automate for all occasions.
Birthdays, anniversaries, and other major milestones are perfect opportunities for a well-timed automated email to celebrate your subscribers. Just schedule a date-based automated email paired with a special offer to send annually on your subscribers’ special day. It’s a great way to create all kinds of positive feelings for your brand.
Make your unsubscribe process as lovely as your signup process.
When you’re nurturing leads with email, an opt-out isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it lets you focus your efforts on more engaged shoppers. Make it easy to unsubscribe so they leave with good feelings about your brand, and include your social links in your emails so your audience knows other ways to keep up with you.
Give an option to buy something.
A welcome email is a perfect place to offer a discount or special offer — the number one reason why people sign up for emails in the first place is because they expect to get something valuable in return. Some subscribers will need more time to make a purchase, but hey, everyone loves a coupon. Include a strong call to action just in case you catch them at the right time and they’re ready to buy on the spot.
One Last Thought On Automation: Monitor And Test.
Since automated emails will just keep on welcoming and nurturing for you, it’s tempting to set them and forget them. After all, we’ve already established that we’re busy, right?
But as with all email marketing, you need to pay close attention to the results to see what’s working (so you can do more of it) and what’s not (so you can change it on the fly). There’s nothing worse than continuing to pepper new subscribers with an ineffective automated series that turns them off from the get-go.
Every audience is different, so test different lead magnets, email subject lines, send times and calls to action to see what resonates with them. Periodically ask them to update their preferences so that you know when and how often they want to hear from you.
Listen to what your audience is telling you through your response results and testing and apply those lessons learned before your next send. That way you can be sure that you’re serving them the type of content they want when they want it. This will inspire the kind of brand loyalty that not only converts but also has people recommending your brand.