Companies are always on the lookout for the next award-winning campaign or brand strategy they can use to stand out from their competitors and attract new customers. But without employing effective lead nurturing practices, their efforts will return unsatisfactory results. Lead nurturing occurs when companies develop relationships with customers throughout every step of the buying process.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry. In our latest article, UXAX breaks down the top 10 lead nurturing strategies your company should implement now to increase your conversion rates.
Call-to-actions on websites like “Sign Up to Receive Our Weekly Newsletter” or “Shop Our Accessories” often function as the start of a user’s online welcome journey. These welcome journeys are designed to link visitors to industry trends, user reviews, and relevant information to build your company’s narrative.
If a customer signs up for an email subscription, it is imperative that the company sends them a welcoming and visually pleasing welcome email. Any following emails should remain short. Bombarding visitors with more than one or two emails lands you in their spam folder.
The qualification journey identifies which buyers are ready to make a purchase by delivering an effective call to action. It may also employ lead scoring software to increase leads based on recent website activity, demographics, or content engagement.
A qualification journey is triggered by inbound inquiries that give the visitor the chance to seek further information. Studies prove that potential buyers complete 60% to 70% of their research before speaking with sales. Therefore, if you engage too early you may drive away a sensitive buyer, but engage too late and you may miss your opportunity to make an impression.
To improve a customer’s trial experience with your product, remember to send them tips and insights on making the most of your product while also troubleshooting any issues. A trial should range from a week to 90 days long, including three to ten interactions with the company during that time period. You can add some “how to’s,” best practices methods, and offers to the representatives you are engaging with too.
The lifecycle nurturing journey is arguably the most important of all lead nurturing types. About 50% of inbound lead inquiries are not immediately sales-ready because they’re typically performing research, evaluating the landscape, or dealing with an incomplete budget. Lifecycle nurture journey never lets the potential customer forget about you by constantly providing valuable content including best practices, community reviews, case studies, and industry insights. These subtle reminders should be timed two to six weeks apart and offer further connections on social media or at events to gain interest and engagement in the prospect.
Everyone is familiar with a call to action, which is used to provoke a response from your audience. They can be invitations to schedule a demo, watch a small presentation, or to sign up for a trial. Possible buyers who respond to call to actions typically have a compelling event but leads that don’t engage in the call to action journey can be reassigned back to the Lifecycle Nurture step.
Set your customers up for long term success by sending them a product or service after their purchase. This type of journey may include an email welcoming customers from your leader of customer success along with resources to help them get started. The resources may offer orientation programs including to-do lists, homework, and check-ins with account managers to ensure they are on the path to success. This also proves that you still care about the customer and aren’t just moving on to the next to hook. Successful and satisfied customers are more willing to refer friends and family to the service.
Great newsletters include a combination of things such as a writing tone and style that interest customers, maintains a regular rhythm, and remain authentic. Your newsletters should also be formatted neatly, include captivating graphics, enticing subject lines, and clear CTA’s. As you continue building your email marketing program, you should tailor future content according to your open, click, and unsubscribe rates.
You can increase attendance numbers for upcoming events or webinars by sending notifications weeks in advance leading up the event. As you grow closer to the event, you can begin to send daily reminders for it. After the event is over, you should follow-ups thanking attendees for coming while also asking for feedback to improve the experience for the next event or webinar.
Email blasts keep audiences in the loop by engaging them in company announcements, seasonal sale promotions, new feature releases, or even just some funny news. You want to design these email blasts similar to newsletters by presenting them with a great design, catchy content, and a clear message.
Take this Dollar Shave Club’s email blast for example. The subject of a recent email was “How to Get Rid of Your Dad Bod.” This won’t apply to everyone, but many people clicked on the email simply because they found the title entertaining. On top of helping you boost your grooming game, Dollar Shave Club sends numerous funny yet informative emails on how to improve your overall health and well-being.
One of the best techniques you can practice is reaching out to customers before they realize they need your service. For example, sending a “how-to” guide to struggling SaaS trial customers could be what helps them realize they need you in their lives. By doing this, you are providing the missing link to help them get started while forming a relationship with them. You can achieve this by integrating an event tracking system like Segment or a lead nurturing platform like Autopilot to create a more personal customer experience.
Ready to start engaging with your customers on a whole new level? Contact the team at UXAX today to get started.
