According to a Marketo study, 50% of leads are not ready to make a purchase immediately after the first content with a brand. This is why advertisers need to go through a lead nurturing process to stay in touch with potential customers and provide them with the information they need to make the best decision possible.
Why Do You Need Lead Nurturing Strategy?
According to a study by the Annuitas Group, leads that are properly nurtured are going to make purchases that are larger by 47%. Boosting your sales and profit margins is one of the main reasons why you need a lead nurturing strategy. You also need to use this approach to create a real relationship with a potential customer, help them make the best buying decision possible and prevent them from losing interest in what you offer or from choosing a competitor instead.
When Should You Engage A Lead Again?
The best time to start with lead nurturing depends on what you offer and on the habits of your target audience. A product that would typically be an impulse buy needs to be shown again to a lead within a few days of the initial contact. Leads will be less likely to buy the product as time goes by. On the other hand, a product that typically requires a lengthier research process, for instance, because the price tag is higher shouldn’t be shown to your leads right away. You should instead focus on sharing informational content on a weekly basis to help leads move through the decision-making process at their own pace.
How Should You Engage Your Leads?
You need to figure out the best way to stay in touch with potential clients in function of the platforms they like using to receive information. If your target audience is not likely to go online to research a product and needs human contact, a phone call could be a great way to nurture a lead and to establish a more personal relation between your brand and a potential customer. Email distribution lists are a better option if your potential customers are likely to check their emails regularly and to consume online content when researching a product or service.
How Can You Develop An Efficient Lead Nurturing Strategy?
You need to use analytics to determine which strategies are more likely to result in a lead moving further along the decision-making process and eventually making a purchase. You should divide your leads in different groups so that you can test different lead nurturing strategies, compare how two different series of emails perform or figure out how long you need to wait before being in touch with a lead again after the initial contact. Keep in mind that you might need to develop more than one strategy if your potential customers do not all have the same buying profile.
Lead nurturing is an important aspect of the sales process because it allows you to stay in touch with a potential customer while the make a buying decision. You can automate the majority of this process and should be able to boost your sales with the right strategies.
