Often we hear when marketers start using marketing automation tools that they can’t wait to get lead nurturing going, which is great. What isn’t great is that they haven’t done any prep work to make their nurturing effective before they’ve engaged with the tool. There are definitely some key things you should think through and do before deploying a nurturing program. Below is a high-level list of some things you should consider:
1. Determine what you are trying to accomplish with each nurturing program. Different goals will dictate different nurturing strategies.
2.Determine (based on number 1 above) if you have the content to support your nurturing program. And does the content represent each stage of the buying cycle (assuming that your nurturing program goes through those stages).
3. Think about how targeted your messaging should be to accomplish your goals for that specific nurturing campaign. Is the message based on previous interest they showed (by what they viewed or downloaded), is it based on their title, industry, etc. or maybe a mix of all?
4. Map out how you are going to move leads through the nurturing process. What’s the call to action at each stage that shows buying interest and what’s the cliff hanger that’s going to keep them wanting more?
5. Are there additional components to the nurturing program that you should consider that would help conversion, such as landing pages or other complementary content?
6. Do you have the tools in place to view the metrics of your nurturing programs while they are running? If you don’t see what’s working or not, what good is setting up the nurturing in the first place?
Technology will allow you to get very detailed and complex with nurturing programs, but beware that doesn’t mean that’s what will work best for your specific scenario. Make sure to determine what you are trying to accomplish first and then apply it to your marketing software – not the other way around. Additionally, we always see greater success in the long run if marketers start simple, understand what’s happening and grow in sophistication instead of trying to conquer all scenarios from the start.
About the Author
Lisa Cramer is co-founder and president of LeadLife Solutions, a provider of on-demand lead management software with embedded best practices that generates, scores, and nurtures leads for B2B marketers. In 2009, Lisa was recognized as one of the top five “Most Influential People” in sales lead management. For more information on lead management or best practices call 1-800-680-6292 or email [email protected].
