You want to be where your customers are at all times. Because every opportunity to be top of mind is an opportunity to make money — to turn a profit.
So where do your customers go all the time? It turns out, most will be in their inbox; 99% of people check their emails every single day and 61% would rather brands get in touch with them through email. About 58% will also go to their email before checking their social media accounts.
Of course, just because you “built it” doesn’t mean “they’ll come.” An email from a business doesn’t automatically get opened or clicked just because it was sent. Your email has to entice first and convince second for it to have investment value as part of your digital marketing tactics. And one of those tactics is lead nurturing emails.
Also read: Email Marketing Tips and Trends for 2024
What are lead nurturing emails?
Lead nurturing is a lengthy process of establishing positive relationships between your brand and consumers, which could be retail customers (B2C) or other businesses (B2B). One of the best ways to start nurturing your consumers is through email.
Marketers use lead nurturing emails to guide consumers through a journey, a sales journey that starts from the consideration stage and ends in the ultimate desired action: to purchase. An email of this type is intended to attract, drive traffic (to a website or social media page), and push conversions. Increase conversions, and you raise profits.
Although this lengthy process sounds like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to take up much of your time. Not when you rely on automated tools to set up a series of emails and blast them out to specific users. For example, a welcome email automatically goes to people who sign up on your website.
When you send an email, it may be part of a lead nurturing strategy (e.g., lead scoring, targeted content or multi-channel techniques) or an email marketing campaign.
In whatever way you use lead nurturing emails, they’re valuable to growing awareness of your brand and building trust with your consumers. And then some.
What are the benefits from lead nurturing emails?
Building relationships
Consumer engagement can be tough, especially with stiff competition and if your business runs solely online. How do you even reach out to your customers, let alone keep that line of communication open long enough to act, e.g., subscribe, inquire or get a demo.
A customized email sent on the regular allows your business to stay in touch with customers. In strengthening connections with them, you’re able to secure brand loyalty for your business.
Educating customers
Information. Customers want and need them, so fill that need through nurturing emails. Through targeted content, you can educate leads about your products, services and industry, positioning your brand as an authority and helping prospects make informed decisions.
Staying top of mind
Regular communication via lead nurturing emails ensures that your brand stays in the minds of potential customers, increasing the likelihood that they’ll choose your products or services when the need arises.
Shortening the sales journey
By providing relevant information at each stage of the buyer’s journey, lead nurturing emails help move your leads through the sales funnel more efficiently, potentially reducing the time it takes to convert them into customers.
Improving conversion rates
Nurtured leads are more likely to convert into customers, with 59% of people saying their purchasing decisions have been influenced by marketing emails. Targeted and personalized content in emails can address specific pain points and objections, increasing the chances of successful conversions.
Getting quick feedback
Lead nurturing emails create a two-way communication channel, allowing you to gather valuable feedback from leads. This feedback can inform your marketing and sales strategies, leading to continual improvement.
Reducing marketing costs
Nurturing existing leads is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. According to a Forrester Research, nurturing leads create 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost. By maintaining engagement with leads, you can maximize the value of your marketing efforts and potentially reduce the need for extensive outreach campaigns.
How to write lead nurturing emails
1. Segment your audience
Tailor your emails to specific segments of your audience based on demographics, behaviors, or preferences to make the content more relevant.
2. Personalize content
Use personalized greetings and content that resonates with the recipient, demonstrating that you understand their needs and interests.
3. Provide value
Offer valuable information, insights, or exclusive content that addresses the challenges or questions your leads may have, positioning your brand as a helpful resource.
4. Use clear calls-to-action (CTAs)
Clearly guide leads on the next steps: downloading a resource, requesting a demo, or making a purchase. But ensure your CTAs are compelling and easy to understand.
Here are some tips for Writing An Effective Call to Action.
5. Optimize for mobile
Given the prevalence of mobile usage, ensure your emails are mobile-friendly to provide a seamless experience for users accessing content on various devices.
6. A/B test subject lines and content
Experiment with different subject lines, email copy, and visuals to identify what resonates best with your audience, optimizing for higher open and click-through rates.
7. Create a drip campaign
Develop a series of emails that gradually introduce leads to your brand, providing relevant information at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
8. Monitor analytics
To understand what works and refine your approach accordingly, regularly analyze email performance metrics, such as:
- Open rates
- Click-through rates, and
- Conversion rates
9. Encourage engagement
Include interactive elements like surveys, quizzes, or links to webinars to encourage leads to actively engage with your content and provide feedback.
10. Maintain consistency
Establish a consistent schedule for sending lead nurturing emails to maintain a steady flow of communication without overwhelming your audience.
Nurture leads, convert customers
Leads are nothing without follow through. You’ve already done the work of capturing your consumers’ attention from multiple channels. Now what?
Don’t let your captured consumers wander over to the competition. Keep the lines of communication open with compelling and optimized emails that build trust and convert prospects.
Nurture your leads today, and you’ll be able to count on them as customers for years to come.
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