For businesses looking to attract new clients, there are a wide array of methods for lead generation. However, once a new lead is acquired, keeping them in the pipeline until they are ready to convert into a customer, is arguably more important. The problem is that this phase, creating sustained engagement, is often overlooked and not always easy to achieve.
With the goal being to guide new leads through each step of the conversion funnel, it is important that you have a thorough plan in place. There are several strategies to consider when building a plan for lead nurturing. Here we explore three such methods: email campaigns, e-newsletters, and relevant organic social posting.
A well-executed email campaign can be the difference between a lead converted and a lead lost.
Say you have a landing page featuring a content offer or you’re directing visitors to the Contact page on your website to submit their information in a form-fill. Both of these methods for contact capturing are a great start, but what happens next?
The new lead should immediately receive an email thanking them for reaching out, assuring them that someone from your organization will be in touch, and introducing a supplemental call-to-action (CTA). One such CTA might be to invite leads to sign up for your e-newsletter, which we’ll explore further below.
This initial follow-up email should not be the last. When it comes to leads going cold, remember that “out of sight is out of mind.” Consider sending another email a week later with some links to your blog containing relevant articles they might be interested in. Always link your social media profiles in your email and invite your audience to engage with you directly on messenger apps or LinkedIn.
E-newsletters are a great platform to communicate your company’s competitive advantages and keep leads engaged.
By signing up for your company’s e-newsletter, a lead has just clearly communicated that they’re interested in the services and content that you’re providing. Meeting your audience’s needs and sending out periodic updates not only helps keep your brand top of mind, but also functions as an opportunity to serve further calls-to-action.
Posing open-ended questions invites your audience to engage with your staff as industry experts, whether on social media, message boards, conversation forums, or any other method of direct communication.
Aside from paid social ads, relevant and frequent organic social posting helps spread your brand’s message and establishes a more personal relationship with new leads and potential customers.
You included links to your social profiles in your newsletters and emails, and you display them prominently on your landing pages and company website. However, the goal is not just to gain followers because when it comes to content, quality and frequency are key.
Start by ensuring that the content you’re sharing and creating is relevant to the offer(s) and service(s) that you promoted when you converted your visitor into a lead. For example, if you said “Sign up to learn more about mobile device management” then you want to be sure that your content centers around mobility and caters to IT service providers, as often as possible.
Include surveys or opportunities for your social media followers to engage directly with your brand, such as “Comment below and share your most recent IT challenge.” Finally, making sure that you’re responding to guest comments and curating conversations are two staples in creating sustainable B2B social media success.
In conclusion, once you gain a new lead, your work is not done. In fact, the path to final conversion is just beginning. Knowing how to navigate the steps necessary for successful lead nurturing can help boost everything from brand awareness to ultimately, your company’s bottom line.
Are you an IT Channel Partner interested in B2B social media marketing? Click below to download your FREE guide