Effective lead nurturing helps your sales team implement other sales tactics. However, moving leads through the five stages of the buyer's journey isn’t always straightforward — sometimes, potential customers move back and forth between stages, and one nurturing tactic might not work for everyone.
To simplify your process, here are seven lead nurturing best practices to consider as you nurture leads:
1. An Effective WebsiteA great site converts visitors into leads — without extra effort and meddling from your team. Here are a few ways to leverage your website for lead nurturing:
- Optimize the homepage to provide valuable, buyer-focused information.
- Provide an intuitive user interface (UI) with easy navigation.
- Use clear CTAs.
This way, you can guide leads through their journey while capturing valuable customer data along the way.
2. Lead ScoringLead scoring involves assigning a numerical value to leads based on their interactions and engagement with your content and brand. By assigning scores to leads, you can prioritize prospects with higher engagement levels. For instance, a lead who regularly interacts with your content, attends webinars, and downloads multiple resources may receive a higher lead score. This strategy ensures that your sales team directs efforts toward those most likely to convert.
3. RetargetingRetargeting is the process of reengaging leads who’ve interacted with your website or content but haven’t completed a desired action (like making a purchase or filling out a form). This strategy relies on tracking technologies that display targeted ads to leads across various online platforms after they leave your website. Doing so keeps your brand in front of potential customers, reminding them of your offering and encouraging them to revisit your site.
4. Social Media TacticsLeveraging social media for lead nurturing means strategically engaging with your audience across platforms to build relationships and showcase your brand’s personality. Through social media, you can share relevant content, interact with leads, and address their inquiries. The conversational nature of social platforms facilitates two-way communication that gives your business a “human face,” allowing for more personal connections. Additionally, an active social media presence helps your target audience connect with one another. Happy customers can share success stories and reviews to convince potential buyers to trust your brand.
5. Multichannel DistributionMultichannel distribution involves reaching leads through various channels while ensuring a consistent and cohesive experience across different touchpoints. This strategy recognizes that leads interact with businesses through various means, like email, social media, and your website. Be sure to have a unified message and brand presence across these channels to reinforce your value proposition and keep your brand in the forefront of your leads’ minds.
6. Marketing AutomationTo streamline the lead nurturing process, you can use marketing automation software to automate repetitive tasks like email campaigns, lead scoring, and social media posting. By automating routine processes, you can deliver timely and relevant content to leads. For example, an e-learning platform might use marketing automation to send a series of onboarding emails to new leads. This email marketing campaign guides potential customers through the platform’s features, offers helpful resources, and encourages active participation. At a later date, these leads may be ready to purchase from the platform based on their positive experience with your lead nurturing marketing campaign.
7. Content MarketingContent marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant content on your website and social media to engage with your target audience. By producing informative, entertaining, or educational content, you position your brand as an industry thought leader and provide leads with the information they need to make informed decisions. For instance, a healthcare architecture firm with a B2B business might produce blog posts, video explainers, and whitepapers addressing common industry-specific challenges. This content not only attracts leads searching for solutions but also nurtures them by showcasing the company’s expertise.
ConclusionImplementing these seven lead nurturing best practices will help your architectural firm build stronger relationships with potential clients and guide them through the buyer's journey. By optimizing your website, scoring leads, retargeting, leveraging social media, distributing content across multiple channels, automating marketing efforts, and creating valuable content, you can ensure a steady flow of high-quality leads and drive sustained business growth.