{"id":1984,"date":"2018-10-26T20:52:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T20:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=1984"},"modified":"2023-11-04T14:51:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T14:51:55","slug":"the-five-golden-rules-of-healthy-lead-nurturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/eu\/blog\/the-five-golden-rules-of-healthy-lead-nurturing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Five Golden Rules of Healthy Lead Nurturing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lead nurturing is typically handled by marketing departments, but it is essential to strong sales performance. A good lead nurturing strategy should flow seamlessly between marketing and sales, helping to create a consistent customer experience throughout the entire sales cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of tools and techniques that companies employ to improve consumer relationships and guide leads through the sales funnel, such as inbound marketing<\/a>, customer journey mapping<\/a>, CRM systems<\/a> and marketing automation software<\/a>. With these methods in mind, we\u2019ve compiled a list of our five golden rules for lead nurturing, designed to help you develop effective strategies and avoid potential pitfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Strong Foundation for a Strong Campaign<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to a DemandGen study<\/a>, \u201c67% of B2B marketers say that lead nurturing increases sales opportunities throughout the funnel by at least 10%, with 15% seeing opportunities increase by 30% or more.\u201d Lead nurturing not only helps companies guide new customers through the sales funnel but also builds lasting relationships that contribute to increased future opportunities. Being that it costs less to retain existing customers than to find new ones, having a strong strategy in place can make all the difference in your company\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five following rules are designed to help you build an ideal foundation for your lead nurturing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule #1: Align Sales and Marketing and foster good communication between departments.<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, leads should be nurtured throughout the entire customer journey, which means that both sales and marketing are responsible for their management. In order to create a consistent customer experience, sales and marketing alignment<\/a> is essential to achieving a common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Apollo<\/a> of Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners explains that \u201cwhat really matters is that both sales and marketing share the same common perspective.\u201d This can pertain to the sales cycle in general, as well as more specific elements, such as the ideal customer, how to make buying decisions, and how to stand out in the marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations with strong sales and marketing alignment saw 36% higher customer retention rates<\/a> in a recent survey. That\u2019s likely because each team has insights that can prove valuable to the other. For example, lead tracking and analytics provide marketing with a deep understanding of a lead\u2019s behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, sales staff are in direct contact with customers and have first-hand insights into their needs and preferences. Both teams add value to lead nurturing programs and can support each other in building customer relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule #2: Prepare Suitable Content for each stage of the sales cycle.<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most prospects begin their customer journey by independently seeking out more generalised information that speaks to a particular want or need. As they progress through the sales cycle towards making a purchase, they require more tailored and specific content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer journey mapping<\/a> can be a useful strategy in determining what content is most relevant to your prospective customers at a given point in the lead nurturing funnel. Sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create buyer personas, identify what type of information would be most useful to them at different touchpoints, and create a lead nurturing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Useful content should be prepared and delivered to prospects depending on where they are in the sales cycle. SEO software company MOZ<\/a> breaks down the stages as discovery, consideration, conversion, and retention, describing them as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovery<\/b>: The goal here is to attract a large audience of potential leads with online content that makes your brand stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This content can commonly be found in the form of blog posts, video marketing campaigns, and social media, and draws the most attention when it is highly relevant and SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of this would be a travel agency creating a piece of content which ranks well for the search term \u201cBest places to visit in 2018.\u201d This draws potential customers to the website and builds trust by inspiring, educating, and informing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consideration<\/b>: This stage can be seen as a bridge between piquing consumer interest and preparing to make a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, sales will identify potential issues and then the marketing team will address them with relevant content. As you begin showcasing your company\u2019s products and services even more, content should be increasingly persuasive and targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Podcasts, white papers, and product-focused videos are some ways to help build credibility at this stage. Asking customers for contact details and basic information in exchange for access to useful content is a smart inbound marketing tactic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversion<\/b>: Once your leads have reached this far, your main aim is to convert them into customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, interaction and direct contact with prospective customers increase. Content should be largely data-driven<\/a> and used to highlight the advantages of specific products. This is the ideal moment for email nurturing, such as a special offer or an invitation to try an upgraded or improved service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retention<\/b>: Once a sale is made, don\u2019t let those customers fall through the cracks. Long-term, repeat consumers can also be some of the most profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue nurturing relationships by offering content in the form of support services, special offers, and tutorials. A follow-up email can make all the difference when it comes to making another sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule #3: Use Tools to automate distribution, personalise communication and segment campaigns.<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Successful lead nurturing processes rely on tools, such as marketing automation solutions<\/a> and CRM, to maximise efficiency, automate tasks, gain deeper customer insights, and better identify qualified leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linking the two systems will also increase transparency between sales and marketing teams. Here are some ways you can use tools to improve your lead nurturing campaign:<\/p>\n\n\n\n