5 Winning Strategies for Using Human-Driven Lead Nurturing

[ad_1]

Lead nurturing requires a human touch.

According to MarketingSherpa, “79% of marketing leads never convert into sales [and] lack of lead nurturing is the common cause of this poor performance.”

In a world of automation, marketers tend to forget the power of human connection. It only takes a small change, like personalizing a white paper or mentioning someone’s first name in an email.

Lead nurturing is too important in your sales cycle for non-customized messaging. You want prospects to know that you value their potential business.

Ditch your robot responses. Enhance your lead nurturing campaigns with these five human-driven strategies.

1. Email That Connects

Decades ago, receiving email was an enjoyable experience. People loved hearing AOL’s “You’ve got mail!” It signaled that someone sent a message just for you.

Nowadays, your customers dread their inbox. Most of the time, it’s filled with unwanted messages and worthless subscription emails.

Give your readers something to look forward to. Wow them with content that matches their needs.

“Leads who have expressed initial interest need a general welcome and introduction to your product and industry, while others might have already reached the bottom of the funnel and are more interested in advanced content such as case studies and white papers,” writes Valerie Levin, marketing at Oktopost.

Create email campaigns that motivate users to take action. The call-to-action should be a natural next step in the buyer’s journey.

For instance, prospects in the consideration stage may want to know how your company compares to the competition. So, your team may send a comparison chart with features and benefits.

In the example below, Desk helps onboard new clients by offering a free toolkit to strengthen the relationship.

Digital Marketing Content Agency in Dubai Digital Marketing Agency in Dubai

The purpose of email is further the business relationship. Your team should aim to understand the buyer’s behaviors to predict their future needs.

2. Social Selling

Sam Kusinitz, former Hubspot editorial assistant, defines social selling as the dialogue that occurs “when salespeople use social media to interact directly with their prospects.”

Social selling isn’t anything new. Sales teams have always provided similar value at networking dinners, trade shows, and promo events.

Even though the communication channel has changed, the message should stay the same.

Focus on answering the customer’s questions and engage in conversations that offer solutions.

Train your team to nurture leads via Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. They should provide prospects with thoughtful content that educates.

With social media listening tools, like Agorapulse, you can learn more about interested buyers and their behaviors.

Who influences them? Who do they follow? What topics grab their attention?

With that qualitative data, you can spark conversations that match their concerns.

Rich Brooks, a web marketing and social media expert, provides blog consulting to his clients. In a Linkedin Group, he crafted a practical question that attracted ideal prospects and ignited a discussion.

Digital Marketing Content Agency in Dubai Digital Marketing Agency in Dubai

Also, be mindful that every social media platform has unwritten etiquette rules.

For example, some people prefer not to read posts about the latest wrestling match on LinkedIn. And some desire only tidbits of information on Twitter. Respect each network’s social norms and then begin lead nurturing.

Social media is another tool to maximize your campaigns. Strive to nurture relationships through authentic interaction.

3. Real-Time Messaging

Technology has transformed the way we communicate. Back in the day, real-time communication involved people actually meeting face-to-face.

Today, businesses are taking advantage of live chat and help desk software to engage prospects online. It’s simple and drastically cut costs.

Moreover, research shows that proactive chats increase ROI by up to 105%.

With live chat, marketing and sales teams can learn about their customers’ goals and what product benefits top are must-haves.

The key is to ask prospects questions during live chat sessions. Without being intrusive, dig deep to find their real motivations.

So, after the “How can I help you?” greeting, teach your team to ask follow-up questions.

Below is a chat session between Annabelle, a Zappos agent, and a customer seeking shoes. Notice how the live chat agent asks questions to provide the customer with better service.

Digital Marketing Content Agency in Dubai Digital Marketing Agency in Dubai

“The customer needs questions answered and wants more information. The live chat representative wants to help the user find what they are looking for and make their user experience as pleasant as possible,” states Jeff Mason, vice president of marketing at Velaro.

In the end, people just want help. When lead nurturing, position your team to give prospects the best service possible.

4. Conversational How-To Videos

Visual content is a powerful tool for any eCommerce business. Video can captivate audiences and quickly engage people.

But video is only effective when customers are actually interested in the topic. Don’t bore your prospective clients with video clips that possess no purpose.

Rather, develop explainer videos that give prospects more insight about your brand and product. You want people to be invested in your message.

“Great video doesn’t change the rules. A great video on your site isn’t enough. You still need permission, still need to seek remarkability, still need to create something that matters. What video represents is the chance—if you invest in it—to tell your story in a way that sticks,” writes Seth Godin, best-selling author and marketer.

The best videos are conversational. They give people an intimate perspective. You want customers to know you care.

Amazon produced a remarkable explainer video for the Echo. It’s a friendly representation of how to demonstrate the benefits of a product. Watch below.