{"id":6610,"date":"2022-01-25T23:36:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T23:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/25\/definitions-best-practices-for-inbound-marketers\/"},"modified":"2022-01-25T23:36:05","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T23:36:05","slug":"definitions-best-practices-for-inbound-marketers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/25\/definitions-best-practices-for-inbound-marketers\/","title":{"rendered":"Definitions & Best Practices for Inbound Marketers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When someone\u2019s out fishing and they get a bite, they understand that it\u2019s not over. There\u2019s work to be done yet<\/span>, reeling that fish in with deliberate action and finessse. Reel the line in too eagerly, and the connection will break<\/span>; reel it in too slowly, and what snagged it in the first place may jiggle loose and lose contact \u2014 or something else may come along and snatch it away<\/span>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about nurturing the connection<\/span>. When a lead shows interest in your product or service, whether by filling out a form<\/a> on a content landing page or clicking a link in an email, that\u2019s your cue to continue priming the pump and earning their trust<\/span>.<\/p>\n

How can you accomplish this? We have a little Lead Nurturing 101<\/span> here to get you thinking about how you can turn potential customers into your best cheerleaders<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Lead Nurturing Defined<\/h2>\n

Essentially, lead nurturing is remaining in contact<\/span> with potential customers who have taken an action that demonstrates their interest<\/span> in what you\u2019re selling. That can be done in a number of ways, depending on where they are in their buyer\u2019s journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The role of lead nurturing in inbound marketing is simple: to turn leads into loyal customers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s about building relationships and gaining trust and credibility with those customers so they\u2019ll not only make a purchase of your product or service once, but will come to you again and again for what you\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n

The cherry on top is the possibility of these new customers becoming loyal brand ambassadors<\/a>, spreading the good word about your business!<\/p>\n

So, how can this be done?<\/p>\n

Nurturing Leads in Marketing and Sales<\/h2>\n

First and foremost, you must have your goals clearly defined<\/span>. While your Marketing and Sales teams may be trying tactics unique to their areas of expertise, they should both have the same endgame in mind \u2014 helping achieve your business growth<\/span> goals.<\/p>\n

Your leads won\u2019t all be in the same stage of the funnel<\/a>. They could run the gamut between those who are just becoming aware<\/span> of what you can do for them and those who\u2019ve already filled out a lead form and are considering<\/span> you for the purchase. How you nurture these leads will depend on where they are in the funnel and how you\u2019ve segmented<\/span> them.<\/p>\n

This is where the marketing and sales teams<\/span> really need to shine. What can each one do to successfully nurture leads?<\/p>\n

Marketing Objectives<\/h3>\n

Marketing is where the relationship begins as you create content<\/a> that addresses the needs of prospective customers, increasing your credibility<\/span> with them. The beginning of this relationship may come from a visit to a blog article or landing page through organic or paid search<\/a><\/span>, but it can also come from offline sources such as trade shows and networking.<\/p>\n

The goals for each of your nurturing campaigns depends on the segmentation<\/span> of your contacts. For example, if you only have someone\u2019s email address and nothing else, nurturing them will be a different process than what you\u2019d do to nurture someone whose name, location, and interests you know.<\/p>\n

For the person who\u2019s just an email address<\/span> in your CRM system for the time being, you might consider nurturing them by sending emails with links to earn a second conversion<\/span> in order to gain more information and qualify<\/span> them as a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL).<\/p>\n

If you are nurturing someone who’s already qualified as an MQL, then the campaign goal will be to steer them into a Sales Qualified Lead<\/span> (SQL) stage \u2014 someone whose behaviors<\/span> demonstrate they are ready<\/span> to talk to your sales team \u2014 by drawing them back to your site and\/or your sales team for further engagement and conversions<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Sales Objectives<\/h3>\n

Nurturing doesn\u2019t stop when the SQL is handed off to sales. The goal in the sales stage is to further build the relationship on a more personal<\/span> level to convert this SQL into a customer<\/span>.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean calling every SQL and talking about last week\u2019s big game before going into a sales pitch (though that\u2019s still a possibility!); relationship building can include such under-your-nose opportunities as connecting and interacting with the lead\u2019s social media posts<\/span>, sending a video<\/span><\/a> or other helpful content related to pages they\u2019ve viewed on your site, and other ways of connecting without pestering or being too invasive<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Personalization<\/span> is key here. At this stage, you already know more about what interests this customer and what they\u2019re looking for. Make them really feel like any message you send was catered directly to them<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Tools for Scaling Lead Nurturing<\/h2>\n

Hopefully, you\u2019ll have plenty of leads to nurture, in which case you\u2019ll need tools to help you scale and optimize your nurturing efforts.<\/p>\n

For the Marketing team<\/span> this means marketing automation<\/a> and smart workflows<\/a> for campaign execution.<\/p>\n

Methods like mapping out email touchpoints<\/span> for your leads in order to give them the most helpful information at the perfect time, and using tracking data<\/span> to better understand someone\u2019s online behavior, can go a long way. Remember the inbound flywheel<\/a> framework and keep in mind how you can nurture leads in all stages as you develop your nurturing and automation strategies.<\/p>\n

Learn More: 8 Ways to Utilize HubSpot Workflows<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

For the Sales team<\/span> this means implementing sales enablement tools<\/a> like HubSpot Sales Hub<\/a> to help your team efficiently and successfully start conversations<\/span> with more SQLs and turn them into closed-won opportunities. HubSpot Sequences<\/a> in particular is a tool that lets you create targeted templates for emails, schedule emails to be sent at appropriate times, and even automatically unenroll those contacts if they go through with scheduling a meeting or email you back.<\/p>\n

Such tools and strategies can help you convert this lead into a customer and, from there, hopefully an ambassador of your brand. But the process doesn\u2019t end there!<\/p>\n

Learn More: How to Maximize Your Inbound Marketing Funnel for Sales<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Nurture Your Existing Customers<\/h2>\n

Too many marketers and sales people drop the ball once a prospect becomes a customer, missing the enormous value current customers<\/span> can have in helping achieve your business growth goals.<\/p>\n

Nurturing existing customers has two potentially huge benefits<\/span>:<\/p>\n

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  1. Delighting customers<\/strong> with content that provides additional value drives continued<\/span> engagement<\/span>. The key is not treating them like a new prospect you don\u2019t know, but by continuing to cater to their specific interests and needs. Personalization and segmentation matters! The goal here is to turn those delighted customers into loyal promoters<\/span> of your brand, thus powering your flywheel<\/a> with even more new leads.<\/li>\n
  2. Expanding relationships<\/strong> and awareness of ALL the products and services your company offers can generate upsell and cross-sell opportunities.<\/strong> You don\u2019t want a customer to just buy from you once, right? Repeat customers<\/strong> keep businesses alive, and there are a multitude of ways to nurture existing customers to keep them coming back. Whether it\u2019s highlighting related services<\/strong> \u2014 like a powdered coating division in a campaign to metal fabrication customers \u2014 or sending case studies<\/strong> of how you helped one customer solve a complex design problem to those who aren\u2019t utilizing your Design for Manufacturing services, the possibilities are nearly endless!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Improving Your B2B Nurturing Campaigns<\/h2>\n

    I bet you check your email dozens of times daily, and so do your customers. Email is a marketing opportunity you don\u2019t want to waste, and one of the primary channels for lead nurturing. With our guide, 10 Ways to Improve Your Email Metrics<\/a>, you can learn why segmentation matters, how personalization is important, and more. Click the link below to get your free copy today!<\/p>\n

    \"New<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n