Definition:
Lead nurturing is an inbound marketing technique aimed at converting a potential customer into an end customer or building loyalty to an existing one through cross-selling and up-selling processes. To do this, you are ‘nourished’ with personalized and quality content to accompany you throughout the process and get you to convert.
The objective of lead nurturing is to create a link between the client and the company, offering a personalized treatment and a quality service. For this, the contextualization of the information that is sent to you in the form of promotions, purchase tips, etc. is key, since it must be different in each phase of the purchase process.
E-mail is the most effective channel to convert a lead into a purchase, since it allows constant communication and considered less invasive. However, the development of social networks allows new possibilities for personalized communication. The marketing team must previously define the entire lead nurturing process that will accompany the potential customer in the buyer journey to implement it and get the customer engaged before the final work of the sales managers.
Currently, this process is done in an automated way thanks to the platforms for customer relationship management (CRM) and the various existing marketing automation tools, such as HubSpot, Marketo or Pardot.
Phases of lead nurturing
It is no longer enough to personalize the user’s name to attract their interest and create a feeling of exclusivity. The new inbound marketing strategies allow you to detect the interests and behaviors of potential customers and involve you in a tailor-made experience to convince you of the purchase.
Most marketers agree that there are six phases to turning a buyer persona into an end customer. They could be summarized as follows:
- Inform. It is the first contact of the potential customer with the product or service offered.
- Educate. In this phase, in-depth information is provided on what is sold and the full characteristics of the product.
- Involve. It is the time of the process in which the user is expected to already take some action to get involved in the purchase, such as completing a registration.
- Validate. It consists of making sure that the customer will continue the process and that he will not stay at the doors of the purchase despite having completed the previous step.
- Convert. It is the main goal of the company, but it does not mean that it constitutes the end of the process. The customer must be satisfied with both the product and the purchase (payment facilities, personalized treatment, etc.) in order to maintain him and take him to the next step.
- Loyalty. Once the customer is reached, you can start the process again if we want to offer a different product or service, or resume it in more advanced stages to encourage you to repeat a similar purchase.
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