Getting leads is one thing, but keeping them hooked is a different beast altogether.
But nurturing leads doesn't have to be scary or confusing.
We've got your back with 12 simple lead nurturing best practices to set you up for success. These bite-sized best practices will help you turn those cold leads into warm, sales-ready prospects.
We’ll cover:
- Why is a lead nurturing strategy so important?
- 12 lead nurturing best practices to get your groove on
- Using Lindy to power up your lead nurturing strategy
Let’s get started.
Why is a lead nurturing strategy so important?
You've done the hard work of generating leads, but that's only half the battle. Now you need a solid nurturing strategy to keep those prospects engaged until they're ready to buy. Why? Well, only a tiny fraction of leads are actually "sales-ready" when they first express interest.
The rest need some TLC to make it down the pipeline. And that's where lead nurturing comes in:
- It builds trust and brand loyalty by providing value over time. Each touchpoint strengthens that relationship.
- It allows you to segment and customize content. This means that you can tailor your messaging to different personas — you’re not going to use the same “message blasts” for every single client.
- It keeps you top of mind. Out of sight, out of mind is real. Consistent nurturing ensures your company stays relevant.
- It generates more warm leads for your sales team to close. Well-nurtured prospects convert at much higher rates.
12 lead-nurturing best practices for 2024
Brace yourselves for some game-changing tips that'll have those hard-to-get leads eating right out of your hands.
Best practice #1: Use data to personalize your approach
Data-driven lead nurturing is about one thing only: Making your prospects feel understood.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Feel their pain. Look at the pages and content they engage with to identify burning issues. Then, you can analyze their social chatter for clues on frustrations and goals. Finally, try to review their demographic data for context.
- Speak their language. Use the exact words and phrases they use to describe their challenges. Also, you can mimic their casual or formal communication style — and this is easier if you can reference relatable examples and inside jokes from their industry.
- Make it personal. You can address your customers by name in emails and across channels. Then customize content based on their role, company size, etc.
Best practice #2: Use an automated email sequence to help leads stay hot
Fresh leads are not easy to get — don't let them go cold! An automated email nurture sequence is the modern-day equivalent of (platonically) buying flowers and opening doors for your clients.
Here's how to woo those prospects:
- Set it and forget it (but not really). Schedule a series of 5-7 value-packed emails to deploy over a few weeks.
- Keep things casual. While informative, avoid corporate-speak. You're trying to start a mutually beneficial relationship, yes, but don’t come on too strong.
- Mix it up. Alternate between helpful content (tips, guides) and soft prods about your product. Nobody wants salespeople to get overly aggressive.
- Stay on a first-name basis. Use their name, reference their industry/role, and tailor content to their interests or pain points. Flattery will get you everywhere.
Best practice #3: Segment your leads based on behavior and demographics.
Why treat everyone the same when you can be a trendsetter? Segment your prospects for maximum impact.
Here's how to strut your segmentation skills:
- Get groovy with demographics. Age, location, industry — these juicy details let you tailor your nurturing vibe perfectly.
- Keep an eye on behavior. Watched that webinar? Opened that email? These insights are golden for serving up content they'll actually devour.
- Mix and match for peak personalization. Combine demographic and behavioral data to keep your segments customized. This can also allow you to start predicting behavior patterns.
Best practice #4: Share content that actually touches on pain points
Ah, the age-old struggle — your leads are intrigued but not quite convinced to take the plunge. Sharing valuable content tailored to their woes is a good way to nurture hesitant leads into full-on conversion.
Let’s take a look:
- Know thy lead. Take a deep dive into their challenges, desires, and that nagging itch they can't scratch alone. Craft content that soothes their specific pains like a salve.
- Variety keeps things going. Mix it up with diverse formats — insightful blogs, punchy videos, meaty whitepapers. Cater to every learning style and attention span.
- Try to stay fresh. Your leads crave the latest and greatest. Keep your content calendar blossoming with timely, relevant topics that prove you're an industry insider.
Best practice #5: Reel in leads through email, social media, and direct mail
You know what they say — out of sight, out of mind. To keep those hot leads engaged and interested, you gotta stay top of mind in multiple channels.
Here's how to work it:
- Email nurturing campaigns. Set up automated email sequences tailored to each lead's interests and stage in the buying journey. A little personalization goes a long way.
- Social media retargeting. Leverage those ad targeting options to serve up tantalizing offers right in their social feeds. Make sure to switch it up and get creative — no one likes boring, repetitive ads.
- Direct mail, but make it fun. Who doesn't love getting something cool in the mail? Send them branded swag, quirky mailers, or even a good old-fashioned coupon book. Just don't go overboard and become a paper pest.
Best practice #6: Use a lead-scoring system to tag high-potential leads.
Look, we all know that not every lead is created equal. Some are just window shoppers, while others are ready to whip out their wallets. That's where lead scoring comes in — it helps you focus your efforts on the leads most likely to convert.
Here's how to make it work:
- Assign point values to specific lead behaviors and demographics. These indicate buying intent; things like website visits, email engagement, and job titles can all be scored.
- Set up lead-scoring rules and thresholds in your CRM. This will automatically calculate scores for each lead based on their activities.
- Prioritize your outreach and nurturing efforts on the highest-scoring leads. These hot potatoes are ready to be buttered up and served a tasty sales pitch.
Best practice #7: Have consistent messaging across all communication channels
You can't just set up some lead nurturing campaigns and expect magic to happen. Nope, you've got to stay on top of things.
Here's how to keep those leads warm and toasty:
- You’re going to need consistency. Create a content style guide for a unified brand voice across emails, social posts, website copy, etc. This breeds familiarity and trust.
- Visual style matters too. Use the same visual branding elements like logos, colors, fonts in your nurturing content. This ties the whole experience together nicely.
- Your teams need to be on the same page. Sync messaging between marketing and sales teams. No mixed signals allowed! Everyone should be singing from the same hymnbook.
Best practice #8: Track lead interactions to adjust your nurturing strategies
If you're not paying attention to how your leads are engaging (or not) with your content, you're basically driving blind.
Here's how to keep those blinders off:
- Data is queen. Set up tracking for email opens, link clicks, form submissions — the works. These interactions are tiny clues to what's resonating.
- Look for patterns in the data. If a lead goes dark after getting a certain piece of content, maybe it was a swing and a miss. Or they're just not that into you (yet).
- Revise your messaging if necessary. Use that info to switch up your cadence, messaging, and content mix. A little personalization can go a long way in reviving a lukewarm lead.
Best practice #9: Incentivize collaboration between sales and marketing teams
You’ve seen a version of this happen: Marketing generates a ton of hard-won leads, only for sales to drop the ball. Or the sales team will close deals but get zero love from marketing on nurturing those fresh customers. It's a vicious cycle of finger-pointing and hurt feelings.
Here's how to break the cycle:
- Institute regular sync meetings between marketing and sales leadership. Seriously, get those department heads in the same room on a recurring cadence so that they can align their priorities, strategies, and shared goals. A little “face time” goes a long way.
- Give sales full visibility into the marketing nurture streams and content. And vice versa — make sure marketers know what collateral and talk tracks move the needle in closing deals. Transparency breeds understanding.
- Celebrate wins together. When a marquee lead converts, or a huge deal closes, make sure both teams get kudos. Shared success reinforces that you're all on the same team fighting the same battle.
Best practice #10: Use AI tools to skyrocket personalization and streamline tasks
AI is rapidly becoming a must-have for savvy marketers looking to boost their lead-nurturing efforts.
Here's the deal:
- Talk their way. You can use natural language processing to analyze customer data and generate hyper-personalized content at scale. Of course, you’ll still have to work to humanize that content!
- If it’s repetitive, automate. Use AI to automate repetitive workflows like lead scoring, segmentation, and follow-ups with AI-powered workflows.
- Get chatty. Deploy conversational AI chatbots to engage prospects 24/7 with tailored recommendations and real-time support. Nurture those leads around the clock.
Best practice #11: Continuously try out different approaches and optimize based on results
“If it ain’t broke, don’t break it.” While that’s a good rule for life, that doesn’t mean you can’t try out new things — especially in a game that always keeps evolving, like marketing.
Here’s how to be more innovative:
- A/B test everything from subject lines to send times. Those small tweaks can have a big impact. It's like choosing between chocolate and vanilla — you won't know which flavor is a hit until you give 'em both a taste.
- Use data to pinpoint what's working and what needs some care. Maybe that GIF-filled email crushed it, or perhaps plain text reigns supreme for your audience. Numbers rarely lie.
- Never forget about personalizing. Tailor your content and timing for different buyer personas and stages of the funnel.
Best practice #12: Follow up quick to keep leads piping hot
You know the feeling — you fill out a form, submit an inquiry, and then...crickets. Nothing but radio silence. Talk about a letdown. Don't do that to your precious leads.
Here's how to keep them hooked:
- Set up automated email sequences. Strike while the iron's hot with a prompt thank-you note and introductory info. But don't drown 'em — space things out nicely.
- Pick up the phone. Sometimes a real human voice is the way to a prospect's heart (or at least their business). Try to call within 5 minutes of their submission for maximum impact.
- Consider text messaging too. More and more folks prefer the casual back-and-forth of texting these days. Make sure it's an option they've opted into, though!
Use Lindy to effortlessly improve your lead nurturing strategy
Want to nurture your leads with the help of cutting-edge AI? Lindy is what you need.
Here's what Lindy can do:
- Get to know your leads: Lindy observes how prospects interact with your website, content, and chatbot to understand what they're interested in.
- Predict their next move: Lindy's AI accurately predicts which leads are ready to buy, which need a little more attention, and which are likely to lose interest. This way, you'll know exactly how to approach each one.
- Find your hottest leads: Don't waste time on leads that aren't going anywhere. Lindy automatically identifies the high-potential prospects, so your sales team can focus on closing deals.
- Nurture relationships: Lindy keeps your leads engaged and guides them through your sales funnel with personalized messages that feel like they were written just for them.
- Build your army: Create multiple Lindies to handle as many leads as you can throw at them. They'll even learn from each other and get smarter over time.
- Learn what works (and what doesn't): Lindy's insights show you what motivates your leads, where they drop off, and how to optimize your sales process.
- Connect with your favorite tools: Lindy plays well with over 3,000 other tools, including CRMs and email marketing platforms.
- Make Lindy your own: Easily create a chatbot that reflects your brand's unique personality, and no coding skills are required.
Summing up
That was a dozen tried and true lead nurturing best practices to help you grow your business in 2024.
While some of these tactics may seem basic, the key is consistency.
At the end of the day, lead nurturing isn't rocket science. It just takes a little strategy, creativity, and elbow grease. The payoff is worth it.
