Lead nurturing refers to the processes and strategies for treating a company’s leads, particularly developing relationships with potential customers and presenting information and guidance depending on their stage of the buying process. Ultimately, lead nurturing aims to guide leads through the marketing funnel so that they will build connections with your brand and decide to purchase your product or service. 

Why is lead nurturing important? 

Nurturing relationships with prospective customers is an essential part of any business, regardless of the size or industry of the company in question. Nurturing leads is directly correlated with the success of a business because it pertains to whether a lead eventually converts into a paying customer. Less nurturing reduces the chances of a lead converting, and more nurturing increases the chances. 

How does lead nurturing work? 

Lead nurturing is closely related to the sales and marketing funnel. In this funnel, a potential customer becomes aware of a problem, is presented with options for solving that problem, and ultimately decides on a solution that is your business. Good lead nurturing should answer questions and position your brand as the ultimate solution to the lead’s needs. 

The first step, therefore, is to create a lead nurturing strategy. Companies will want to learn how to categorize their potential customers based on the likelihood of their conversion. Some customers will buy without immediate prompting; others need time to consider options, and specific leads will not buy regardless of how much they are nurtured. Organizing leads in such a way will help marketing teams determine where to focus their nurturing efforts. 

The next step is nurturing content and capabilities for each marketing funnel stage. Most funnels are broken into the Top of the Funnel (awareness stage), the Middle of the Funnel (evaluation stage), and the Bottom of the Funnel (purchase stage). Potential customers and leads can arrive at any of these above stages, so it’s essential to have the appropriate content and strategies to nurture them accordingly. 

The final step is to direct leads to the type of nurturing they need. With the correct nurturing, leads will pass from the top of the funnel to the bottom and eventually make a purchase decision with your brand as their choice.