Here are 10 B2B lead nurturing tactics to build trust and convert more sales. Your potential customers have a lot of options at their fingertips. So many, in fact, that 60% of B2B buyers don’t think salespeople provide any value.
Instead of relying on salespeople for information, buyers are using digital channels to research and self-educate. In fact, 68% of B2B buyers prefer to research on their own, online.
If you want to stay relevant and guide potential customers through the buying process, you need to provide valuable content that educates and builds trust. This is where B2B lead nurturing comes in.
1. Use a lead scoring model to prioritize your leads
Lead scoring is a process that allows you to assign a numerical value, or score, to your leads based on their behavior and interactions with your brand. This score helps you to determine which leads are most likely to convert, and should be prioritized by your sales team.
Leads can be scored based on a variety of factors, including how many times they’ve visited your website, how many times they’ve opened your emails, and how many times they’ve engaged with your brand on social media.
Using a lead scoring model can help you to identify high-quality leads quickly, so you can focus your time and energy on nurturing those leads, rather than wasting time on leads that are unlikely to convert. To better manage these leads across social channels, businesses often look for tools like Hootsuite that integrate well with CRM systems.
2. Use personalization to show you understand your leads
Lead nurturing is all about building trust with your potential customers.
And one of the best ways to build trust is to show that you understand your leads and their needs.
You can do this by using personalization in your lead nurturing efforts. This means using data about your leads to tailor your messaging and content to their specific needs and interests. Keeping an eye on employee experience trends can also provide useful insights, since many decision-makers now expect the same level of personalization in B2B interactions as they do in internal workplace tools.
For example, you could use data about your leads’ job titles and industries to create targeted cold email campaigns that speak directly to their needs. Or you could use data about their website behavior to serve them personalized content recommendations.
3. Create content that speaks to leads at every stage of the buyer’s journey
Not every lead is ready to purchase. In fact, most of them aren’t. So, it’s important to create a variety of content that speaks to leads at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
The buyer’s journey is the active research process a lead goes through before making a purchase. It has three stages:
1. Top of the funnel (TOFU): The awareness stage. Leads are experiencing and expressing symptoms of a problem or opportunity. They’re seeking answers, resources, and education.
2. Middle of the funnel (MOFU): The consideration stage. Leads have clearly defined the problem or opportunity and have committed to addressing it. They’re evaluating different approaches or methods to alleviate their pain points.
3. Bottom of the funnel (BOFU): The decision stage. Leads have decided on a solution and are compiling a long list of vendors to choose from. They’re conducting detailed comparisons of different products and vendors.
At the TOFU, you’ll want to create content that provides educational value. This could be in the form of how-to blog posts or other popular blog post examples, infographics, videos, and more.
At the MOFU, you’ll want to create content that provides more detailed information about your product or service. For example, case studies that highlight successful B2B marketplace website development projects can strongly influence leads in the consideration stage. This could be in the form of case studies, whitepapers, and webinars.
At the BOFU, you’ll want to create content that helps leads make a decision. This could be in the form of product demos, free trials, and quotes.
4. Use a multi-channel approach to lead nurturing
Email is a great way to nurture leads, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, use a multi-channel approach to lead nurturing.
In addition to email, you can use social media, chat, phone calls and more to stay in touch with your leads and build trust. This will help you reach your leads where they are and provide a more personalized experience.
5. Invite leads to sign up for a webinar
Webinars are a great way to share your expertise and knowledge with potential leads. You can host webinars on a variety of topics that are relevant to your industry and your business.
For example, if you sell marketing software, you could host a webinar on how to create a social media marketing strategy. Or, if you sell a product for sales teams, you could host a webinar on how to build a high-performing sales team.
Webinars are a great way to show your potential leads that you are an expert in your field and that you have a lot of valuable knowledge to share. A session focused on evaluating B2B eCommerce platforms could attract the right decision-makers and generate qualified leads. Plus, they give you a chance to interact with potential leads in real time and answer any questions they may have. Additionally, pairing webinars with content marketing tools can make promotion and follow-ups much more effective.”
6. Use social media to engage with leads
Social media is a great place to engage with leads and build trust. You can use social media to share content, answer questions, and even have one-on-one conversations with leads.
The key is to be active on the social media platforms that your leads are using. If you’re not sure where to start, ask them! You can also look at your competitors’ social media profiles to see which platforms they’re using.
Once you know which platforms to focus on, you can start engaging with your leads. Be sure to share a mix of content, including your own and third-party content. You can also ask questions, run polls, and even share funny memes to keep things interesting.
The more active you are on social media, the more likely it is that your leads will trust you. And that can lead to more sales down the road.
7. Share customer success stories
No matter how long you’ve been in business, you can never have too many customer success stories.
Case studies and testimonials are a great way to show leads how your product or service has helped other companies in their industry. They also help build trust and credibility for your brand. You can even take this a step further by using referral tools like ReferralCandy, which reward customers for sharing their positive experiences. This not only generates authentic word-of-mouth marketing but also gives you fresh success stories and proof points to use in your lead nurturing campaigns.
Make sure to share customer success stories across all of your marketing channels, including your website, social media profiles, and email marketing. You can also use them as part of your lead nurturing campaigns.
For example, if you’re in the process of closing a deal with a lead, you can send them a case study that’s relevant to their business. This can help build trust and confidence in your brand, and it can also help you close the deal faster.
8. Ask leads for feedback
You can also build trust with your leads by asking them for feedback.
This shows that you value your relationship with them and are willing to make changes to improve it. It also shows that you are confident in your product or service and are not afraid to ask for feedback.
You can ask for feedback in a variety of ways, such as through surveys, questionnaires or even just casual conversations. Just be sure to follow up with your leads after they have given you feedback to let them know how you have used it to improve.
9. Send a handwritten note
In the digital age, getting a handwritten note in the mail stands out in the best way. It’s a small, personal touch that can help build trust between your brand and your leads.
After a lead converts on a form, send them a quick note in the mail to thank them for their interest and to let them know you’re there for them if they have any questions. You can also send a note to leads who have been in your pipeline for a while or who have recently made a purchase.
10. Use account based marketing to build relationships with your most important leads
Account based marketing is a strategy that allows you to target high-value leads with personalized content. This can help you build relationships with your most important leads and increase the likelihood that they will convert.
With account based marketing, you can create content that is tailored to the specific needs and pain points of your target accounts. You can also use data to identify the best channels to reach them and the best times to engage with them.
By building relationships with your most important leads, you can increase the chances that they will convert into customers. This can help you grow your business and increase your bottom line.
Conclusion
Now that you know how important lead nurturing is, it’s time to put these tactics into practice. By following the tips outlined in this post, you’ll be well on your way to building stronger relationships with your leads and converting more of them into loyal customers.
