How to Utilize Marketing Automation Software to Nurture Leads

Pipelines and Lead-Nurturing

– A B2B Inbound Marketing program requires a Marketing Automation Software, which supports your efforts to build an effective lead nurturing campaign from the steady flow of leads from Search Engine Optimization, PPC campaigns, webinars, and customer referrals. Best Practices for operating an effective Lead management process includes responding individually to each prospect in your sales funnel?based on behaviors and demographics.

Consequently, even the smallest marketing campaign makes it taxing to properly identify and respond to each signal of buyer interests, especially for organizations that depend on a manual process.

Marketers understand that targeting Prospects with the right message at the right time requires a Marketing Automation Software platform that tailors content and automates the timing of all prospect and customer communications.

Automated Lead Scoring

The fact is that all Prospects will not be ready to buy from you. Prior to implementing Lead Generation strategies, put a process in place to nurture your leads. Start by determining the quality of each lead based on how well they fit your ?ideal? prospect as determined by your marketing and sales team.

Discuss this aspect of the system with your marketing automation vendor to ensure that the Marketing Automation Software has the capabilities required to develop an effective Lead scoring system, which identify marketing qualified Leads (MQL)?qualified Leads passed to the sales staff.

Have your marketing and sales staff determine what activities or other characteristics lead to the highest conversion rates. These factors may include:

• Visit a certain page on the website.
• Make a certain number of visits to the same page.
• Download a certain type of content.
• Request a trial version of your product.
• Person’s title (decision-maker).

Create two tracks one for MQLs and the other for nurturing nonqualified sales Leads. Use the marketing automation software to send email to MQLs thanking them for their interest in your product and that a sales representative will follow-up. Also, schedule a task in the system informing the sales team to follow up with MQLs.

Build Recognition and Trust

The second track of your lead nurturing campaign is to use the Marketing Automation Software to build a long-term relationship with the unqualified Leads through carefully targeted emails and content. Remember, this is the beginning of the relationship between the Prospects and your sales representative. The goal is to assist early stage Prospects in discovering the value of your product or service offering.

Your Content Strategy entails the selection of about five pieces of your most compelling content that is customized to your Prospect?s preferences. Craft an enticing and simple email for each offering. Avoid fluff and make the pieces conversational and concise.

The first piece should consist of valuable, relevant content that helps the Lead identify the business problem they?re trying to solve. Focus the fifth piece on helping the Prospect find the right product that solves the problem, and, ultimately, resulting in a Conversion. Post this content on your blog or other online location.

Integrate Marketing Automation Software with CRM

For effective lead nurturing and scoring, speak to your marketing software vendor about the ability to incorporate your Marketing Automation Software with customer relationship management effectively so that the systems communicate with each other. This ensures that marketing and sales staff have the same records for prospects and that it?s available in real time.

?For example, a sales representative may learn demographic information, such as a Prospect has earned a promotion and a change in ?title?. This information can be entered into the?Marketing Automation Software and will inform the marketing team to customize emails and sales materials geared toward a ?decision-maker.?

For more information on Marketing Automation Software, download this free eBook:

Marketing Matters Inbound?is an inbound marketing firm specializing in online conversions, content?strategy, call-to-action mapping and traditional media placement. Our experience in?B2B digital?marketing?and traditional media allows us to deliver results through a strategic media mix. We believe in?aligning and merging marketing and sales/operations for optimal return on your marketing investment.