Inbound Marketing: Lead nurturing.

Inbound marketing is the simple act of providing digital
content via web-based sources to attract and retain customers and potential
customers. Once you attract visitors, you exchange valuable content for their
contact information, usually an email address. Using their email address you
then nurture the lead with more information, updates or blog posts to keep them
up to date on your services or products. This consistent delivery of
information creates a nurturing effect and helps prospects become customers.
But how?

Once you collect the email addresses, you create lists of
contacts, and then begin the process of nurturing your leads with emails,
personal interaction and other communications. In the past, you probably would
have sent a one-way communication – like an email – to your sales leads
promoting your product or service without regard to their needs or desires. But
consider that your list contains individuals who trust you and are interested
in what you have to say. Approach them with the goal of engagement and
maintaining their interest.

When you are creating an email to send to your sales leads,
follow these guidelines:

1. Decide on a low frequency of email communication –
possibly monthly or bi-monthly

2. With each email you send, offer something new or
something of value and allow cross-promotional opportunities

3. Choose a template that gives a custom appearance. Make it
short, simple and personal and provide links for product reviews, price
comparisons and other pertinent information

Before you send your email, make sure you have the following
in place:

• A complete plan and schedule for your email campaign, its
messages and associated templates

• A measurable way of determining confirmed responses from
your emails, like monitoring provided links on the emails

Would you like to see how this all ties in with the other
aspects of Inbound Marketing? Check out our e-book, Introduction to Inbound
Marketing.