In today's internet marketing industry, losing sight of what's important is getting easier. Email advertising, social networking, geo-targeting… all these vague terms and practices can be overwhelming for the marketer. It's important to remember that in the end, lead generation is what matters. Attention grabbing headlines and catchy infographics are all for naught if you aren't successfully recruiting prospective clients. Turning your readers into buyers is a process we fancy-internet people refer to as lead nurturing. We've written about lead generation before, but we've never examined the process of snagging new clients in detail. Below is a guide to help you get started.
1. Establishing contact is the vital first step to lead nurturing. In days gone by, this step would have been facilitated by a phone number or a business card. Now, however, the preferred mode of communication is the great and powerful email address. Obtaining a prospective client's email address is the best way to initiate a worthwhile relationship with a customer. There are many different methods of landing pages work the best!
2. Being proactive is one of the more essential steps and unsurprisingly, it is commonly overlooked. Like the shy girl at the dance, your prospective clients will often be waiting for you to make the first move. If you get an email address, for instance, it is your responsibility to pursue that potential lead. Establish email campaign strategies beforehand so when you get a name, you know what to do. Now, we're not saying to bombard the person with email blast after email blast. Learn as much as you can about what they want, need, do, and are before you send anything substantial out. Once you have the basics nailed down, you can begin a custom-tailored give and take of information. Not only will the future-client feel special, but you'll find a great return on time invested.
3. Getting personal is never a bad thing. Automated welcome pages and introductory white papers are a good starting point, but as you foster your relationship with your soon-to-be client, it's important to step away from the mass-marketing mentality and begin to focus more the the person you're dealing with. Every business has its own specific needs, budget, and potential that you cannot deal with impersonally. Know your client and ensure them that you are paying attention to their case. If they've made it this far, then you really should be caring for them because they're getting ready to buy.
4. Micro-managing is what you want. This term usually has a negative stigma surrounding it, and for good reason. Wasting time trying to control areas of your business that should be automated is a surefire way to lose money, right? While micro-management of your own business may be a bad thing, it can be a powerful tool when dealing with leads. As you move down the sales funnel, you're going to be sending your lead relevant, custom-tailored information. It's hard to get personal with a customer when your company is bombarding that very same person with introductory offers and eye-catching buttons. If your lead is this ahead in the game, the rest of your internet marketing campaign becomes redundant. If you dialed the onscreen number to an infomercial, you wouldn't be subjected to an ad about the product, right? You're already aware of what you want to buy. So, take the time to identify which leads are at your front door and take those clients under your own wing. They've worked hard to get to this point and they deserve the attention.