You’ve gotten these emails before and probably still do. You shopped for something online, filled out a form, and began receiving emails. These are called “lead nurturing” emails, and if done right, considerably increase your conversion rates. If done wrong, you lose sales, and potentially alienate or even anger your leads. A nurture email campaign, also known as a drip campaign, can be delivered to customers as well as leads. These campaigns keep leads and customers engaged with your brand. They answer common questions, deliver special offers, and announce upcoming promotions and events.
Successful businesses and organizations respect people’s time and attention. Time and attention are hard to come by online — where every business volleys for the consumer dollar. The ones who do it successfully are those who issue emails that are highly relevant to what the customer wants, give them the information they need, and help them make an informed purchase decision. Bonus points if you can also save them some hard-earned money.
What is a Nurture Email Campaign?
A nurture email campaign is different from many of the other email campaigns you’ve probably seen. If you have ever signed up for something online with your email address, you know the kinds of campaigns I’m talking about. The campaigns where it is obvious the company just wants you to buy something. They’re trying to sell you on a new product they’re launching, or maybe you only have 48 hours left to take advantage of a special discount…except you know you have more than 48 hours because you just got that email last week and will probably get another one next week. Those kinds of email campaigns. The kind of email campaigns that you don’t want to bug your hot tub leads with because you get annoyed by them yourself.
Well, those campaigns are not nurture email campaigns. What do you think of when you hear the word “nurture”? A mom holding her baby? A gardener taking care of plants? Whatever you think, it’s something very low-pressure and that has more of a sense of caring than urging. With a nurture email campaign, you’re not going to pressure your leads in an attempt to sell more hot tubs. Instead, you’re going to meet them where they are in the buying process and nurture them on the way to making that sale.
How Do Nurture Email Campaigns Work?
Since you’re meeting your leads through the internet with an email, it may seem difficult to meet them where they are, because how do you know where they are? You can tell by their online activity. Did they request more information on hot tubs? They may be early in the buying process. Did they open an email you sent about hot tub water care, and click on a link? They may be really thinking about purchasing. Did they sign up for a free test soak? They’re probably ready to buy.Â
Once you gather this information on their online activity, you get a better idea of where they are in the buying process. So, you can customize the emails they receive in order to nurture their progress towards purchasing. And when they realize you’re sending helpful emails instead of just spam, your leads will be more likely to open the emails. If you’re still not convinced that you need a nurture email campaign, just remember: if they’re more likely to open the emails, they’re more likely to buy, and you’ll get a greater ROI.Â
Nurture Email Dos and Don’ts
A great lead nurturing campaign:
- Does speak directly to the information the shopper requested. Instead of a general, “Thanks for contacting us,” it delivers a targeted message based on their search: “Here’s your information on the HotSpring® Highlife® Aria® Spa with the FreshWater® System.”
- Does continue to provide useful information, not just a sales pitch. Instead of, “Buy your new Highlife Aria today,” it nurtures the lead with practical tips like, “5 Reasons to Choose a Saltwater Spa,” or, “Is a 5-Person Spa Right for Me?”
- Does nurture leads for a full 18 months. Hot tubs, swimming pools, high-end patio furniture, outdoor kitchens … these are high-ticket items that many people take months, potentially years, to research and decide on. Smart salespeople play the long game. Sure, you’re hoping for those folks who walk in the door and plop down their ten grand. But you need to be courting the ones who might lurk around, seeking information and evaluating their options, because when they buy, you want it to be from you, even if that’s a year down the road.
- Does offer savings opportunities along with their informative emails. Every few emails should be a harder sale — an incentive to take advantage of all that learning and make the purchase. Save your best deals for those leads lurking in the background, because they can turn a lackluster sales month into a success story at any time.
An effective lead nurturing campaign does not:
- Hound the lead to make a decision. High-pressure emails like, “Buy before midnight!” are not the best way to coax someone into choosing your business.
- Contain spelling and grammar errors or look like a really bad ad for that furniture store downtown that’s been “going out of business” for 15 years. Great nurturing emails are professionally designed, well-written, and include smart, useful information.
- Repeat the same information. If your subject line didn’t spark them to open last week, why would it next week? You can reach a larger number of leads by creating fresh, unique email subject lines for each email.
- Ignore the other products and services you have to offer. Perhaps they shopped a bit for a hot tub, but they might also want to learn about your above-ground pools, high-end grills, patio furniture, or perhaps your maintenance routes. It’s okay to showcase other products and services to your interested leads.
All of this data can be confusing, and we get it! Instead of getting a headache, let The Get Smart Group help you with your hot tub store marketing, or whatever home improvement business marketing you may need. Our team will take care of all of the marketing, from blog posts to social media to email campaigns. We’ll focus on what we do best, so you can focus on what you do best. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation today to discuss what we can do for you.
