6 Examples of Lead Nurturing Campaigns

Sometimes our impression of marketing tactics is more monolithic than the reality. Setting up a lead nurturing campaign in your marketing automation platform is usually about contacting prospects early in their journey and building a relationship with them as they come closer to purchase.

The expectation is that we learn more about our prospects through their actions, which lets marketers provide content that is more in line with their interests and expectations. Nurture means to care for, and a good nurture campaign can show that you care about prospects.

Nurture campaigns can actually serve different audiences with different goals, provided you set them up to maintain contact with the right profiles. The six examples below follow along as prospects become more connected to your company and the buying process, and ultimately become customers.

1. Welcome Campaign

It is a good practice to welcome new subscribers with a simple campaign. You can introduce the brand and let them know the benefits of subscribing to your list. You can also let them know what they can expect as next steps. Think of this as the top of your nurture funnel. Prospects have signed up for a list, or responded to an offer, and now it is up to you to learn more about them so they can opt-in to something else. That could be another offer or a more specific list. Again, this nurture is about learning more about them.

2. Education Campaign

This is a pretty standard nurture campaign and what most of us think about when we think about nurtures. The goal is to get the prospect ready to talk to sales. You need to engage prospects to learn more about them, while at the same time educate them about your products or services. Your value proposition can start to play a role here. Sharing relevant, educational content is the heart of this campaign. You can build this relationship by providing value.

3. Why Us Campaign

As you learn more about your prospects and their needs, you want to start making the case for how your solution can support those needs. Competitive differentiation points are a big part of this kind of nurture campaign. You want to reiterate your value proposition to make sure they understand “why us.” Case studies and testimonials are the perfect content to make these points for you.

4. Accelerate Campaign

As prospects continue to move through the buyer's process/journey/path, you reach a point where the process slows down. You can create a nurture campaign that removes roadblocks and can speed the purchase decision. These are the kinds of campaigns that need to be set up in conjunction with sales, as you want to make sure efforts are coordinated. Decision tools like ROI calculators are the kinds of things you want to send in this campaign.

You should have lots of information in a prospect's profile by this point, so you should have good sense of the resources that can help move this along. Maybe they keep going to the pricing page, or the support page. You want to help prospects get comfortable with their decision.

5 .New Customer Onboarding Campaign

An often-overlooked use of nurture campaigns is the ability to manage your customer onboarding. Welcome your new customers and thank them for their decision. No matter the type of product or service you offer, there is an identified path to success in onboarding. Provide these steps in a series of email. You can also provide answers to commonly asked questions and support options.

6. Customer Loyalty or Retention Campaign

Once you have a customer, you want to keep them happy. Set up an ongoing nurture campaign to support their retention. While you do want to continue to reiterate the benefits of their purchase, but you also still want to provide tips and tricks so they can continue to get the most out of your products or services. By running this campaign through your marketing automation platform, you have the ability to capture more activity data than you would otherwise. This could help alert you to a lack of activity that indicates they are an at risk customer.

These basic campaigns can help you think about how nurturing can be expanded beyond the simple “move them to sales” campaign. For lots more details, download our Lead Nurturing Guide.

6 Examples of Lead Nurturing Campaigns

Sometimes our impression of marketing tactics is more monolithic than the reality. Setting up a lead nurturing campaign in your marketing automation platform is usually about contacting prospects early in their journey and building a relationship with them as they come closer to purchase.

The expectation is that we learn more about our prospects through their actions, which lets marketers provide content that is more in line with their interests and expectations. Nurture means to care for, and a good nurture campaign can show that you care about prospects.

Nurture campaigns can actually serve different audiences with different goals, provided you set them up to maintain contact with the right profiles. The six examples below follow along as prospects become more connected to your company and the buying process, and ultimately become customers.

1. Welcome Campaign

It is a good practice to welcome new subscribers with a simple campaign. You can introduce the brand and let them know the benefits of subscribing to your list. You can also let them know what they can expect as next steps. Think of this as the top of your nurture funnel. Prospects have signed up for a list, or responded to an offer, and now it is up to you to learn more about them so they can opt-in to something else. That could be another offer or a more specific list. Again, this nurture is about learning more about them.

2. Education Campaign

This is a pretty standard nurture campaign and what most of us think about when we think about nurtures. The goal is to get the prospect ready to talk to sales. You need to engage prospects to learn more about them, while at the same time educate them about your products or services. Your value proposition can start to play a role here. Sharing relevant, educational content is the heart of this campaign. You can build this relationship by providing value.

3. Why Us Campaign

As you learn more about your prospects and their needs, you want to start making the case for how your solution can support those needs. Competitive differentiation points are a big part of this kind of nurture campaign. You want to reiterate your value proposition to make sure they understand “why us.” Case studies and testimonials are the perfect content to make these points for you.

4. Accelerate Campaign

As prospects continue to move through the buyer's process/journey/path, you reach a point where the process slows down. You can create a nurture campaign that removes roadblocks and can speed the purchase decision. These are the kinds of campaigns that need to be set up in conjunction with sales, as you want to make sure efforts are coordinated. Decision tools like ROI calculators are the kinds of things you want to send in this campaign.

You should have lots of information in a prospect's profile by this point, so you should have good sense of the resources that can help move this along. Maybe they keep going to the pricing page, or the support page. You want to help prospects get comfortable with their decision.

5 .New Customer Onboarding Campaign

An often-overlooked use of nurture campaigns is the ability to manage your customer onboarding. Welcome your new customers and thank them for their decision. No matter the type of product or service you offer, there is an identified path to success in onboarding. Provide these steps in a series of email. You can also provide answers to commonly asked questions and support options.

6. Customer Loyalty or Retention Campaign

Once you have a customer, you want to keep them happy. Set up an ongoing nurture campaign to support their retention. While you do want to continue to reiterate the benefits of their purchase, but you also still want to provide tips and tricks so they can continue to get the most out of your products or services. By running this campaign through your marketing automation platform, you have the ability to capture more activity data than you would otherwise. This could help alert you to a lack of activity that indicates they are an at risk customer.

These basic campaigns can help you think about how nurturing can be expanded beyond the simple “move them to sales” campaign. For lots more details, download our Lead Nurturing Guide.

Pioglitazone Bladder Cancer Link Seen Again (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- But absolute risk remains low overall, finds large British study

Pioglitazone Bladder Cancer Link Seen Again (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- But absolute risk remains low overall, finds large British study

How Hospitals Are Approaching Content Marketing

Nearly two-thirds (73%) of hospitals in the United States are already engaging in content marketing, and an additional 19% plan to start this year, according to recent research from True North Custom. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

How Hospitals Are Approaching Content Marketing

Nearly two-thirds (73%) of hospitals in the United States are already engaging in content marketing, and an additional 19% plan to start this year, according to recent research from True North Custom. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Big Financial Costs Are Part Of Alzheimer's Toll On Families

A survey of more than 3,500 people caring for family members with dementia finds that many are spending down personal savings and cutting into their own basic needs to meet their loved one's expenses.

Salesforce survey: Customer satisfaction is more important to marketers than revenue or customer acquisition

Newest “State of Marketing" report describes what approaches characterize high-performing marketing teams.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Manual link building's 7 worst outreach offenses

Are you making mistakes with your link-building outreach? Columnist Julie Joyce lists what she considers to be the 7 worst outreach violations.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Big Financial Costs Are Part Of Alzheimer's Toll On Families

A survey of more than 3,500 people caring for family members with dementia finds that many are spending down personal savings and cutting into their own basic needs to meet their loved one's expenses.

Salesforce survey: Customer satisfaction is more important to marketers than revenue or customer acquisition

Newest “State of Marketing" report describes what approaches characterize high-performing marketing teams.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Manual link building's 7 worst outreach offenses

Are you making mistakes with your link-building outreach? Columnist Julie Joyce lists what she considers to be the 7 worst outreach violations.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Use of Naltrexone Beneficial for Opioid Addicts?

(MedPage Today) -- Study suggests long-term use of the drug to prevent relapses

Use of Naltrexone Beneficial for Opioid Addicts?

(MedPage Today) -- Study suggests long-term use of the drug to prevent relapses

The real impact of Google's new paid search ad layout on organic search

We've heard a lot about how Google's changes to its paid ad display might impact advertisers, but what about those focused on organic search? Columnist Winston Burton discusses the impact on SEOs.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Guidance on Same-Day Discharge After PCI too Strict? (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Low risks, reduced costs make a case for early discharge

Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing

In today's world, the customer experience extends beyond the walls of a brick and mortar store. Customers engage with your brand through content that's spread across multiple channels and accessed by multiple devices. And with so many possible touch points, it's becoming increasingly important for brands to ensure consistency throughout–especially for their millennial audience.

A survey by SLD, a customer experience software and services provider, revealed that 44% of millennials surveyed expect their experience to be consistent across all devices. In addition, 60% said that they expect the same experience across all customer touch points–from phone service to in-store and digital interactions.

So how do you create that consistent customer experience? Through omni-channel marketing.

Defining Omni-Channel Marketing

Omni-channel marketing is a holistic, strategic marketing approach that aims to provide a seamless user experience across all channels and devices.

Every brand has a story to tell. A message that tells their audiences who they are, what they stand for and how they can be of service in a time of need. And an important part of successfully conveying that message is through creating a positive, consistent customer experience with your brand. How can you build a relationship with a customer if your message is inconsistent? How can you build that trust?

In addition, providing a consistent customer experience contributes to building brand recognition and awareness among your target audience. Remember, your marketing efforts aim to build and nurture your customer relationships.

Best Practices for Omni-Channel Marketing

At TopRank Marketing, we often talk about the importance of an integrated content marketing strategy. One that uses multiple tactics–across multiple mediums–to be the best answer, when and where people are searching for information. The key to all this? A focus on the customer and their journey–which is a natural connection to omni-channel marketing.

Content plays a major role in the customer experience. It's product descriptions. It's blog posts. It's advertisements. It's emails. It's social media status updates. It's a promotional sign hanging in a store's window. Use omni-channel marketing as another layer to bolster your content marketing strategy–and really your overall marketing strategy.

Other best practices include:

• Use consistent imagery. Humans are very visual beings. We process so much with our eyes. Using consistent imagery contributes to that brand recognition and awareness brands so desperately want.


• Establish a consistent voice. This is your brand voice and it should be recognizable to your customers. Are you serious? More light-hearted? Silly? Educational?


• Personalize. Remember that each channel likely has a distinct audience. Strike a balance between your brand standards and optimizing your message for each medium.


• Put yourself in customers' shoes. Take the time to regularly review the experience that your customers go through to research, buy and connect with your products and brand. When it comes to your digital interactions, use your analytical tools to identify barriers. Where are people dropping off the site? Which forms convert the best? Where is the most site traffic coming from? Which mediums get the most engagement? Now that you have this information, how can you improve the experience? Is it through new content or better calls-to-action?

Examples of Omni-Channel Marketing in Action

Disney

Disney is an omni-channel rock star. From booking your trip on their mobile responsive website to securing fast passes through the My Disney Experience app to accessing your on-property hotel room with a Magic Band, the magic of Disney is consistent throughout.

Target

Another omni-channel heavy weight is one of my most beloved brands: Target. Whether you're shopping from your PC, your mobile device or in-store, each medium works together to create a seamless, efficient shopping experience (even if you fall down the perusing rabbit hole). Your digital shopping cart can be saved and accessed from either a PC or mobile device, or you can opt to pick items up at your closest store.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is one of the world's most recognizable brands. It's sold in hundreds of countries and it's branded itself as a deliciously refreshing beverage that delivers happiness in a bottle. From allowing soda lovers to share the love by personalizing a bottle for a special someone to their rewards program to utilizing traditional media to remind customers just how tasty their drink is, their brand is all about customer experience.

What are some of your best practices for ensuring a seamless customer experience? Share with us in the comments section below.

Header image via Shutterstock

---

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2016. |
Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

The real impact of Google's new paid search ad layout on organic search

We've heard a lot about how Google's changes to its paid ad display might impact advertisers, but what about those focused on organic search? Columnist Winston Burton discusses the impact on SEOs.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Guidance on Same-Day Discharge After PCI too Strict? (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Low risks, reduced costs make a case for early discharge

Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing

In today's world, the customer experience extends beyond the walls of a brick and mortar store. Customers engage with your brand through content that's spread across multiple channels and accessed by multiple devices. And with so many possible touch points, it's becoming increasingly important for brands to ensure consistency throughout–especially for their millennial audience.

A survey by SLD, a customer experience software and services provider, revealed that 44% of millennials surveyed expect their experience to be consistent across all devices. In addition, 60% said that they expect the same experience across all customer touch points–from phone service to in-store and digital interactions.

So how do you create that consistent customer experience? Through omni-channel marketing.

Defining Omni-Channel Marketing

Omni-channel marketing is a holistic, strategic marketing approach that aims to provide a seamless user experience across all channels and devices.

Every brand has a story to tell. A message that tells their audiences who they are, what they stand for and how they can be of service in a time of need. And an important part of successfully conveying that message is through creating a positive, consistent customer experience with your brand. How can you build a relationship with a customer if your message is inconsistent? How can you build that trust?

In addition, providing a consistent customer experience contributes to building brand recognition and awareness among your target audience. Remember, your marketing efforts aim to build and nurture your customer relationships.

Best Practices for Omni-Channel Marketing

At TopRank Marketing, we often talk about the importance of an integrated content marketing strategy. One that uses multiple tactics–across multiple mediums–to be the best answer, when and where people are searching for information. The key to all this? A focus on the customer and their journey–which is a natural connection to omni-channel marketing.

Content plays a major role in the customer experience. It's product descriptions. It's blog posts. It's advertisements. It's emails. It's social media status updates. It's a promotional sign hanging in a store's window. Use omni-channel marketing as another layer to bolster your content marketing strategy–and really your overall marketing strategy.

Other best practices include:

• Use consistent imagery. Humans are very visual beings. We process so much with our eyes. Using consistent imagery contributes to that brand recognition and awareness brands so desperately want.


• Establish a consistent voice. This is your brand voice and it should be recognizable to your customers. Are you serious? More light-hearted? Silly? Educational?


• Personalize. Remember that each channel likely has a distinct audience. Strike a balance between your brand standards and optimizing your message for each medium.


• Put yourself in customers' shoes. Take the time to regularly review the experience that your customers go through to research, buy and connect with your products and brand. When it comes to your digital interactions, use your analytical tools to identify barriers. Where are people dropping off the site? Which forms convert the best? Where is the most site traffic coming from? Which mediums get the most engagement? Now that you have this information, how can you improve the experience? Is it through new content or better calls-to-action?

Examples of Omni-Channel Marketing in Action

Disney

Disney is an omni-channel rock star. From booking your trip on their mobile responsive website to securing fast passes through the My Disney Experience app to accessing your on-property hotel room with a Magic Band, the magic of Disney is consistent throughout.

Target

Another omni-channel heavy weight is one of my most beloved brands: Target. Whether you're shopping from your PC, your mobile device or in-store, each medium works together to create a seamless, efficient shopping experience (even if you fall down the perusing rabbit hole). Your digital shopping cart can be saved and accessed from either a PC or mobile device, or you can opt to pick items up at your closest store.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is one of the world's most recognizable brands. It's sold in hundreds of countries and it's branded itself as a deliciously refreshing beverage that delivers happiness in a bottle. From allowing soda lovers to share the love by personalizing a bottle for a special someone to their rewards program to utilizing traditional media to remind customers just how tasty their drink is, their brand is all about customer experience.

What are some of your best practices for ensuring a seamless customer experience? Share with us in the comments section below.

Header image via Shutterstock

---

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2016. |
Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post Learn How to Create a Better Customer Experience with Omni-Channel Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Snapchat is testing ads that contain advertorials like listicles

Snapchat has started testing ads that let marketers like AT&T attach branded articles containing text, images and GIFs to their 10-second video ads.



Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

7 Cross-Channel Apps of Highly Effective Modern Marketers

In today's hyper-connected world, it's important to have a rock-solid cross-channel marketing strategy, and one of the easiest ways to execute that strategy is through your marketing automation system. As we share in our new eBook, Visions From the Future of Marketing Automation: An Explorer's Guide to Cross-Channel Marketing, there are lots of ways to get creative in reaching your customers. Below, we've outlined seven types of apps that you can plug into your marketing automation system to help make your cross-channel campaigns more efficient, engaging and effective.  

1. SMS/MMS Apps

In our smart-phone co-dependent society, customers are constantly checking their phones, and sending a quick text or picture message is a great way to get in front of them with timely offers, information, announcements, and more. SMS and MMS are also great for reconnecting with “hard-to-get” people on your target list.

Tip: Make sure your messages are short, simple and focused on one point.

2. Calling Apps

Instead of sending contacts to CRMs or routing them through sales execution tools, try using a calling app that enables your team to talk to customers directly. A good calling app will enhance your workflow efficiency and enable you to identify the conversations that are delivering the best return, so you can adjust your approach accordingly.

Tip: Use talking points instead of a script to ensure you come across as authentic, not robotic.

3. Voice Message Apps

In the event you need to leave customers and prospects a message, voice messaging apps can alleviate the stress of speaking on the fly by enabling you to pre-record a personalized message based on insights and information from your contact list. Some apps even allow you to use voice prompts to make messages interactive.

Tip: Whatever you've got to say, do it in 30 seconds or less.

4. Payment Apps

Once customers are ready to show you the money, you can help them help you by hooking up your forms and landing pages with a secure payment app. These apps enable you to process credit card payments and track transactions for products, services, events, online stores, and more.

Tip: Always let customers choose how they want to receive their receipt (email, text, paper).

5. Geo-Targeting Apps

One of the best ways to make sure your campaigns are in the right place at the right time is to use a geo-targeting app to search and segment your contacts. Geo-targeting empowers you to personalize content for your target audience based on their location, which is especially handy when you want to make sure an event is well-attended by locals.

Tip: Start with a small radius when segmenting your target and increase it incrementally.

6. Direct Mail Apps

Sometimes our digitally dominated world leaves customers longing for something real. When that happens, use a direct mail/print-fulfillment app to send customers a physical reminder of your company that they can touch, like a postcard, catalog, or even gift items.

Tip: Sending personalized thank you notes to customers is a smart way to build brand loyalty.

7. Validation Apps

People move on, move up and make mistakes - all of which impact your database, your sales, and ultimately your bottom line. To make sure your lists are clean, use e-mail and address validation apps. Most of these apps enable you to validate emails and addresses on your landing page, before they clutter your database with misinformation. They also normalize and standardize data throughout your ecosystem, which not only makes everything look professional, it helps eliminate and consolidate duplicate addresses.

Tip: Information is constantly changing, so validate all contacts often. 

Every part of your marketing needs to go mobile, especially your marketing automation activities. The Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Mobile Marketing will make sure that mobile is always top of mind.