The task has been accomplished. As a result of your valuable content, your readers have converted into leads. It's now time to nurture these leads into sales opportunities.
There's no getting around the inbox clutter, though. There are still many of these people who aren't ready to buy just yet.
Lead nurturing is a way to stay in touch with leads who aren't ready to buy from you yet, and to build trust until they are.
Check out this guide if you want to learn more about lead nurturing in general. But for the purposes of this post, we'll discuss one of the best channels for lead nurturing: email.
Here are some examples of lead nurturing emails that will help you better understand how the two concepts are related. Whatever your industry, there's something for everyone - from ecommerce to product marketing.
Lead nurturing emails do not have to be strictly promotional. It's important to send recipients something they'll want to open and read in order to increase engagement and sales. In their nurturing emails, Framebridge does something that works like a charm: education. The guide provides value by teaching the reader a helpful skill in exchange for an ask (reading it).
The email also uses one clear call-to-action - "Educate Me." According to WordStream, using one CTA in an email increases click-throughs by 371% and sales by 1617%.
Reviews make or break your product - most customers read reviews or testimonials before purchasing. A customer testimonial adds some social proof to this abandoned cart email from Casper.
The abandoned cart email from Casper is clever and to-the-point. Two simple CTAs are included, as well as a question asking if the reader would like to revisit a cart they added to.
According to Epsilon, triggered emails have 67.9% higher open rates and 241.3% higher click rates than standard emails. A relevant email will be triggered when you use a person's behavior - let's say, downloading content about email workflows - to trigger a relevant email.
This Litmus example shows how to provide recipients with a relevant email that adds even more value by using clever, clear copy.
The Uncommon Goods website shows their products in context and creates a Pinterest-inspired section for each aesthetic. There is a featured CTA for each collection, and the email feels more like a curated pinboard than a sales email.
In addition, this email is also very mobile-friendly, which can make a big difference to the success of an e-commerce lead nurturing campaign: according to Litmus, 56% of emails are opened on mobile devices.
The emails from Chubbies are well known for their cheeky marketing. With over 1.68 million Facebook Likes, they prioritize social, fun content. User-generated content, promotions, and all-around humor are all featured in their email newsletter.
The email is part information, part fun, and it encourages its reader to read it even if they don't plan on buying anything. Their copy relates to their audience, their visuals are on-brand, and they offer multiple call-to-actions (purchase clothing & follow on Snapchat).
It is hard to find a better email copy than JetBlue's. The email is not only funny, helpful, and full of great puns, but it also highlights JetBlue's commitment to engaging and retaining customers through email. The following example illustrates one of JetBlue's email objectives: converting current or past customers into TrueBlue members.
Skillshare reminds its recipients at the top of this email that their trial is about to expire - a smart move that could result in a renewal or purchase.
As part of the reminder, there are a few unobtrusive, helpful calls to action for a number of educational classes. Instead of traditional buttons, notice how the simple, stylish boxes stand out.
Using an announcement for a new item, Dunkin Donuts reached out to its audience. As well as promoting the new drink, this email also provides a secondary CTA to add the company on Snapchat.
DemandGen reports that leads nurtured with personalized content convert 20% higher into sales.
This email from Zapier's CEO asking for help with setup proves that they've got the whole personalization thing down. User is being targeted with a name personalization token as well as a trigger indicating they haven't set up the product yet.
Friendly, helpful emails based on activity can perform extremely well for technical products. Added value and clarity are provided by including a link to their help documentation.
Users of Duolingo are invited to nominate a favorite teacher for a contest that taps into their affinity for learning. Providing your audience with a helpful and entertaining reason to click is a great way to engage them.
Additionally, they use two types of testimonials. They tell the reader to join "350,000 teachers" and include two quotes from teachers using the product. This is a great use of social proof.
Now that you've seen these great brands and products, learn how to write email copy and create compelling images.