This is it. You’ve decided it’s time for your company to embark on a lead nurturing journey. You’ve done your research on the great benefits you can reap and have mulled over our “5 Things to Consider Before Employing a Lead Nurturing Strategy” post from last month. You’re educated and excited to begin.
So, what’s your next step?
The first part of any successful lead nurturing journey is an initial meeting with all involved parties. This may be only people within your staff or, if you’ve hired a marketing team, those outside resources, too. During this strategic planning session, you will want to do three key things:
- Assign responsibilities-Lead nurturing is complex and there are many aspects that need attention at all times. If responsibilities are not predetermined, some things may be forgotten or lost in the shuffle. It is the Project Manager’s duty to let all members of staff know what their specific tasks and responsibilities are from the get-go.
- Set expectations- Marketing your business is not a one-and-done undertaking; in most situations new strategies take time to show positive results. If you’re expecting to see huge changes within the first month, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. To ensure you and your team aren’t frustrated with a perceived lack of results, set reasonable goals and expectations for particular time periods. One thing that will help with this is taking a look at case studies of similar lead nurturing strategies employed by other businesses. If you have hired a marketing agency, it should be able to provide these for you.
- Assign accountability- It should not be just one person’s burden to worry about the success of the campaign or to take the blame when something goes wrong. It is crucial to make sure each member of the team is aware of what they will be held accountable for and what steps to take if and when a mistake is made.
Once responsibilities, expectations and accountability are established, you are ready to embark on your lead nurturing journey. This will be an adventure and may involve some twists and turns, so it is important to keep these three characteristics in mind:
- Be Patient- Results take time, try not to become frustrated when leads aren’t rolling in as quickly as you would like.
- Be Flexible-Sometimes the goals we set in the beginning turn out to be unreasonable, or our tactics need to be changed in order to reach those goals. Accept that change is a constant in marketing.
- Be Committed-Taking on a new strategy requires dedication. If you commit your time and effort to it, you will eventually see the results you desire.
Beginning a lead nurturing journey can be exciting, confusing, rewarding and frustrating all at once. It is important to keep in mind the benefits, as well as the work load required before taking on a strategy of this volume. Preparing your company for this change will ensure success and guard you from becoming overwhelmed.
Have you had success in lead nurturing? Share your tips in the comments!
*This information was gathered during an interview with Kuno Creative Senior Consultants Meghan and Shannon.
Courtney Moser is an Associate at Kuno Creative. She applies her passion for writing and editing to assist in creating content for Kuno and its clients. Courtney loves to read, expand her vocabulary and write engaging content for multiple audiences. You can connect with Courtney on LinkedIn.
photo credit: TwoRavensBrewing
