Gone are the days when consumers’ only options were the local hardware store, grocery, car dealership or insurance agent. With a keystroke, customers can browse, compare, shop and buy through endless choices thanks to internet convenience.
However, the one thing customers miss in this modern day shopping scenario is the personal touch of knowing who you are purchasing from. Knowing and trusting the person or company you are buying from makes customers feel better about their purchases and increases repeat purchases.
Luckily, the trust factor is not beyond the reach of businesses today. It has just taken a new format. Businesses have to reach out to customers to gain that trust and to keep their business in the forefront. Email sequences remain the best way to nurture those relationships.
Emails Provide Value
With advertising the business has only one goal, selling a product or service. There is nothing wrong with that, and in fact advertising has its time and place. However, if advertisements are the only contact with a customer, the message often gets lost because an ad is all about the business and not the customer.
With a nurture email series, the business concentrates on the value it provides a potential customer. It is about building a relationship and letting them know you are an expert in whatever your product or service may be.
The purpose is to let consumers know about you and your business. You do this by showing that you understand their pain points or struggles and have answers for them. These emails should be about how you can help them.
Here is how it works
This principal works regardless of your type of business. The great thing about email marketing is that since the customer has signed up for them you have a captive audience. When you provide them with useful information, they open and use your emails.
For example, if you sell flooring products, you want to send information that a consumer would find helpful if they are thinking about purchasing new flooring. Articles about flooring trends, different types of hardwood flooring options, fiber content of various carpets, how well different types of flooring wear for different rooms in the house, and other helpful topics all provide the consumer with valuable information they can use.
Choosing flooring can be a daunting project, yet you are meeting them where their needs are and gently guiding them through the process. This type of email is not a direct sale.
Through a series of emails like this you are building your business as an authority on the topic and making customers realize you are an expert in the field. As you progress through the emails, you can give them tips and suggestions. You can also include some soft sell calls-to-actions like setting up an appointment for a consultation. You can include the services you provide and if you have a sale or a coupon let your email reader know.
By becoming an expert and helping the customer with a problem you greatly increase the likelihood that when they are ready to make the purchase they show up in your store feeling like they already know you.
Another way to drive your sequence email is to build each email upon the decision making journey the buyer will take.
For example, a pool is not a necessity but a desire. However, through a planned email sequence you can provide information in a sequential order that would answer the questions a potential customer would have and lead them along on the process.
This sequence would walk them through the steps such as selecting the best location for a pool, selecting the type of pool that works for their needs- in-ground or above ground, concrete, fiberglass, or vinyl, the different maintenance needs for the pool choice, how to care for a pool, the installation procedure, etc. Through each email you direct them to the final step of making a purchase and of course tell them how to do that and how to contact you!
Benefits of lead nurturing emails
Ultimately, the emails will eventually lead up to a potential sale or product promotion. You want them to contact you for an appointment, come shop at your store or purchase your service. By creating this relationship, you are increasing your chance of gaining new customers.
No, not all email receivers will become customers, but that relationship you build may have additional payoffs. Often even those who don’t purchase may still recommend your business to a friend or acquaintance because they feel they know you through the emails you have sent.
If you currently do not use nurture emails for your business now is a good time to start. This infographic from Invespro shows the value of lead generating nurture email sequences. Companies that use lead nurture emails show a 50% increase in sales ready leads. Leads nurtured through emails also make 47% larger purchases than leads that were not nurtured. There is, on average, a 20% increase in sales opportunities versus non-nurtured leads.
Recent Comments