B2C LEAD NURTURE EMAIL

OPPORTUNITIES Ideas to Help Your Business Flourish

Connie Harrington, Strategist

Accende Consulting

About Lead Nurturing

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• Traditionally, lead nurturing

has been a B2B approach

due to need to cultivate

prospect interest throughout

long sales cycle

• Today, B2C companies are

applying lead nurturing

concepts to develop a e-

marketing lifecycle

management approach to:

• Convert prospects

• Keep current customers

engaged

“Lead nurturing is a process by which leads are tracked and

developed into sales-qualified leads.” ~Forrester Research

Opportunities • Converts latent demand to

drive increased revenues

• Facilitates trust-building

between brand and

customers

Example B2B Lead Nurturing Campaigns

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Welcome

Campaign

Education

Campaign

Why Us

Campaign

Accelerate

Campaign

New

Customer

On-Boarding

Customer

Loyalty/

Retention

Welcome new

subscribers

Get them ready

to talk to sales

Overlay your

solution on top

of their need

Remove

roadblocks,

speed purchase

decision

Welcome new

customers

Retain and

develop

• Introduce

brand

• Reiterate

subscription

benefits

• Spell out

next steps

• Opt-in to

something

else

• Engage to

further

profile

prospect

• Educate

about value

proposition

• Differentiate

your brand

from

competitors

• Reiterate

value

proposition

• Include

relevant

case

studies,

testimonials

• Provide

decision

tools

• Thank them

• Identify next

steps

• Reiterate

purchase/

relationship

benefit

• Seek

feedback

• Tips/tricks to

get most out

of product

Source: Eloqua

B2B lead nurturing typically focuses on contacts’ position in the sales

cycle and delivers targeted, need-based messaging

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Example B2C Lead Nurturing Campaigns

Segment Behavioral Ranking Criteria Email Communications

Engaged • Shares emails on social

networks

• Visits website regularly

• Opens emails and clicks often

• Has made more than one

purchase

• Special promotions for top

customers

• New product announcements prior

to public launch

• Birthday e-cards with gift

certificate

Interested • Visits website sometimes

• Opens emails and clicks

occasionally

• Has not yet purchased

• Educational campaign

• Lead warming activities

• Promotions for first transaction

Inactive • Visits website and/or opens

emails infrequently or never

• May have purchased previously

but not recently

• Survey to assess needs

• Incentives for re-engagement

Source: Silverpop

B2C lead nurturing can use behavioral criteria to gauge customer

engagement and deliver focused, relevant messaging

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Engaged Contact

Example #1

Features • Shows appreciation

for customer loyalty

• Offers option to get

details on product

features

• Highlights “exclusive

preview” of product

offering

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Engaged Contact Example # 2

Features • Invites customer to

members-only rewards

club

• Details membership

benefits

• Expresses gratitude for

customer loyalty

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Interested Contact

Example #1

Features • Acknowledges

email address

share

• Emphasizes utility

of content

• Gives subscriber

control over

participation level –

from opt-out to high

engagement

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Interested Contact

Example #1

Features • Acknowledges

recipient’s website

visit

• Provides incentive for

first order

• Highlights

convenience features

to encourage trial

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Inactive Contact

Example #1

Features • Provides clear

“We’ve Missed

You” message

• Offers “Welcome

Back” incentive

discount

• Includes “shop

now” link to direct

recipient to website

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Inactive Contact

Example #2

Features • Emphasizes ease-

of-use of service

• Includes simple,

step-by-step

instructions

• Includes clear site

links for online

account access

Key B2C Lead Nurture Email Elements

• Content • Keep reader’s needs at core of all a

content development

• Maintain message consistency

• Invite dialog and feedback to deepen

insight on contact needs

• Tone • Focus on customer service

• Use personal, relevant approach that

targets “pain points” to motivate action

• Rewards • Offer promotion(s) but ensure clear

business rules to avoid incentive-

seeking behaviors

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Key B2C Lead Nurture Email Elements (cont’d)

• Segmentation • Categorize contacts according to

engagement levels and behavioral criteria

• Design • Ensure brand-compliant design to reinforce

company image

• Keep design simple and focus on

messaging

• Engagement • Send follow-up email to new contacts

immediately to capitalize on interest

• Target email delivery times and messages

based on contact’s identified engagement

level

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ABANDONED TRANSACTION

EMAIL OPPORTUNITIES

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About Abandoned Transactions Campaigns

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• Delivering triggered “save and

retrieve” emails can capture new

leads for ongoing interaction

• Connecting with visitors who

abandoned transactions is a prime

opportunity to:

• Engage directly with visitors who

have indicated clear interest in

products or services

• Salvage lost revenue

opportunities

• Responding immediately helps

protect against visitors forgetting

about offer or choosing another

provider*

An abandoned transaction occurs when a visitor initiates a

transaction but fails to complete it during that visit

Opportunity**

69.3% of companies do not send

emails when visitors abandon

transactions

Source: *Marketing Experiments

**Epsilon

Abandoned Transaction Best Practices

• Include customer service

messaging

• Refer to the abandoned

transaction and link to the

account

• Highlight related products for

cross-selling and up-selling

• Instill a sense of urgency with a

date for completing the

transaction

• Consider a series to cut through

inbox clutter

Source: Email Institute and

Multichannel Merchant

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Example

Features • Notes potential of

“glitch” that caused

transaction

abandonment

• Provides link to

complete transaction

• Offers option to call

customer service vs.

finalizing purchase

online

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Email Series – Abandoned Transactions

• Research* suggests a two or three-step email series can significantly boost responses following abandoned transactions

• Testing is key to determine best approach for specific audience

• Include any incentive – if desired – in final message and ensure offer is limited to avoid conditioning visitors to abandon transactions

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Opportunity** Abandoned transaction e-marketing

experts recommend testing a three-

part series:

1. Email #1 ~ Sent immediately

following abandoned

transaction

2. Email #2 ~ Sent 23 hours after

first email

3. Email #3 ~ Sent 6 days and 23

hours after first email

Sources: *Marketing Experiments

**SeeWhy

Message #1 Immediately after

abandoned signup

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All series messages include

explanatory messaging:

Message sent: August 26, 2011

Message #2

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Two (2) days after

abandoned signup

Message sent: August 28, 2011

Message #3

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Nine (9) days after

abandoned signup

Seven (7) days after

Message #2

Message sent: September 4, 2011

Email Metrics – Abandoned Transactions

• Of the 30.7% of companies that

sent abandoned transaction

emails to customers

• 45.1% included product

images

• 16.1% included an incentive to

influence customer behavior

• 32.3% of companies that sent

abandoned transaction messages

emailed them within 72 hours

• 16.1% of companies send

multiple abandoned transaction

messages

Source: Epsilon

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SUMMARY

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Recap of Key Opportunities • B2C marketers can apply B2B

lead nurturing concepts

• Develop lifecycle management

approach to lead development

• Deliver differentiated messaging to

contacts based on engagement level

for more personalized communication

feel

• Abandoned transaction scenarios

are a special opportunity for lead

capture

• Connect directly with visitors when

interest level is high

• Foster brand awareness with new

contacts

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Opportunity Online lead generation is

now responsible for 42% of

total B2C sales.

Source: Econsultancy

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THANK YOU