How to Build Relationships with Nurture Campaigns

What is a nurture campaign?

A nurture campaign is a strategy containing a series of emails or other communications that establish a relationship between a business and a consumer who expresses initial interest in its products or services.

Nurture campaigns don't focus on traditional marketing techniques. The goal is to establish a relationship and get people who are interested in your product ready to make a purchase.

A nurture email campaign typically relies on data and customer insights to create personalized communications. Users generate data when they visit a website or landing page, place items in their shopping cart, or respond to a marketing email or promotion. Marketers can use this information to tailor communications to the lead's interests or actions.

In other words, a nurture email campaign is highly personalized, so consumers feel the messaging is for them rather than generic marketing materials. This dynamic can help build a connection that makes purchasing more likely as they move along the sales and marketing funnel.

Types of nurturing campaigns

There are several varieties of nurture campaigns. The best option for your needs depends on your business model, the product or service, the actions and interests of the lead, and your final goals for the campaign.

Here are the most common types of campaigns.

• Education or training campaign. This type of email sequence seeks to establish your company as an authority in your industry by providing relevant content to leads who need more time to make a purchase. This campaign is ideal for those wary of a hard sell, but it can be challenging to measure results because you're not moving customers along the sales funnel.
• Lead qualification campaign. This type of nurture email campaign seeks to categorize leads by confirming their interest in your offerings. Instead of direct sales pitches, you provide opportunities for the lead to engage with your company. You might send emails directing them to download content, follow your social media accounts, or sign up for a free trial. Those who interact with these offers confirm their interest in your services or products.
• Profiling campaign. A profiling campaign is similar to a lead qualification strategy, but it focuses on collecting additional data about the lead. You can then use this information for further personalization. For example, you might send an email containing multiple promotions to see which one the recipient clicks on first. This data will allow you to tailor future emails and offers to their interests.

• New lead campaigns. This type of lead nurturing campaign focuses on introducing your company, brand story, and unique value proposition. Then, you can invite your leads to sign up for different email lists, take advantage of trials or promotions, or download additional content.
• Repeat customer campaigns. Your nurture campaign efforts can continue after the first sale. You can encourage customers to keep coming back by offering them special promotions unavailable to first-time shoppers and providing content that trains them to take full advantage of the products or services they already have.
• Re-engagement campaigns. You can also reach out to customers or qualified leads who have not been active recently. The goal of these emails is to rekindle their interest with new high-value content, special offers, or other incentives.

Always remember that these campaigns should focus on nurturing and personalizing the relationship with leads and customers rather than making a direct sales pitch.

How are nurture and drip campaigns different?

Drip and nurture campaigns both rely on email sequences. However, one is time-based, while the other is more personalized and based on the lead's activity and behavior.

It's essential to understand the drip vs. nurture campaign comparison so that you can use both types of emails in the correct situations.

Drip campaigns implement a series of automated emails that attempt to get new leads into your sales funnel. These emails are triggered by a specific action, such as signing up for a mailing list, filling out a survey, or signing up for a free trial. Although you may have different drip email sequences based on the lead's category, the messaging is more general and not personalized.

On the other hand, the primary goal of lead nurturing emails is to build a long-term relationship with a customer rather than moving them along the sales funnel. The email sequence is based on user activity, segmentation, and data, and the calls to action (CTAs) are more subtle.

Why are nurture campaigns important?

An email nurture campaign seeks to create high-quality leads by fostering relationships rather than attempting to get quick sales conversions. Instead of trying to increase lead generation, you focus on turning the most promising leads into loyal customers.

Why is this effort worthwhile? Leads that go through the nurture email process are 50% more sales-ready than those that don't. Yes, you can build customer relationships through social media, your website, and your blog. However, these other channels don't give you the same opportunities to personalize communications in the same manner as nurture emails.

Here are some of the additional benefits of nurture campaigns.

• These emails can forge a strong connection between a consumer and business, helping reduce customer churn by building a sense of loyalty and trust that competitors can't match.
• Nurture emails allow you to establish an immediate line of communication with leads without a direct sales pitch.
• A well-planned email marketing strategy can establish you as an expert or thought leader in your industry. This dynamic creates trust between you and your leads.
• Nurture campaigns allow you to communicate regularly with your leads and customers in a non-invasive way that doesn't pressure them to buy something.
• The emails allow you to tell your brand story, illustrate your unique selling points, and discuss the benefits you provide. In other words, you can take time to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

A nurture campaign is only effective if your emails convey the right messages, tone, and value to the recipients.

Best practices for effective nurture campaigns

Here are the best practices that can help ensure your nurture email campaign brings the desired results.

• Address pain points your leads might have. One of the best ways to ensure your emails are relevant and provide value is to talk about problems your leads may have and present solutions to help overcome these pain points.
• Make sure the sequence is logical. Each email should build on the previous one or add new information relevant to the same topic. Readers will stop opening your emails if they contain the same information or random tidbits unrelated to one another.

• Take advantage of automation. According to the Annuitas Group, businesses who take advantage of marketing automation tools are more likely to see an increase in qualified leads. As such, using automation software and applications can help ensure your nurturing campaign is a success.
• Make the messages concise. Long-form content is better suited for blogs or PDF downloads. While you can use nurture campaigns to direct readers to these longer pieces, keep the content in your email marketing short and to the point.
• Don't stray from your brand identity. The way you present your brand should be consistent across all channels, including emails. This applies to tone, subject matter, and phrases that help identify your company and set it apart from your competitors.

You should also ensure your emails have all the fundamental qualities necessary for an effective campaign. For example, they need to be mobile-friendly, have concise subject lines, and be relevant to each lead's segment.

Nurture and convert leads with the right strategy

Nurture emails can create high-quality leads that are much more likely to be converted into customers (and, ideally, repeat clients). A nurture email campaign works best if you have the correct tools.

Mailchimp offers several tools that can help you create, organize, and manage your email marketing. For example, Mailchimp's segmentation tools allow you to target audience members based on specific categories. With this tool, you can personalize your content to cover the interests of your leads so that the emails provide value.

Mailchimp also provides analytics and reports that help you gauge the effectiveness of your emails based on how many recipients open and interact with them. This information can help you make improvements when necessary.

With quality content and the right tools from Mailchimp, you can create a nurture campaign that turns leads into loyal customers and establishes you as an expert and trusted thought leader in your industry.