Lead nurturing is an important component of the conversion process during a sales cycle. As part of lead nurturing, brands continue to develop and strengthen relationships with customers, guiding them through the sales funnel and eventually to conversion (purchase).
Since most consumers aren’t ready to make a purchase decision upon first exposure, how can brands nurture leads during the Middle of the Funnel (MOFU) stages? These parts of the sales funnel are where trust is built, and customers begin to see the value in the product or service the brand offers. First, it’s important to know a bit more about the sales funnel and how it leads to conversion.
The Sales Funnel
There are three main stages in the sales funnel. Consideration is the MOFU stage and where the customer can either decide to take further action with your brand or where you might lose them to a competitor or other solution.
During Awareness, you’ve caught your customer’s attention and they will start doing research on your brand or product to see if it can solve their pain point. This can include visiting your company website, reading online reviews and possibly signing up for your email or SMS program.
The next MOFU stage is Consideration. Here the customer has pretty much decided that something similar to your product or service is the right fit but hasn’t completely landed on your brand. The target might be weighing some options, but likely have it narrowed down to just a few choices.
So, how can you move your customers through the funnel to Conversion, where they make a purchase? Keep reading to learn proven lead nurturing techniques for MOFU conversion optimization.
Explore actionable lead nurturing techniques for the MOFU stage
You’ll want to start by figuring out what type of lead nurturing techniques will help move your customers closer to conversion. Look for strategies that build relationships, provide value and address pain points. Common strategies include content creation that focuses on the MOFU stages and using owned channels to share valuable information. It’s incredibly important to have a well-defined MOFU customer journey optimization strategy so that consumers don’t get lost or move to a competitor.
Implement personalized email marketing campaigns with dynamic content
Drip marketing campaigns are a powerful tool when it comes to nurturing leads and MOFU conversion optimization. This type of communication allows for personalization as well as segmented audience targeting. In fact, 73% of shoppers expect brands to understand their own unique needs and expectations. Segmentation allows brands to reach targeted groups within a broader audience. Retention marketing methods, including personalized email, can also help prompt repeat purchases as well as gain new buyers. The use of dynamic content, which changes email content based on subscriber information and preferences, can allow brands to deliver relevant and tailored messages to MOFU leads.
Using remarketing and targeted ads to stay top-of-mind with MOFU leads
Remarketing (reaching out to audiences who have already engaged with and interacted with your brand) is an effective lead-nurture technique. Targeted ads can help reinforce brand visibility and engagement, supporting MOFU conversion optimization. Some targeted ad strategies to help your brand stay top-of-mind include reaching out to customers about abandoned carts, offering incentives or discounts and focusing on MOFU landing page optimization.
Incorporating social proof and customer testimonials to build trust and credibility
Social proof and customer testimonials are powerful tools to harness lead nurturing techniques and drive MOFU conversion optimization. Northwestern University found that brands that showed at least five quality product reviews increased conversion by 270%. Seeing positive comments from other customers builds trust and credibility in the brand, steering those in the MOFU stage toward conversion. Customer engagement tactics that can encourage reviews and social proof include asking for user-generated content (UGC) and simply prompting reviews. Then, brands should try to display these testimonials/reviews on websites or landing pages, in case studies and on other owned media/social channels.
Monitoring and analyzing lead nurturing technique performance
How will you know if your lead nurture techniques during the MOFU stages are working? It’s vital to monitor and analyze campaign performance. Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, follower count and engagement. Return on investment (ROI) will be an indicator that you’re headed in the right direction for MOFU conversion optimization. Once you review data, continued refinement is recommended based on these insights.
Through the MOFU
Embracing lead nurturing techniques in the MOFU stage is key to boosting conversions. Marketers that want to focus on MOFU conversion optimization should implement multiple verticals. These include personalized email marketing, remarketing, targeted ads, social proof and customer testimonials. Monitoring performance will also be vital, as it will show successes and weaknesses. This helps you incorporate updated strategies to make the most of marketing messages and dollars. These five strategies will effectively nurture MOFU leads and drive them closer to conversion.
The experts at Beyond Fifteen are here to help you with proven lead nurturing techniques that guide customers through the sales funnel with MOFU conversion optimization. Connect with us to learn more!