Set SMART Goals

Setting a goal like, “improve ROI” sounds great, but it lacks tangible process and measurement. When setting sales goals, be SMART.

• Specific: Your goal should be clearly defined. It should include how many or much?
• Measurable: Use specific criteria to measure progress.
• Achievable: Make your goal attainable and not impossible.
• Realistic: Goals should be within reach and relevant to your mission.
• Timely: Set a target timeline to create accountability.

Create Buyer Personas

You should also know who you are marketing to, and what they are likely thinking as they go through the buyer’s journey. Segmenting your leads into buyer personas can refine your marketing efforts, and can be developed using these steps.

1. Communicate Across Company Silos

Interview your sales and customer service team. Ask your sales team about what types of customers they encounter. What do customers typically spend on a purchase? What are some common concerns they hear? Ask your marketing team questions like, what blog posts get the most traffic? What demographic information do they have on website visitors?

2. Talk to your Customers

Ask your current customers questions that will help you understand their behavior, challenges, and preferences. This will help refine your strategy.

3. Compile Findings and Write Specific Personas

Results of interviews should now be analyzed and used to build very specific personas. Many marketers will even give personas a descriptive name such as Thrifty Tom or Practical Pam. Personas should include demographics and a description of behavior.

These personas will help develop the right content and user experience. You can now form a specific campaign for each persona using this scientific method. Remember, the more you know about your customers, the better you will be able to communicate and engage with them.

Create Delightful Content

Now that you have buyer personas established, you have a great direction to go with targeted content marketing. People are emotional creatures. Use the behaviors and problems identified in your interviews to build content that provides real solutions. Use this information to delight your customers and build unmatched trust. You now have an engaged prospect to move along the sales funnel.

Develop and Track Campaigns

Lead nurturing is an ever evolving, living process. These campaigns need to be tracked and tested regularly. Testing gives the marketer insight into where and how to optimize and change approaches over time.

A simple A/B test compares reaction and behavior to two samples, a variation and control. Doing so will give insight needed to create relevant and powerful content. A strong A/B test includes data collection, a goal, hypothesis, and results analysis. It doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Get your feet wet by checking out Google’s simple analytics tools to test multiple versions of content.

Calculate ROI of Lead Nurturing

The Return of Investment (ROI) comes from the revenue generated from nurtured leads compared to those who were not nurtured.

A simple formula could be: new leads X conversion rate X average sales price. Compare this figure to the revenue generated by leads that were previously not nurtured. This simple formula provides a good baseline to examine the efficacy of your efforts.

Conclusion

The process of lead nurturing is one of building relationships with your buyers, regardless of where they are in the sales funnel. Communication with department silos, customers, and prospects is key to a successful campaign. Using tracking methods will give meaningful insight into your efforts. Bottom line: relationships matter. Understand buyers and you will win your market.

Jessica Carr
Content and Social Media Manager
jessica@bossleads.com
twitter handle: @boss_leads

Jessica Carr previously served as an educator. Her interaction with students and parents gave her insight into how communication and language develop. She is now Communications Consultant and Content Manager for Boss Leads, LLC. Here, she leverages her experience to manage consumer-facing informational websites. Jessica manages journalists in three countries.