Even in an era of ABM, intent data, and AI-driven marketing, lead nurturing still has an essential role to play in helping B2B marketers drive revenue and maximize the ROI from their demand generation efforts. As long as companies continue to generate in-profile leads (right person, right company) that aren’t quite yet ready to engage with sales, someone or something will need to ensure that those leads don’t go to waste.
The Problem with Most Nurture Programs
Too often, nurture programs are overly focused on the short-term goal of rapidly converting leads into sales conversations. (“You just downloaded our white paper. How about a demo?”) These programs tend to be designed with a single objective: move the lead through the funnel as quickly as possible by pushing them towards a demo, meeting, or price quote. While this approach may yield results in the short term, it ignores a whole subset of potential customers who aren’t yet ready to engage.
Recent studies repeatedly confirm that B2B sales cycles are only getting longer, and the buying process more complex. Today’s buyers conduct most of their research online, compare vendors and gather input from multiple stakeholders, before ever reaching out to sales. If your nurture program only focuses on generating that sales connection, it overlooks the reality of the current B2B buyers’ journey.
When a nurture program is focused on short-term conversions, leads that don’t convert immediately are often discarded or left inactive, something that’s not only a missed opportunity but also a waste of the investment it took to generate those leads in the first place. Providing they otherwise meet your target profile, early-stage prospects are still potential customers, if only months down the road. Left to their own research, without further positive and consistent interaction with your brand, they may not remember you when they’re finally ready to make a purchase.
Furthermore, it’s infinitely more cost-effective to nurture and convert an existing prospect, someone who is already a “sunk cost,” rather than constantly try to generate net new sales-ready leads, leads who may not yet know or trust your brand.
The Two Pillars of an Effective Nurture Program
An effective nurture program should be designed to achieve two things:
The first is to identify which new leads are active buyers. This means delivering relevant content, tracking engagement, and presenting opportunities for prospects to take the next step—whether that step is talking to sales, booking a demo, or attending a product tour. Identifying these qualified leads ensures that sales are prioritizing their time on the right individuals.
Why Nurture Programs Aren’t Just About Converting Leads Share on XThe second, and often overlooked, function of a nurture program is to maintain an ongoing relationship with leads who aren’t ready to engage with sales immediately. Rather than abandoning these leads, nurture programs should be designed to build credibility and trust through educational content, case studies, thought leadership, and industry insights. This long-term engagement keeps your brand top of mind for when the prospect is finally ready to engage, whether that’s in a month, six months, or even years.
Nurture Programs Are an Investment in Future Buyers
Think of nurturing as a long-term relationship-building exercise. When your program consistently provides information of value (and not just reasons to buy your product), prospects will associate your brand with helpfulness, expertise, and credibility. As these prospects continue their buyer journey, your company becomes a trusted resource, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be the first vendor they turn to when they’re ready to engage.
That relationship-building should be viewed as a continuous cycle, not a one-time push. While the initial stages of a nurture program might focus on quickly funneling qualified leads to sales, the long-term goal should be to keep your brand top of mind and educate prospects so that, when the timing is right, you’re in the best possible position to win the deal.
Nurture Programs Should Run Indefinitely
A well-structured nurture program doesn’t have an expiration date. It’s a living, dynamic process that shifts and evolves depending on a prospect’s engagement level and their stage in the buying journey. In the very early stages, lead nurturing can focus on identifying those leads who are ready to engage. Beyond that, the goal should be maintaining relevance so that your brand is the preferred choice when that individual is ready to buy.
Whether a prospect buys in six weeks, six months, or two years, a nurture program should be continuously educating, building credibility, and reinforcing your brand as a trusted solution. Nurtured leads routinely close at a higher rate because you’ve built that trust and credibility over time. A well-structured nurture program, built for the long-term, ensures that pipeline remains healthy without having to rely exclusively on net new leads.
For more information on this topic, download our ebook: “Top 10 Tips for Lead Nurturing Success.”