Most everyone has a complicated relationship with email marketing. Receivers are continually overwhelmed by their overflowing inbox while senders are frustrated by lack of responses. Truth be told, it is hard to avoid the spam folder these days.
That said, email marketing is still the most effective way to reach and nurture leads. According to Marketing Sherpa, email is the preferred source of business communication for 72 percent of consumers. Whether you are nurturing a contact through promotions, interests, or top-of-the-mind contact, email is the way to go.
So, how can you make sure you send a really stellar email? What is the secret to getting your email opened, and — more importantly — read?
As you develop a lead nurturing strategy, there are key components to remember:
Define the Goals of Your Outreach
Who is your target audience? Why are you reaching out to them? The goal here should be to send clear and well-defined messages to a specific audience. Figuring out who they are and where their interests lie is the key to understanding which type of nurturing strategy to implement.
Additionally, it is just as important to define the reason for your outreach. Are you looking to generate some foot traffic with deals or coupons? Perhaps you are seeking new residents who have toured but have not committed yet. These scenarios entail two different kinds of leads and each requires their own form of nurturing. The commonality is the overall approach. You want to send targeted offers and content-specific emails to engage on a personal level.
Make It Personal
Sending frequent automated emails can irritate your recipients. Not to mention you will find yourself in the spam folder faster than you hit send. Adding personal touches to your emails guarantees a higher success rate. According to Experian, brands that personalize their email subject lines experience 27 percent higher unique click rates and 11% higher click-to-open rates.
Implementing a practice as simple as using your lead’s name in the greeting makes a big difference. By tailoring your emails to a prospect’s interests, actions, and behaviors, you are sending recipients something that they will want to read. This is especially important in the commercial real estate or multifamily space. Personalized email marketing allows you to keep returning clients in the loop while simultaneously reaching out to new prospects.
Send Email Marketing Content That Is Valuable
One surefire way to peak a lead’s interest is to saturate your emails with information that they want to know. Send content that is relevant and valuable to your leads. For example, share details on why SEO is important to property awareness or articles about the importance of developing a buyer persona.
Focus on your lead’s problem point and position your brand as the solution. The key to providing educational content is to focus on one topic per email. This gives your recipients a specific course of action to follow. Multifamily properties, for example, can use this nurturing strategy by sending emails that educate prospects on the neighborhood or highlight unique amenities.
Connect on Multiple Platforms
Engaging with consumers on various types of media keeps you actively present and part of their daily lives. Connecting beyond the initial email exchange is a great way to keep in touch and achieve top-of-mind awareness. Some digital ways to engage with leads include: inviting a lead to subscribe to your blog, connecting on LinkedIn, and sharing links to your company social media pages. Always encourage prospects to share your email and/or social media content.
Getting the lead is important. But it is what you do with that lead that really counts. Nurturing your prospect through email marketing is the best way to connect with a lead and turn it into a sale. Integrating these tips into your email marketing strategy will further engage your lead and grow your business.
