Lead nurturing
Lead nurturing is the process of developing relationships with buyers at every step of the buyer’s journey. It requires listening to the needs of your prospects. And providing them with the information and answers they are seeking at each stage of the sales funnel.
Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost.
Who’s doing it well? Here are 10 lead nurturing case studies that show the ROI.
#1. Airstream
Because Airstream doesn’t sell its RV’s directly to consumers, it needs an efficient way to connect customers with Airstream dealerships across North America. They created a campaign that introduced future Airstream buyers to the Airstream line of products. Using interior and exterior shots, they helped them determine, through a quick “Airstream Match” survey, which one might be right for them. The customers who submitted the form automatically received an email. It contained an offer specifically relevant to that customer’s “Airstream Match” information and included the customer’s closest dealer. Results were:
- 78% increase in leads
- 52% lower cost per lead
#2. Bridgeline Digital
Bridgeline Digital helps customers build better digital experiences through its powerful Unbound platform. Despite transforming digital experiences for some of the world’s largest brands, Bridgeline wanted to improve its ability to develop awareness and demand for Unbound outside its network. They we ran multiple outbound campaigns simultaneously to test messaging across the manufacturing, auto aftermarket, healthcare, association and financial services industries. Salesforce dashboard allowed Bridgeline to track prospects by revenue channel, lead source, and lead owner. This achieved:
- $2.5M in pipeline and filled for the top-of-the-funnel sales
- 21 qualified leads and 8 sales qualified leads
#3. Centrics IT lead nurturing
Centrics IT is a data center solutions provider. Before automation, the company didn’t have a refined method of tracking its leads or nurturing them. Leads were thrown into an inbox to manually forward to Sales. After the implementation of a marketing automation system, leads were automatically directed from landing pages to sales reps. In the first year of marketing automation at CentricsIT, results were:
- 59% increase in lead generation
- $1.5 million in revenue directly attributable to the new technology
#4. Crain’s Business
Crain’s Business Insurance is a trade publication that faced the challenge of declining advertising revenue. But, at the same time, its industry customers began buying up-front research and content. The company had three databases: print subscribers, online registrants, and the newly created marketing automation database, Then, Crain’s implemented lead scoring, and analytics coming from marketing automation. This led to:
- Nearly $550,000 in brand-new advertising revenue for demand generation services
- 43% increase in registered online newsletter subscribers
- 2% increase in paid print subscribers
- 3% conversion rate from anonymous website visitors
#5. PlasticPrinters
PlasticPrinters produce custom plastic cards, business cards, gift cards, key tags, and menus. They created an inbound marketing strategy that would bring more visitors to their website leveraging an already sizable social media presence and turn more visitors into leads through the top of the funnel offers. One example is a workflow targeted specifically at nonpurchasing prospects who have a Twitter account with a new offer via email. The email provided the prospect with a discount for their first order if they published a pre-written tweet “@Plasticprinters Send me my free #350OffCoupon” on their own account. To make things easier the Tweet could be composed by simply clicking a button in the email. They saw:
- 64% of the subscribers generated from their new top of the funnel offers convert into sales qualified leads
- 24% year-over-year revenue increase to their ability to start the conversation with visitors earlier
#6. ProFresh lead nurturing
ProFresh Oral Hygiene Routine is clinically proven to eliminate halitosis and reduce dental plaque. Utilizing paid search and social advertising channels, they were experiencing low conversion rates, and the cost-per-acquisition was not achieving goals. Google Ad campaigns were reorganized, and low-converting demographics (age and income) were disabled. Facebook audiences were too broad; very specific audiences were created based on high performing personas. Within six months…
- Transactions increased by 39%
- Cost-per-transaction improved by 30%
- Product revenue was up 32%
- ROI improved by 80%
#7. Sage
Sage is the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems. Sage wanted to target decision-makers in HR, payroll, and finance with a company size of one to 1000 employees. So they created, the ‘Big HR & payroll quiz,’ a highly engaging and responsive online device. Developed in conjunction with a business psychologist, the quiz was a genuinely useful device. Participants could discover their work style, assess their key skills, and receive a tailored self-improvement toolkit all within one online environment. It returned:
- 48% lead generation increase
- 23% above target
- 33% went on to become sales
#8. Skype
Skype realizes approximately 80% of its total revenues from businesses. However, business users and co-workers are not aware of the benefits of using Skype as a company standard for collaboration. They several new B2B nurturing multi-lingual with design, copy, programming, implementation, reporting and fully integrated into a marketing automation lead generation platform. The results were:
- 650% increase in qualified leads for its enterprise sales team
- 65 registrations per in-person Lunch-n-Learn without adding cost
- 400% more programs managed without adding staff
#9. SmartBear lead nurturing
SmartBear Software, a B2B cloud mobile software company, was rapidly growing and decided to implement CRM software and marketing automation software as a single process. The automation enabled them to merge their email campaign with the webinar platform which led to trial downloads for lead nurturing. Gains were:
- 200% increase in lead generation
- 80% of global leads were generated with automated trial downloads
- 85% of SmartBear’s revenue was generated by the trial download leads
#10. Tennant
Tennant manufactures and sells floor cleaning equipment, ranging from the office vacuum to a massive street sweeper. They are launching two new, industrial sweeping products through email campaigns. But floor cleaning equipment is big, bulky and boring. So they study the motorcycle industry to give their products the look and sexiness of motorcycles for “riders” of their new equipment. The campaign increased:
- Open rates by 32.5%
- Added 20 demo requests to Tennant’s pipeline
Do these case studies convince you of the value of lead nurturing? Do you have a lead nurturing strategy and plan for your business?
