Prospects have different needs as compared to converts. They still need to establish a sense of trust in a brand in order to buy. Small business should be segmenting their emails and providing uniquely tailored messages to each sub-group.
When small business owners specifically customize messages for segments, such as their leads, they can expect a jump in engagement. Research has been done comparing targeted and segmented emails to general email sends. According to Small Business Trends, the individualized and target message show an 8% click-through rate as compared to 3% with general emails. Jupiter Research gives more hope to small businesses looking at their bottom line. Their study demonstrated that relevant emails generated 18 times more revenue than general blasts. Capitalize on targeting emails to leads for an impact on engagement.
Consider the Stage in the Buying Process
Prospects may have just come across your site or may have simply abandoned their cart. Businesses should consider that it takes 3-7 touches, or interactions, with leads before they are finally motivated to purchase. The first step is to identify where they are along the selling cycle:
- They are aware. Prospects know of your product or service and are looking to fulfill a need. Messages need to offer videos or other forms of information to demonstrate how the product can help them. Previous testimonials from satisfied customers are particularly useful.
- They are evaluating the options. Leads have some information on the product and are attempting to decide if your company is offering the best option. Be open and transparent with easy access to additional information like FAQ’s and 24/7 customer service agents available to address specific questions.
- They are ready to buy. Time to offer free shipping, a transparent return policy and a simple transactional platform.
Create Materials that are Evergreen
It takes time to generate marketing plans and high-grade materials should be saved and reused. The effort used to generate quality content such as videos and ebooks are well worth the initial investment. The materials help to educate and screen the prospects and by the time they get to you, they are ready to purchase. 71% of Millenials, the generation with the largest purchasing power since the baby boomers, visit social networks daily for an average time that exceeds 5 hours, as stated by Tarc Business Review. They only want to deal with people if there is a problem or a technical issue. Everything else should be presented in a straightforward manner via email, website and social media outlets. Content that answers customer questions and directs them and other generations to necessary information should be in an easy to consume format within your emails.
Final Tips
- Create multiple reasons to opt-in. Opt-ins can be within a post or newsletter with a link that sends them to the relevant element on the website.
- Generate a list of keywords/phrases that will help your ranking and/or drive traffic. This will help with creating content that interests the target audience.
- Offer free checklists, videos, pdfs and more to engage leads.
