Middle of the Funnel Continued…
Fulfillment pages. Your first step is delivering on the opt-in offer that drew in your leads in the first place. Whatever you offered — an eBook, a webinar, etc. — make sure it’s something your new lead is likely to find worthwhile, so that they will pay attention to the next offer you make.
Thank-you pages. Once the prospect has given you their information and responded to your offer, courtesy can go a long way. Not only can you make the customer feel appreciated, but a well-designed thank-you page can invite the lead to explore more opportunities through your website or social media that they might find to be valuable, getting you a bonus level of exposure.
Email marketing. Here again, your inbound marketing strategy will absorb a piece of the old outbound model. Now, though, you have permission to send them information, and you have intelligence on their interest(s) based on the information they are requesting, what pages they’ve viewed on your website, etc. Using this knowledge along with your content mapping tactics can help you get four to ten times the response rate you could expect from a regular email blast, according to a SilverPop/DemandGen Report.
Social network engagement.Social media can give you an even more personal way to stay connected with your leads. You can also gain more information about them, their interests and their impressions of your business, which will help you tailor your campaign even more.
Lead scoring. Keeping track of your visitors’ interest is critical to your content mapping and your assessment of your campaign’s success. Knowing when your lead may be losing interest will tell you how well your strategy is working and what you need to do to close the deal.
Special offers. This tried and true tactic from the outbound marketing days can be even more powerful now that you have built a clearer picture of your leads. Offering a deal on products or services they may have already expressed an interest in can provide the nudge they need to buy.
Combining all these strategies to work together can be tricky. But remember that these leads are all people who came to you, and are already interested in what you have to offer. Following through on a strong inbound marketing plan can help you get more prospects than ever to the final stage of the funnel, where you convert them into paying customers!
