Sometimes, B2B marketing feels like a guild designed to keep outsiders at bay. There are so many acronyms, jargon, and “strategies.” Reality is often much simpler.
Take, for example, a conversation I had with a fantastic Head of Marketing, who emailed me:
“I’m in the process of exploring nurture strategy/campaigns, but it’s not something I’ve done before – was wondering if you’d be able to share how you are looking at nurture and what you’ve found works / doesn’t work? Any best practices and tips would be gratefully received!“
Ah, “Nurture.” It’s one of those terms that has gained an almost mythical status in marketing despite being fundamentally simple and really not a big deal.
Even if you haven’t formally implemented nurture marketing before, you’ve engaged in its tactics. You’ve got this. (And you’ve especially got this after you finish reading this blog post.)
Nurture marketing is simply being top of mind for your audience – so when they’re ready to raise their hand and buy, you’re there, and they’re thinking of you favorably.
You achieve this by doing what marketers should always be doing: providing relevant, educational, high-quality, and 90% non-salesy content. This content should come in various formats: blog posts, webinars, social posts, and podcasts, and is distributed via multiple channels, including email marketing, social media, and retargeting ads.
Sure, you can be more sophisticated by segmenting your nurtured leads and sending them middle-of-the-funnel content. This will probably improve performance, but rarely does that justify the extra time you’re spending and the complexity of the tasks. The most important thing that takes you from 0 to 80 is consistently delivering high-quality content. Then you can start investing in getting from 80 to 90.
Blue Seedling’s fail-safe, 100% success-guaranteed nurture formula:
- Create or curate outstanding content. If you need help getting started, or if you’re in a rut, we’ll give you a leg up. Start by creating derivative content, learn where to find the best source for content ideas, and brush up on a few “content hacks” for creating quality content on a budget.
- Send out a monthly, “reader” style newsletter – a simple text email from a real person with all your rich, well-honed content. It’s the most effective B2B marketing email you can send.
- Post on LinkedIn at least twice a week from the CEO’s account with this content (like I do.) For tips on ramping up your social quantity without sacrificing quality, check out our guide to using GenAI for social. Early-stage founders, this applies to you, too, even if you’re 6 to 12 months away from launch.
- Brace yourself for a wave of nurtured leads begging for demos. 🙋♀️🙋♂️
The bottom line
Nurture marketing is fundamentally pretty simple. It’s all about ensuring your brand stays top of mind, so when it’s time to make a decision, you’re not just an option – you’re the clear choice. Focus on creating content that hits the mark with your audience, and then sit back and watch the magic happen.
Further reading
- The best source for content ideas is right in front of you
- Extend your reach and budget: A quick guide to creating derivative content for B2B marketers
- Four “content hacks” for creating quality content on a budget
- Introducing “The Reader,” the most effective B2B marketing email you can send
- Get more clicks on your newsletter – without the clickbait
- How important is social media for early-stage founders (and how much of it should you actually do?)
