Content Strategy: Creating a Simple Nurturing Campaign

Over the past 20 years, I’ve heard claims that the death of email is imminent, and yet email nurturing continues to be one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. As part of your broader content strategy, it allows you to build relationships with potential customers by providing them with valuable content that aligns with their needs and interests. In this post, we’ll walk you through a simple, actionable email nurturing campaign template that you can easily adapt to your goals.

While the specific content or Call to Action (CTA) you use will depend on your company’s objectives, audience, and industry, the basic structure we’re outlining here really does apply to any business. Whether you’re promoting a product, service, or brand, email nurturing campaigns like this help you build trust, guide potential customers through your funnel, and grow your mailing list.

The good news? Executing this kind of campaign isn’t expensive. However, it does require focus, purpose, and a commitment to delivering value at each stage. Now, let’s dive into the four key steps for building a simple, effective email nurturing campaign:

Step 1: Provide a “Free” Content Download

Every successful email nurturing campaign begins with a valuable piece of content. This could be an ebook, a whitepaper, a video, or any other resource your audience will find useful. The goal is to provide something compelling enough to motivate them to click and engage with you.

Once a potential lead clicks on your content offer, they should be directed to a landing page where they can easily access the download. The landing page should be simple and to the point, and, in my opinion, it should not require detailed registration. You only need to ask for one thing: their email address.

Best Practices for a Landing Page:

• Keep it simple: The more fields you add to your form, the more likely it is that potential leads will abandon the page. Only ask for their email address.
• Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Make sure it’s immediately obvious what they’re getting in return for their email. Whether it’s a guide or a video, your CTA should clearly state the value.
• Optimize for conversions: Ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and has a clean, minimalistic design that draws attention to the CTA.

For example, let’s say your offer is a downloadable PDF on improving workplace productivity. A well-optimized landing page would provide a brief overview of what’s in the guide and how it will help the reader, followed by a place to enter an email and click ‘Ok’ or ‘Download.’ The content should then instantly open, or you can show a confirmation that the file or download link has been emailed to them. That’s it. No other busy screen with a heavy-handed upsell or product pitch. Let the valuable (and well-branded) content speak for itself.

Step 2: Follow Up with Additional Free Content

Once someone has downloaded your content, the next step is to keep them engaged. Within 48 hours, send a follow-up email that offers them another free piece of related content. This demonstrates that you’re not just looking for a quick sale but are genuinely interested in providing value.

Structure of the Follow-Up Email:

• Acknowledge their initial download: Start by thanking them for downloading your content.
• Offer another piece of valuable content: This could be another ebook, infographic, or case study that builds upon the topic of the initial download. The goal here is to deepen their engagement with your brand while also demonstrating your subject-matter expertise.
• Clear CTA: Make sure your email has a strong CTA that encourages them to check out this next piece of content.

For example, if the first content they downloaded was a PDF on workplace productivity, you could offer them a free infographic on time management tips in this follow-up email.

Best Practices:

• Keep it personal: Use their name (if you have that data) and reference the specific content they downloaded.
• Keep it simple: Don’t overload the email with multiple CTAs or too much information. Focus on delivering one piece of value.

Step 3: Introduce a Related Webinar

After your lead has downloaded a second piece of content, it’s time to offer them a deeper form of engagement. Within 72 hours of your follow-up email, send another email promoting a related webinar or on-demand video recording. Webinars are a great way to engage leads more interactively, showcase your expertise, and move them further down the sales funnel. Different people consume information in different ways, with some preferring to read articles and others preferring video content. Give them options. Mix it up. The other benefit of this more detailed content is that you can now include a basic (simple) registration form and collect additional information about your respondents.

Structure of the Webinar Invitation:

• Reference the previous content: Remind them of the content they’ve already received and how the webinar ties into it.
• Offer exclusive value: Highlight what makes the webinar worth their time, whether it’s expert insights, a Q&A session, or an actionable takeaways list.
• Strong CTA: Make sure your email has a clear CTA that leads to the webinar registration page.
• Simple registration: Ask for name, company, and email confirmation, but keep other questions at a minimum. The longer the form, the less likely they’ll register.

For instance, if your previous content focused on productivity tips, your webinar could cover more advanced strategies for improving workplace efficiency, with live Q&A to help them apply these strategies in real-time.

Best Practices:

• Create urgency: Mention limited spots or the date of the webinar to encourage quick registration.
• Keep it concise: Focus on the benefits of attending and provide an easy registration process.

Step 4: Send an On-Demand Video for Non-Registrants

Not every lead will register for your webinar, and that’s okay. For those who haven’t registered, send another email offering a related on-demand video that, as with the initial free download, should not require registration. This keeps them engaged while offering another chance to register for the webinar.

Structure of the On-Demand Video Email:

• Offer a relevant on-demand video: Provide access to a video that complements the webinar or further builds on the topic. Make sure the content is helpful and relevant to their needs.
• Encourage webinar registration: Mention that there’s still time to register for the upcoming webinar, providing a link for easy registration.

By offering an on-demand video, you’re showing that you’re willing to provide value even if they haven’t yet committed to attending a live event. The more engagement with each piece of content in your campaign indicates intent. When they do finally reach out for more information or to speak with someone in sales, you should be able to see the various content assets that were viewed or downloaded, giving you a much clearer picture of their business needs.

Best Practices:

• Remain positive: Keep the tone light and non-pushy.
• Clear CTA: Provide clear links to both the on-demand video and the webinar registration page.

Ongoing Nurturing: Segmenting Your Audience

Once your leads have either registered for your webinar or engaged with your content, you can segment them for further nurturing.

For Registrants/Engaged Leads:

• Add them to your ongoing newsletter: Keep providing them with valuable content that matches their interests. Over time, this builds trust and keeps them engaged with your brand.
• Personalized content: Use their engagement history to tailor future content and offers, making sure it aligns with their interests.

For Non-Engaged Leads:

• Create a separate nurturing sequence: For leads who didn’t engage with your content, create a separate nurturing campaign aimed at re-engaging them with fresh content or offers. This content campaign may not have been of interest, but as long as they remain on your email list (if they have not removed themselves), they may be interested in your future campaigns.
• Re-engagement strategies: Consider sending them a personalized offer or new content that might pique their interest.

 

Getting Started

Building a simple email nurturing campaign is an excellent way to grow your mailing list, nurture leads, and move prospective customers closer to conversion. While the type of content you offer may vary depending on your goals, the basic structure of this campaign remains relevant for businesses of all kinds.

As I often tell my clients, you do not need to be heavy-handed with your promotions. People intrinsically understand that you are trying to sell a product or service, so keep things simple. Remember, email nurturing isn’t about bombarding your leads with sales pitches. It’s about delivering value, building trust, and guiding potential customers through a thoughtful journey that matches their needs.

So why wait? Start building your email nurturing campaign today and watch your leads turn into long-term, loyal customers.