By: Alex Trajcevski
How to warm up cold leads is no easy task for any marketer or salesperson. This, considering when good quality leads are hard to come by in the first place. And managing leads is an even harder task.
But what may seem like an uphill battle can become a rewarding exercise when you eventually get to the top of the hill. Pardon the pun, but exercise is good for your physical and emotional well-being just like managing your leads through your sales funnel.
Fortunately, with marketing automation you can warm up cold leads. And by guiding them into a warm lead you can then strike while the iron is hot. Reaping the rewards, standing at the top of the hill with hands raised in the air, mission accomplished!
But to overcome this obstacle, you must first identify the hurdles.
Why are there cold leads? And what is causing them to be cold leads? Obviously, low engagement is a major factor.
But first, what is a cold lead?
A cold lead is a customer that is at the very beginning of the sales journey. You have their contact details, but there is no engagement and no response to calls or emails. And you may be wondering why someone has given you their details but will not interact with you? There could be several reasons as to why, but we shall elaborate on them later.
A cold lead could also be someone who no longer has the same interest in your product as they once did. They could have purchased from someone else and no longer have the need.
But one thing is for sure, over time experience will teach you to read and understand these.
On the other hand, warm leads are those customers who interact with you and respond to you, even if only occasionally. They are showing interest but may just not be ready to make a commitment in the decision-making process. They may still be looking for alternatives or have yet to be convinced by your offering(s).
But certainly, you would rather have warm leads than cold leads, because at least then you stand a chance of converting that lead into a sale.
So why are there low engagements with your cold leads?
Perhaps your content is not interesting enough. Or your content is targeting the wrong audience, resulting in little or no response. Whatever the case may be, every brand requires constant engagement for more sales and more growth. And this is where marketing automation can help.
With marketing automation there are many ways to assist you to warm up cold leads. The beauty with marketing automation is that it can take the guessing game out of the equation for you. Should I try this or should I try that? In fact, you can try multiple campaigns at the same time. In other words, if one campaign does not work, another might.
So, with continuous effort taking the right avenue will eventually present itself.
One prime example is to retarget cold leads. Retargeting cold leads and winning back the attention can reignite the light that got the customer’s interest in the first place. So, a campaign targeted on social media is a good option. You have their email address, so use it to plant a few seeds over social media and see if you can regain traction.
An option to consider when applying the above theory is to use playable marketing campaigns such as a quiz or survey. People like a challenge and people certainly like competition, just like they want to have the answers and solutions. With various options to choose from, there is sure to be a quiz or survey to suit all audiences. And if one does not work, then try another.Another method to warm up cold leads is to use dynamic segmentation to personalize content. And by doing so you can tap into the minds of the cold leads. With the use of segmentation, you can create several avenues that will allow you to re-engage with the cold leads. Segmentation is the chain that keeps the wheels of marketing automation in motion.
Dangle the carrot. Give customers something that triggers their emotion to show more interest in your brand. Get them to reconnect with the intent to make a purchase. Show them the value you have to offer. The true value, in all its glory.
Here are a few examples of how to warm up cold leads:
Through information and education. Your cold leads may not be familiar with your product, brand or service. This may be the reason they are not engaging. By sending out educational content, it can be the missing link that triggers them. Statistics show that over 70% of people are not likely to contact you and ask for information directly. They would prefer to search for it themselves. So, provide as much information to educate and inform them so they want to engage with you.
Call-to-Actions are a great way to create a sense of urgency. Give them a reason to click, engage and want more from you. Some of the most common call-to-actions are special offers and discounts.
Special offers can include Free trial periods or Free eBooks, offering information at no cost. Here, you are playing the hand, with the intention of receiving reciprocation. Or you can offer a discount for a limited time only. By giving customers the bait, they will make a commitment, especially if there is significant value to them.Call to Actions can be done via websites, email, and social media. So, hitting the mark with your campaigns offers you a wider scope.
So, learning more about your customers will enable you to create compelling retargeting campaigns. Thus, being able to adjust messages to suit everyone. There is nothing more satisfying for a marketer, or a salesperson, to get a cold lead back on the right track.
And if they do not re-engage, then at least you have tried, and tested. So now you can move on. That ‘cold lead’ is now actually a ‘dead lead’. Do not consider this a loss. Because keeping a clean email list will always benefit your open rates and your click through rates.
The conversion rate of cold leads is in single digit figures. But sometimes it is these leads that can make a difference. So, keep your cold leads warm, and your warm leads warmer!