Conversion is every digital marketer’s goal. If you could only control the way prospects think and act, you could probably make the conversion process a lot easier. But, since no marketer has this control, you have to be smarter about it and find other sources of information to increase your ROI.
First of all, as a marketer, you have the power to diminish the friction in the conversion process. You have control over digital marketing channels, the content and the message we show them. In short, you can influence their decisions with personalized and relevant messages at the right channel.
Apparently, prospects follow a journey when they interact with you, and you can make this journey fast and easy using the marketing funnel.
The Marketing Funnel
Simply put, a marketing funnel is the visual aid through which you can guide your leads to make the decision to convert.
It is divided into three life-cycle stages:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty (or retention)
By understanding how each contact thinks and acts in every stage of the funnel, it’s easier for you to craft targeted messages that can push them toward conversion. You can also map out the different touch-points that you wish to use at each stage such as Facebook ads, website pages and online reviews. On the other hand, email marketing has been proven to be an effective channel that can be used in all stages. With the right strategies, it can speed up the conversion process for you.
Integrating Email with the Marketing Funnel
Email may be an old school marketing method, but it remains a reliable channel in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing. New features have redefined email marketing software today, making it a more powerful tool.
When used properly with the marketing funnel, email marketing can boost your conversions and help you meet your sales targets. In fact, studies show that segmented, targeted and personalized emails generate 58% of all revenue, while personalized email marketing generates a median ROI of 122%
Here are the strategic ways you can use email marketing to perfect your marketing funnel:
Nurture Your Prospects
Not all your subscribers are ready to become customers. But, the mere fact that they signed up for your email means that the interest is already there. You only need time and patience to prepare them for conversion. This is where the nurturing game begins.
When nurturing your prospects, it’s important to note that this isn’t the time where you sell your product or service. This is when you help them be aware of their problems and the solutions they can use.
- Send them a welcome email series
Your welcome email is your chance to introduce your business, product and service so that they will find the value in what you do. Your welcome series shouldn’t end with one email. It should be continuous.
- Educate them with content
Your prospects have problems to address, and you can help them overcome these by emailing them content that gives them tips and solutions. You can use your blog posts or send them eBooks. By educating your prospects on how they can solve their problem, you are preparing them to take the next step, which is to convert.
Convert at the Right Time
Once your prospects trust you, it’s time to put your best foot forward.
It can be a click on your CTA, a frequent visit to your product or service page, or a gated content download.
At this point, it’s time to do the following:
- Talk about the benefits of your product or service and why it’s the best solution to their problems.
- Offer a free trial, discounts and personalized promos to incentivize action.
- Invite them to a webinar where you can talk about the benefits of your offer.
- Create a sense of urgency using a countdown timer or displaying the expiration of your offer.
Build Loyalty after Conversion
Your job does not end after the first conversion. Keeping in touch with your new customer is essential to build a long-lasting relationship. Why? They can be repeat customers, or you can turn them into brand advocates who spread the word about your business and bring in referrals.
- Provide recommendations to up-sell and cross-sell
Based on their transaction history, you can email them with recommendations related to what they previously availed. It can be an upgrade or a supplementary.
- Give exclusive offers or special discounts
You can make them feel valued and appreciated with promos and discounts available only to existing customers. It can be a first dibs or an exclusive preview on your upcoming product or event.
Conclusion
Building a perfect marketing funnel using email to speed up the conversion process is possible given the flexibility of the channel. It’s now even easier because today’s email marketing software has automation features that eliminate manual processes. This means that you can automatically send prospects the right email once they take a certain action or add them to a workflow that sends them a scheduled content for nurturing.
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Kimberly Maceda is a Content Writer for ActiveTrail. She writes for some top online marketing sites and blogging advice on email marketing and marketing automation. Activetrail is a leading provider of professional-grade email marketing and automation software for growing businesses.
