How to Create Effective B2B Lead Nurturing Emails

Email consistently ranks as one of the most popular lead generation channels. Statistics, in fact, show that nearly four in five B2B companies use email to generate leads. With that said, it's equally effective at nurturing leads. Once you've generated a lead, you can send the prospective buyer a series of emails to move him or her through your B2B company's sales pipeline. Known as lead nurturing emails, they can improve your chances of generating a sale. How do you create effective B2B lead nurturing emails exactly?

Introduce Yourself

Always introduce yourself at the beginning of a lead nurturing email. Leads can be either cold or warm, depending on whether you've communicated with them in the past. Cold leads, of course, haven't had any prior communication with you -- or anyone else from your B2B company -- so they may not recognize your emails. By introducing yourself in a lead nurturing email, though, this isn't a concern. Leads will recognize your emails, at which point they'll feel more compelled to respond to them.

Personalize

Don't underestimate the importance of personalizing your lead nurturing emails. Sending the same email to all of your B2B company's lead won't work. If an email isn't personalized, leads may mark it as spam. Personalizing your lead nurturing emails shows prospective buyers that you are a real person and not just a spammer. At the same time, it allows for a stronger personal connection while subsequently increasing your chances of generating a sale.

Ask Questions

You can improve the effectiveness of a lead nurturing email by asking questions. Questions boost engagement. When a lead reads a question in an email, he or she will stop and think about it. Furthermore, asking a question will typically increase your response rate. Leads will often answer a question by responding to the email. Even if it's nothing more than, "When is a good time to discuss your project?" asking a question will often prompt a response.

Watch the Length

Shorter lead nurturing emails typically work better than longer ones. After all, lead nurturing emails are designed to "warm up" leads. Therefore, you don't need to make them long. A report by Campaign Monitor found that emails with no more than 125 words generated the highest response rate. If a lead nurturing email is too long, it may go unread. Leads are business owners and high-level professionals, many of whom don't have the time to read lengthy emails. Keeping your lead nurturing emails short, however, will encourage them to open and read your emails.