At its most basic level, lead nurturing is about getting potential customers to invest in your brand. The customers you target and how you onboard them will differ from campaign to campaign, but the goal of creating a strong connection remains central to the process. Lead nurturing can encompass a variety of strategies designed to educate potential customers about key products and services. The goal is to gain their trust and eventually convince them to convert. Ideally, customers will come out of lead generation and development efforts with a better understanding of how they can benefit from your brand's offerings. How a lead nurturing campaign works A lead nurturing campaign is a carefully targeted strategy designed to get potential customers interested in your brand. This campaign should be backed up with detailed information about the most effective tactics to convince prospects to Employee Email Database convert. Often this includes creating a buyer persona to form personalized support messages that feel authentic and enjoyable. Many lead nurturing programs rely on email and marketing automation. This helps ensure that specific types of leads always receive timely communication after engaging with the brand. The earlier this contact occurs, the more likely prospects are to retain a positive impression of the brand. Early efforts can be triggered by signs of marketing readiness, such as social media engagement or signing up for an email newsletter. These, in turn, trigger new marketing automation efforts. Over time, these efforts can lead prospects to invest enough to make purchases or sign up for services. The difference between lead generation and lead nurturing Lead generation and nurturing, while similar in some ways, are different processes that require unique tools and techniques. An ideal campaign will involve a strategic and streamlined approach, in which both tactics are used carefully. The main difference between lead generation and lead nurturing is the segments of the sales funnel in which they take place. Lead generation happens at the very beginning of the funnel, when marketing efforts aim to identify, target, and grab the attention of potential customers. Nurting can only follow if lead generation efforts prove successful. At this point, marketing initiatives focus primarily on retaining prospects and getting them to convert. Timing is the main difference between lead generation and nurturing, but the methods can also vary. Some options, such as social media marketing, can serve both functions. Others, such as email, may work better at the consolidation stage than for lead generation. A drip email campaign, for example, focuses on building relationships slowly and steadily over time to ensure long-term investment in the brand. An effective drip campaign will drive engagement and produce higher revenue over time, especially when paired with marketing automation solutions.