What Is Lead Nurturing?
Building relationships with prospects through targeted content and communication, moving them through the sales funnel until they are ready to buy.
Lead Nurturing Explained
Lead nurturing is the process of staying in contact with prospects who are not yet ready to purchase. Most B2B buyers need 7 to 13 touchpoints before making a buying decision. Lead nurturing provides those touchpoints systematically.
The most common nurturing channel is email, but modern programs include retargeting ads, social media engagement, direct mail, and personalized content recommendations. The key is relevance: each touchpoint should provide value based on where the prospect is in their journey.
Effective nurturing sequences are triggered by behavior, not just time. When a prospect downloads a pricing guide, they get different content than someone who read a blog post. This behavioral targeting increases engagement and conversion rates.
Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost (Forrester Research). The math is simple: nurturing keeps leads warm so fewer fall out of the funnel.
Why Lead Nurturing Matters
Only 3-5% of your website visitors are ready to buy right now. The other 95% need nurturing. Without it, you lose everyone who is not immediately ready, and your competitors pick them up when they are.
Common Mistakes
- 1
Sending the same generic emails to every lead regardless of their interests or behavior
- 2
Nurturing too aggressively (daily emails) which drives unsubscribes
- 3
Not having a clear handoff point from marketing nurturing to sales outreach
Related Terms
Marketing Automation
Software and workflows that automate repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns, lead nurturing, and customer segmentation at scale.
MQL vs. SQL
MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) shows interest through engagement. SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) has been vetted by sales and confirmed as a real opportunity.
Demand Generation
Marketing programs that create awareness and interest in your product, building sustainable pipeline through content, SEO, paid media, and thought leadership.
Full-Funnel Marketing
A marketing strategy that addresses every stage of the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, decision, and retention, rather than optimizing only one stage.
How Attainment Helps
Related Services
Frequently Asked Questions
How many emails should a lead nurturing sequence have?
A typical B2B nurturing sequence has 5 to 8 emails spread over 2 to 6 weeks. The exact number depends on your sales cycle length. Longer sales cycles need more touchpoints. Each email should provide value, not just pitch your product.
What is the difference between lead nurturing and drip campaigns?
Drip campaigns send pre-scheduled emails on a fixed timeline. Lead nurturing adapts based on prospect behavior, sending different content depending on what they click, download, or visit. Nurturing is smarter and converts better.
Ready to Put This into Action?
Book a Discovery Call. We will show you how Attainment can help with lead nurturing and more.
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