CPA Practice Advisor - 17

MARKETING YOUR FIRM

5 Lead Nurturing Email Program Tips
By Becky Livingston

BELIEVE IT OR not, email is still your ace in the hole when it
comes to lead generation. According to the Content Marketing
Institute, "31% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are the
best way to nurture leads." (https://tinyurl.com/unxuzho)
But, avoid falsely believing that
email marketing is easy. It's not. If you
get the subject line wrong ... wham!
You're hit with an opt-out request,
or worse, being ignored, even before
getting started.
What can you do with your email
program to help drive leads and keep
them coming? Here are five tips.

1

AUTOMATE

Using behavior-triggered,
email drip campaigns
gives you an opportunity to speak
directly with leads about their pain
points. For example, if they open an
email about Cash Flow, then performs
a trigger, such as filling out a form,
clicking a link, or visiting a specific
web page, the process has begun. Once
triggered, the automation performs
the next task defined in the drip
campaign, like sign up for a webinar,
download a document, or attend a
course. Tip: Email automation works
really well for webinar announcement
drip campaigns.

2

AUTORESPONDERS

These are not just any
responses to an email
request. They are meant to be targeted
based on what has been requested.
For example, if a person requests
more information about payroll
outsourcing, you can include in the
response email a link to your payroll
outsourcing client case study. The
download would include additional
information and, possibly, a free or
low-cost consultation.

3

WRITE OPENWORTHY SUBJECT
LINES

Do you struggle to write great subject
lines? You're not alone. Here's a tip that
works wonders for email subject lines
(and just about anything, including
social media posts) - online headline
generators. They are free and help you
start with a keyword term or phrase
that produces dozens of ideas. Search
for "headline generators" and click on
some until you find one that meets
your needs. I like and use Sumo.com,
Title-Generator.com, and SEOPressor.
com tools. HubSpot also has a subject
line guide with over 100 examples and
formulas you can emulate.
Remember to keep the most important term near the front of the subject
line. Also, consider its length. Email
subject lines under 65 characters or
seven to nine words work well.
Example: 5 Simple Cash Flow Tips
to Pump Up Your Sales or 9 Ways to
Improve Cash Flow. Now who wouldn't
click on those?
I'll tell you who - people who aren't
having cash flow problems. That's
why the follow-up email is based on
a trigger. You can then narrow the
audience and define their needs all at
one time. Plus, you can create content
specifically for this pain point that
leads will want.

4

DESIGN MATTERS

Consider ways to focus
the email on your main
objective. Filling an email with five
stories is a newsletter, not an email.

Make the most important point stand
out with graphics, complementary
colors, colored links, arrows, call to
action, or a simple banner. Use only
one at a time or it will look like the
early PowerPoint slide days - you know
what I mean. Also, preview the email
on mobile and desktop so you know
what viewers will see on their device.

5

KISS

Keep it simple and
straightforward. Time
is of the essence in email. Grab them
with the subject line, lure them in
with the call to action graphic, and sell
them on the why. Here's how:
■■ Use bullet points to highlight benefits;
■■ Bold or color important words/phrases
to ensure they're seen; and
■■ Include a clear and appropriate call
to action, e.g., you'd say listen to a
podcast versus read it.
When done well, email can be a
very productive component to your
lead generation marketing funnel. It
demonstrates that you understand
your prospect's pain point and that
you're interested in building a relationship. ■
Becky Livingston is the President and CEO of
Penheel Marketing, a NJ-based firm specializing in social media and digital marketing
for CPAs.

SEPTEMBER 2020 ■

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

17
https://www.tinyurl.com/unxuzho http://www.Sumo.com http://SEOPressor.com http://www.Title-Generator.com http://SEOPressor.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
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