5 Lead Nurturing Email Templates To Convert Your Leads

Wish you could convert every lead into a client? Start by nurturing your leads with these email templates.

When I opened my inbox today morning, I had 157 emails waiting for me. Of these, four were personal, 10 were updates, and the remaining 143 were emails from different businesses selling anything from shoes to laptops, a costlier washing machine, additional insurance for my car, etc. I scrolled right past them.

However, they made me think about how the timing and content of an email is crucial to converting leads into customers.

The evolution of lead nurturing over the last few years has seen consumers bombarded with a wide variety of communication. In fact, as of 2019, consumers around the world receive 117.7 billion emails every day.

If you want to be effective with your nurturing campaigns, you need to create emails that interest your leads and make them want to engage with your business. It's not enough to suggest more air conditioners to a person who recently bought one. Or, as seen in this Tweet directed at Amazon, suggest more toilet seats to a customer.

To help you create effective lead nurturing campaigns, we've gathered five essential lead nurturing email templates you can use to create your own successful campaign.

What to know about creating a lead nurturing email template

The rule of thumb is to make the content relevant in a way that causes your lead to take a desired call to action (CTA). By relevant, I mean something that may help the lead save money, solve a problem, educate themselves, or feel special about buying from your business.

And, even though you're using a template, don't forget to personalize the email content. By using personalized videos in an email campaign, Adidas was able to increase open rates by 113% and increase apparel sales via click-through by 11 times above the baseline.

5 essential lead nurturing email templates

1. Introductory nurture

This is the first email your leads will receive from you, and it will set the tone for their engagement with your business. The goal is to let them know you're aware of their needs and that you have the tools to help fulfill those needs.

Here's an example of a first nurture email from WealthSimple:

WealthSimple's introductory email highlights the benefits of starting to save for retirement at an early age (Source)

Keep in mind: Once you've caught a lead's attention with an attractive goal or an impending problem, tell them how you can help them achieve the goal or solve that problem. Be aware of who you're targeting, or else your message will fall flat on its face. The above message, for example, works for someone approaching their mid-20s, but not for someone in their mid-40s.

Why this template works: When you open the conversation by listing the features of your product/service, you risk burying your message in jargon. By listing the benefits instead, you'll highlight what differentiates your business. Leads care more about benefits than features, and this will help you bring them closer to conversion.

2. Knowledge-based nurture

This is an email template for when a lead has already had a couple of interactions with your business. The goal is to educate the lead about the market and establish your domain knowledge.

Here's an example of an email from Basecamp that establishes the company's expertise in project management:

Basecamp's lead nurturing email urges those who are already familiar with its product to engage through other channels (Source)

Keep in mind: Share articles, videos, or blog posts that cover market trends and/or provide insights into the latest developments in your field. Provide only a snippet of the information you want to share; though, so you can encourage people to visit your blog or website to learn more.

Why this template works: It encourages leads to view your business beyond the product or service they're already familiar with, and it establishes that you've a good understanding of the market as a whole. Interacting with leads in a non-promotional way also helps to build trust and increase the retention value of your business.

3. Abandoned-cart nurture

This email template is designed for use when a lead selected products on your website but left without making the purchase. The goal of this email is to entice the lead to revisit their cart and check out.

Here's an example of abandoned-cart nurture from Rudy's Barbershop:

The abandoned-cart nurture email attempts to recapture the customer's interest with a discount code (Source)

Keep in mind: Be as specific and personalized as possible. Include exactly what products/services are waiting in the cart. If possible, provide free shipping or some other added discount to nudge the recipient into returning to their cart and checking out.

Why this template works: Such emails strengthen your relationship with the lead and show that you care about them. Research shows that abandoned-cart emails sent within an hour of the lead leaving the website can increase conversions by 6.33%. One business even claims to have recovered $425,000 in sales within the first eight months of using abandoned-cart emails.

4. Milestone nurture

This is a congratulatory email for when a lead or existing customer reaches a milestone such as a birthday or an anniversary. The goal of this email is to add a personal touch to your relationship by showing them that you remember little details.

Here's an example of a milestone nurture email from YouTube:

YouTube's milestone email emphasizes a milestone that YouTube members care about—volume of subscribers (Source)

Keep in mind: Personalize the email with the recipient's name and highlight the milestone they're crossing. In addition to birthdays and anniversaries, you can also recognize milestones specific to your business, such as completing one year as a customer. Extend incentives such as discounts, gift vouchers, or freebies to make this email extra special.

Why this template works: This is a highly personalized email and will make the recipient feel special, ultimately contributing to their relationship with your business. Studies have shown that milestone nurturing such as birthday emails and anniversary emails can generate an impressive conversion rate of up to 13% of clicks resulting in purchase.

5. Holiday or event-based nurturing

This email is ideal for increasing engagement with your leads as well as existing customers. Its goal is to prompt the lead into making a purchase by tapping into holiday cheer and related shopping needs.

Here's an example of a holiday nurture email by ReadyMag:

ReadyMag's Cyber Monday email highlights the main points of the annual sales (Source)

Keep in mind: Tell your leads about the promotions you're running during the holiday season. If you're not planning to provide discounts, offer other incentives such as free shipping or same-day delivery. Mention add-ons such as gift wrapping or options such as gift cards that last-minute readers will be tempted to go for.

Why this template works: With holiday shopping already on the mind, offers such as discounts and free shipping delivered right to the inbox can prompt the lead into purchasing. In fact, during the 2018 Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend in the U.S., a total of 7.6 billion nurturing emails were sent. Emails accounted for 24% of retail sales in the U.S. on that holiday.

Tools to execute lead nurturing email campaigns

Now that you have some email templates you can use to nurture your leads, it's time to talk about the tools you need to execute them.

Executing lead nurturing campaigns can overwhelm you without the right tools. You need to track each lead in the sales funnel and monitor their behavior. You want to create nurturing campaigns and design emails to match each stage of the buyer's journey. You also need to time your emails strategically.

Here are some recommended actions:

• Use tools such as email marketing software to automate your campaigns.

• Explore comparatively more advanced tools such as sales force automation software and marketing automation software to automate various aspects of managing your leads, including lead scoring, lead segmentation, and sales forecasting.

• Measure the effectiveness of your lead nurturing campaigns with the detailed reports that many of these solutions generate.