Start with lead nurture flows: guide your leads toward conversion

You probably recognise this: a fair number of leads come in via white papers, demo requests or event registrations. But then it goes quiet. No follow-up, no engagement — and definitely no conversion. 

That’s exactly where lead-nurture flows make the difference. With a well-designed nurture flow you guide leads step by step toward conversion — at their pace, with relevant content at the right moment. In this blog we explain how to set up such a flow, which pitfalls to avoid, and how to finally make your marketing automation work for you. 

Why lead nurturing is so often underestimated

Many organisations invest in lead generation but forget what comes next. Most leads are not yet ready to buy when they enter — only 10 to 15 % are in the decision phase at that moment. The rest need time, context and trust. Without a strategy, those contacts get lost or linger in the pipeline without anything happening. 

A nurture flow is not a sales machine but a guidance system. Its goal is to help the lead orientate, build trust and ultimately prepare for a conversation with sales. Not with generic newsletters or push messages, but with personalised content based on behaviour and interests. 

How to start a smart and scalable lead-nurture flow

A good lead-nurture flow starts with segmentation. Not every lead is the same and not everyone has the same information needs. Think of: 

By using smart segmentation (e.g. in HubSpot or Act-On), you can automatically group leads based on behaviour, profile and intent. You then attach a tailor-made content series to that. Think of: 

Don’t make the flow too long and keep each step purposeful. Add behavioural triggers, such as: if someone opens and clicks an email, they receive different content than someone who doesn’t react. This prevents nurture from ending up as spam. 

Content = the fuel of your lead-nurture strategy 

Without valuable content a lead-nurture flow has no effect. Many organisations fall back on ‘general updates’, but that is rarely relevant enough. The trick is to tailor content to: 

  1. The lead’s role (for example CMO vs. Marketing Manager) 
  2. The stage of the journey (awareness, consideration, decision) 
  3. The interaction history (downloaded, watched, clicked?) 

Preferably use content you already have (such as blogs, white papers, videos) and package it smartly. A short snippet from a podcast can serve as a teaser in an email. A customer case can be reused as an email story with a clear CTA. 

Work with email templates and keep them short and scannable. Add smart personalisation, for example based on industry or behaviour. Use smart AI tools to produce at scale without it feeling like mass communication. 

Measure what matters and adjust in time

Many lead-nurture campaigns are set up once and then forgotten. That’s a pity, because continuous testing and optimisation is exactly what increases conversion. 

Pay attention to signals such as: 

Use these insights to adjust your flow. Perhaps a certain subject line performs much better, or it turns out that leads only click after five days instead of within 24 hours. Continuous learning = better results. 

Three examples of lead-nurture flows that work

1. Lead-nurture flows focused on intent 
Not every lead deserves the same follow-up and certainly not at the same moment. By linking behavioural signals to lead-nurture flows, you respond much more precisely to buying intent. Think of actions such as: 

These signals indicate increased interest. Assign a lead score to each of them. By combining lead behaviour with a well-built lead-scoring model (link to lead-scoring blog), you can discover which contacts already show concrete intent and which do not yet. Set up a targeted flow with valuable propositions and a clear call to action (CTA). For example: 

The goal is not to push but to use the momentum. By being relevant at the right time, you increase the chance that an interested lead actually converts. 

2. White-paper download nurturing 
After downloading a white paper the lead receives three emails: 

3. Reactivating inactive leads 
Leads that show no interaction for 60 days receive a re-engagement flow: 

All three flows are easy to set up in, for example, HubSpot or Act-On, and scalable once you get the hang of them. 

Start small, scale smart 

You don’t have to build a complex lead-nurture machine straight away. Start with one flow — around your most-downloaded asset or most-visited page. See what works, refine, and then scale up to multiple personas and journeys. 

Make sure marketing and sales are well aligned. Lead nurturing is not a marketing party; it is a collaboration. Define agreements on MQL criteria, lead follow-up and feedback loops. 

And don’t forget: lead nurturing is never finished. It is a living system that continuously moves with your market, your funnel and your content. 

Ready to get started with lead nurturing?

Our experts are happy to think along with you. Schedule a no-strings-attached strategy session and discover how to guide leads effectively toward conversion. 

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Book a free 30-minute strategy meeting with Patrick and discuss one of the topics below:

  • Lead generation strategy
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