Email Nurture - Best practices

[nishanth27]

Hello folks,

I just wanted to ask if anybody can point me towards the right direction in understanding how to create effective nurture programs. 

We have nurture set up in our Marketo instance but I do understand different orgs/products will have different set up for nurturing leads, different techniques.

So, I need to understand the steps that I should consider in general when I am about to create nurtures, Do's, Dont's etc. 

Any material that I can go through, please share the link as well.

Thanks in advance

[EllenSchwier]

Hi,

One of the other things you might want to consider is when to use an engagement program instead of just a default program with a series of emails. I was always told to use an engagement program when the content is not time dependent, and set up default programs when things are more time sensitive (they reacted to X, this is the moment to send them Y....or contract renewal is X months, start the reactivation flow).

Also, if you only want to send a series of 2-5 emails, it might be better in a default program. 

[uditmathur]

HI @EllenSchwier ,

Engagement Programs are designed to send your content (Email or program) at a defined interval, so i am not sure what you mean by NOT TIME DEPENDENT, engagement program is always time dependent.

Engagement program as the name suggest is meant to keep your leads/prospects engaged over a span of time & drive them towards the bottom of the Sales funnel.

[EllenSchwier]

@uditmathur I see what you are saying. What I meant by not "time dependent" was that you are emailing about the on-demand version of a webinar that is relevant now, next week or next year. And the email after that is linking to a blog explaining "the basics of X". All content that can be used at any moment. The emails are sent at a specific moment in time, at a specific frequency....but the content is evergreen.

I tend to structure nurture flows in multiple layers:

- Engagement programs send emails later in the week, in the afternoon. If communication limits have already been met, these are the first emails I want skipped.

- Nurture flows should be earlier in the week, but still in the afternoon. These are shorter flows based on specific actions I want the person to take but still span multiple days/weeks

- One-off emails should be sent in the mornings because these are the emails I don't want to have skipped due to communication limits. The invite to the next webinar, the time-sensitive promotion, etc.

How do you see this typically? 

[uditmathur]

HI @EllenSchwier ,

Yes this is a good use case for Engagement program.

Just to add to your 3rd point instead of using Engagement program you can use an Email program to send new product launch mail or an Event program to send Event invite & than those leads showing interest can be added to an Engagement program for further nurturing.

[uditmathur · Accepted solution]

Hi @nishanth27 ,

There are lot of threads which speak about Best practice in Nurture Program.

You can read some Do's & Don'ts for setting nurture program in the below link.

https://nation.marketo.com/t5/product-discussions/best-practices-on-engagement-program-nurtures/m-p/...

Hope this Helps 😊

[nishanth27]

Thanks @uditmathur I will take a look and shoutout if I come across any doubts/concerns.