Timing is everything. And when it comes to B2B email nurtures, timing is as important as any other aspect of your email sequence planning and execution. It’s easy to be too early or too late, and the trick is to get your timing just right.
Businesses invest a lot of time and money in martech platforms, writing emails, segmenting audiences and setting up automation, only to see so-so (or no-no) results.
One of the biggest issues? Poor cadence. You’re either showing up before a prospect is ready to engage, or long after they have stopped caring.
Think of your nurture sequences as conversations, not campaigns. If you sent someone three emails in the week following a casual introduction, you’d come across as pushy (or like that clingy ex!). Conversely, if you disappeared for a few months and then suddenly resurfaced with a hard sell, you would seem disconnected.
Finding the right cadence is all about building trust and momentum at a pace that feels natural and comfortable to your audience. But in B2B, where buying cycles are long and decisions are rarely made by one person, getting that pace right can be tricky.
If you start emailing prospects with details of product features or pricing, before they even know who you are or what you do, at best you’ll be ignored and at worst they will unsubscribe (or report you as a spammer).
Trust and authority are built over time, and early communications should focus on empathy, education and alignment. Apply a basic communications framework such as AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action) to better match the stages prospects go through during the purchase cycle for your category. Set the scene before you try to close the deal.
Look for signs of interest and act on them. As prospects download a guide or eBook, attend a webinar or check out your pricing page, don’t leave them hanging. These actions signal some intent to either learn more about your solution or move towards purchase, so don’t miss your window to be helpful and relevant.
Be ready for them to contact you, because if your emails, content and communications are doing their job, by the time prospects are in purchase mode, you should find yourself on their mental shortlist.
There’s no single answer to this question, as every category is different and one size does not fit all. Being consistent is a good start, without being overwhelming.
Whether you choose to email weekly, fortnightly or monthly, or some other cadence, will be shaped by customer research, audience behaviour, buying cycles and the value of your content.
Check your data and stats to see how your emails are landing, do some A/B testing, watch your unsubscribe rates (or angry replies!) and adjust accordingly. This helps take the guesswork out of it, so you can build a valuable nurture program that will be guided by continuous improvement.
And don’t get too caught up in clicks, because the goal of this journey is connection. If you need a hand working out the ideal cadence to nurture your prospects (and what to send), we’re here to help.