Lead Nurturing: Moving Prospects Through the Funnel

Lead nurturing is easy to talk about but often challenging to execute effectively. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to use lead nurturing to move leads through the three stages of the demand generation funnel, ultimately turning them into sales-qualified opportunities.

Remember: Customers don’t see our funnels—they only experience what we show, tell, and offer them. However, each buying journey generally fits into three main funnel stages, and understanding these stages can help us create a more seamless path for our leads.

Three Essential Stages of Lead Generation

Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Here, people are exploring and seeking information to solve their problems. They’re unknown visitors looking for ideas, tips, and insights. Your objective is to offer enough value to capture their interest and convert them into known leads (e.g., by collecting their email). Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): Leads at this stage have shown interest by subscribing, downloading, or registering. The goal is to assess their fit and motivation, guiding them from interest to intent. Share content that deepens their knowledge and brings them closer to a buying decision. Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): In this phase, leads make key decisions and move closer to becoming sales-qualified opportunities. This is where you hand off “sales-ready” leads to your sales team, ready to engage in a direct conversation and make their final decision.

All three stages are part of an integrated funnel that nurtures leads from curiosity to conversion. Let’s dive into tactics to nurture leads at each stage.

Top of the Funnel: Multi-Channel Lead Generation

Without lead generation, there are no leads to nurture. Use a portfolio approach, engaging prospects through a variety of channels, such as online ads, email, events, and sales development outreach. Diversifying your channels helps ensure that you’re attracting a steady stream of potential leads.

Imagine each channel as a way to start the conversation. One channel might be excellent for initial engagement, while another is better for advancing the discussion. By adopting a multi-channel approach, you’re maximizing your reach and creating multiple touchpoints for early-stage leads.

Tip: Allocate a significant part of your budget to TOFU activities but reserve 20-40% for nurturing leads in the MOFU and BOFU stages.

For more tips on lead generation, check out Marketing 101: How to get started in lead generation.

Middle of the Funnel: Building Progression

Lead nurturing starts by looking at your current contacts and figuring out how to advance each conversation. Think of nurturing as continuing the conversation you began with TOFU lead generation. Ask, “What content can we provide to move them one step closer to buying?”

Tactic #1: Enable Sales in Lead Nurturing

Sales is integral to successful lead nurturing. Collaborate with your sales team to understand what types of content help them progress leads, whether case studies, white papers, or post-webinar summaries.

For example, after a webinar, equip your sales team with a follow-up email template and an executive summary or key takeaways. This gives them a solid reason to reach out and engage with prospects. The goal? Help prospects move from initial interest to purchase intent.

Tactic #2: Small Business Nurturing

If you’re a small business, lead nurturing can be challenging with limited resources. Set aside time weekly to nurture leads by sharing valuable insights, content, and updates. This can be as simple as sending a helpful article or sharing a recent blog post.

If you’re new to lead nurturing, check out Lead Nurturing in 6 Simple Steps.

Bottom of the Funnel: Converting Leads

The final stage is all about converting nurtured leads into sales opportunities. This stage is where the baton passes from Marketing to Sales, and making this handoff smooth is crucial. The timing of this transition can be determined through lead scoring and qualification metrics, ensuring that Sales only receives leads that are truly ready to engage.

Even after handing off leads to Sales, Marketing’s role isn’t over. Collaborate with Sales to understand prospects’ ongoing challenges or concerns, which can help you create content that addresses these needs.

For more information, explore Getting Sales Enablement Right to Increase Results.

Conclusion

Lead nurturing is the backbone of a successful demand generation funnel. By nurturing leads through each stage—TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU—you’re moving them from awareness to engagement to sales readiness. Every touchpoint matters, so keep adding value, addressing concerns, and building trust.

What lead nurturing tactics are you using to create more qualified sales opportunities?

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