Lead Nurturing Statistics: B2B, Inbound Leads

Most marketers focus on nurturing high-quality leads and guiding customers throughout the process.

However, any missteps in lead nurturing marketing can be fatal for companies that aren’t well established. Automation can significantly help overcome these challenges as tools get better and more sophisticated over the years.

The following statistics will help you understand the impact of lead nurturing on your business.

Top Lead Nurturing Statistics: Editor’s Choice

  • 59% of marketers find it challenging to nurture leads by creating content.
  • Lead nurturing emails get 4–10 times more responses than cold emails.
  • 68% of marketers agree that lead scoring is a primary driver of revenue.
  • Only 29% of companies keep nurturing their existing customers, even after the first purchase.
  • Generating traffic and leads is the primary marketing challenge for 65% of businesses.
  • 80% of new leads never become customers.
  • Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads.

General Lead Nurturing Stats


1. 73% of marketers agree that their main goal is converting leads into customers.

Lead nurturing is all about guiding leads from their acquisition to their conversion, which translates into becoming a customer. 

Sales conversion rate statistics prove that it’s essential to spend more time courting customers before purchasing.

2. 49% of businesses require a long sales cycle to nurture most of their leads.

Understandably, the sales cycle significantly impacts success. According to the sales funnel statistics, longer and more complex processes involving many influencers should be more personalized when nurturing leads. 

It takes a lot of hard work to convince leads to make a purchase and stay with the business.

3. Increasing the engagement rate is the priority of 54% of email marketers.

Email marketing is vital for lead nurturing. 

Statistics on email lead nurturing demonstrate that increasing engagement is the top priority of many email marketers — keeping people on a mailing list isn’t enough; interacting with them throughout the entire buying process is the result they aspire to obtain.

4. Only 20% of new leads convert into sales.

Lead generation is usually the main focus of most businesses, yet they fail to understand the importance of lead nurturing. 

Companies aim to show more and more of their products without considering that customers may not be interested in purchasing them. 

Companies should put more effort into lead nurturing instead of merely showing something to their audience.

5. 59% of marketers find it challenging to nurture leads by creating content.

As shown by lead nurturing content statistics, content is the most crucial aspect in lead nurturing. 

However, most marketers agree that creating content is the most challenging part, but it’s fundamental for increasing customer loyalty. 

6. Lead nurturing emails get 4–10 times more responses than cold emails.

Email marketing is one of the most gratifying investments when it comes to promoting your company. 

What is even better is reaching out to customers during the purchasing process—figures show that these emails get up to 10 times more responses than your initial efforts. 

B2B Lead Nurturing Statistics


Since Google has become the main search engine, this astonishing percentage isn’t surprising. Obviously, the buying process has transformed over the years — from word of mouth and referrals to Google search and online reviews. 

For example, most businesses are nurturing new sales leads by using targeted landing pages to guide customers to specific products.

8. 68% of B2B companies use landing pages to draw visitors.

To create higher B2B lead conversion rates, marketers need to personalize landing pages where visitors can be greeted with specific messages and guided to the products and services they’re looking for. 

Nowadays, many marketers have realized how much landing pages can influence an effective lead nurturing campaign.

9. 79% of the best-performing companies have been using marketing automation for over two years.

Companies have been using automation in marketing for quite a while now. Marketing automation ensures lead nurturing, provides instant data collection, and saves time that marketers can dedicate to other crucial aspects of their marketing strategy. 

For example, companies can use that extra time to increase customer engagement.

10. 68% of marketers agree that lead scoring is a primary driver of revenue.

According to lead scoring statistics, this methodology is responsible for improving the revenue contribution from content marketing and engagement. 

However, 78% of companies believe that marketing automation systems drive the most revenue.

11. About 93% of B2B businesses agree that content marketing makes more significant leads than traditional marketing campaigns.

Lead management stats prove that most B2B companies still generate leads from events. This is an excellent strategy, although traditional and less effective than content marketing. 

Your best bet? If you combine blogging with social media posts, eBooks and their promotion, videos, and white papers, you will be able to get all sorts of customers interested in your brand.

Statistics on Lead Nurturing and Lead Generation


12. Only 29% of companies keep nurturing their existing customers, even after the first purchase.

Clearly, most businesses still don’t understand how crucial it is to nurture leads, even after the initial purchase. 

As demonstrated by lead nurturing trends, existing customers are the ones who are more likely to buy again and not the new ones. Putting more effort into loyal consumers will positively affect the company’s sales.

13. Generating traffic and leads is the primary marketing challenge for 65% of businesses.

Generating traffic and leads has always been the biggest struggle for many marketers. Yet, lead generation statistics show that this challenge’s nature has changed over the years, mainly due to technological advancement. 

Nowadays, customers and companies have more touchpoints than ever before, thanks to the increased number of platforms and devices. Using these technologies the right way will help overcome this unpleasant struggle.

14. 63% of consumers asking for information won’t buy for at least three months.

Lead nurturing metrics prove that lead conversion requires a lot of time and meticulous planning. People who ask for information about the company usually need to decide whether they want to place an order with the company or look elsewhere.

15. Inbound leads are 61% less expensive than outbound leads.

As claimed by inbound marketing statistics, these leads are more beneficial to the company than outbound leads, as they come naturally. 

Moreover, outbound leads need much more effort and money in outreaching consumers through different platforms, such as social media, email marketing, or cold calls.

More Important Lead Nurturing Stats


16. Roughly 96% of people who visit a brand’s website are not ready to buy.

Before asking how lead nurturing helps sales, marketers need to understand that most visitors are not ready to purchase the first time they land on their website.

For this reason, persisting in nurturing leads is vital for every company to achieve a conversion.

17. 80% of new leads never become customers.

So, what percent of sales come from lead nurturing campaigns? These campaigns can generate an increase in sales of 50% at a 33% lower cost. 

The lead nurturing strategy includes long-term campaigns that create more profit than short-term conversions.

18. Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads.

Companies need to understand why lead nurturing is so important for their sales—an excellent nurturing strategy makes customers place larger and more frequent orders. 

Consumers will trust the business even more after a successful nurture marketing.

19. Companies that use marketing automation experience a 451% increase in qualified leads.

The numbers show how automated lead nurturing can supercharge your sales pipeline and increase qualified leads for your business. 

Nine out of ten marketers adopt more than one form of marketing automation software to gain qualified leads.

Lead Nurturing Statistics: The Takeaway

Over the years, it has become impossible to ignore the enormous impact of lead nurturing on the sales cycle. Although it is the main challenge for many marketers, these lead generation statistics show that companies should put more effort into generating and nurturing leads.

Automated marketing helps companies focus on other important aspects of lead nurturing, such as customer engagement. It’s essential to build a trusting relationship with your clients over time, as they will be the people who usually purchase from your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a lead nurturing email?


A lead nurturing email campaign is an automated and customized marketing campaign done via email that is usually used to accompany customers during their journey. If done right, email campaigns positively influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Data, analytics, and a consumer behavior study are crucial aspects that make email campaigns work. They allow companies to reach a more targeted audience and engage with it step by step.

What are three key elements that any lead nurturing strategy will need?


Companies need to focus on the big picture when creating a lead nurturing strategy. Contact management, segmentation, and the buyer’s journey are the three elements that every lead nurturing campaign must include in its process.

How many emails should you send to an unresponsive lead in a nurturing campaign?


In a nurturing campaign, it’s essential to send emails timely. For example, sending daily emails is a common mistake that makes most consumers unsubscribe from the brand’s newsletter.

Reports suggest a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 45 days between emails, yet this indicator depends on the company’s marketing campaign. Businesses need to keep testing to determine what is the right timing.

How long does the lead nurturing process take?


The lead nurturing process should start with lead generation. Companies should nurture generated leads throughout the customer journey until the purchasing decision and beyond. 

Lead generation statistics demonstrate that only 29% of marketers continue to nurture their customers, even after the initial purchase. Loyal customers are the ones who will keep ordering from the company, so it’s fundamental to focus on them without going through the risk of losing them.

Sources

Ascend2, Campaign Creators, Fronetics, HubSpot, HubSpot, Invespcro, Marketo, Marketo, Marketo, Marketo, MyFeelBack, Pardot, Pardot, Rikvin