Nurture campaign: what it means for a shop, and when you actually need one
Emails that build trust with somebody who isn't ready to buy yet. Sales team language. In a shop, it's the welcome flow stretched out for products people take time over.
- 092Nurture Campaign
- A series of emails designed to build a relationship with leads over time.
- Also called
- Lead nurturing, or a nurture sequence
- In a shop, it's
- The welcome flow and what follows it, for subscribers who haven't bought
- Earns its place when
- The product is expensive, technical, rarely bought or bought for somebody else
- Ends when
- They buy, or stop clicking and visiting
What nurture means when there's no sales team
Nurture comes from businesses with sales teams, where a lead can take months to sign and somebody keeps them warm in the meantime. A shop doesn't have a salesperson. It has an inbox and a welcome flow, and that's where nurture lives.
For plenty of products the welcome flow does the whole job: an introduction, the offer, a reminder, done in under a fortnight. It's built for a quick decision. A nurture campaign is what you add when the decision isn't quick.
The products that need a nurture campaign
- Expensive enough that people compare, save up or ask somebody first
- Technical, so the buyer has to understand it before they'll trust it
- Bought rarely, like a mattress, a watch or a pram
- Bought by one person for another, like a present or something for a child
If none of those fit, don't build one. A longer sequence on a quick purchase just delays the first order, or tires people out before it happens.
What goes in a nurture sequence, and when it hands over
Each email should answer one question a careful buyer asks before paying. One per send, not ten in one, roughly in the order people ask them.
| The question in their head | What answers it |
|---|---|
| Is this for somebody like me? | Who it's for, and who it isn't for |
| Does it actually work? | Reviews and real customer photos |
| Why does it cost that? | How it's made, and what it replaces |
| What if it's wrong? | Delivery, returns and any guarantee |
| Which one should I pick? | A comparison, or a short quiz |
Every email checks whether they've bought. The moment they have, the nurture stops and the post purchase flow takes over, because somebody who's just paid doesn't need convincing any more. Deciding which sequence owns which stretch is lifecycle strategy.
Related terms
FAQs
What's the difference between a nurture campaign and a welcome series?
In a shop, mostly length and pace. A welcome series is built for a quick first order: an introduction, the offer, a reminder, done within days. A nurture campaign is slower and teaches more, for products people take weeks to decide on. Plenty of shops run it as a continuation of the welcome flow, for subscribers who still haven't bought when it ends.
How long should a nurture campaign run?
About as long as your customers usually take to place a first order, and no longer. Look at the gap between signup and first order on your own account. If most first orders land within a fortnight, a three month sequence spends most of its time emailing people who've moved on.
Should a nurture campaign include discounts?
Sparingly, and late. Nurture is for somebody deciding whether to trust you, and a discount answers a different question: whether it's worth the money. Lead with proof and answers. If an offer goes in at all, it belongs near the end, once you've made the case, so it tips a decision instead of replacing one.
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