TAXA Outdoors was facing a frustrating issue. Despite a successful paid media strategy that generated leads at an average CPL of $6, they struggled with a sharp drop-off in engagement after those leads were captured. Their performance marketing and lead acquisition efforts were working, but TAXA was spending tens of thousands of dollars per month. Once leads entered the sales funnel, they werenât converting into MQL’s as expected resulting in their paid spend going to waste in significant volume. The team suspected that the problem lay within their warm nurture emails, which werenât effectively guiding leads to the next stage.
TAXA Outdoors had a strong lead generation system, but their current nurture flow was faltering. The emails were being sent, but the open and engagement rates were low, and the conversion to Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) was disappointing. The team realized that without a better nurture strategy, their investment of tens of thousands per month into paid media/lead generation wasnât going to pay off. They needed to keep leads engaged and interested, but their current approach wasnât cutting it.
After getting access to their HubSpot account and doing a deep dive into analytics, our team found a few factors that led to poor performance.
TAXA Outdoors aimed to create an effective email nurture flow that would keep leads engaged and push them further down the sales funnel. They wanted to see tangible improvements in email open rates, engagement, and most importantly, the number of MQLs generated. Their ultimate goal was to build a nurture sequence that would help convert more leads into paying customers.
From the issues we found, we created a few experiments for our testing experiments and optimization efforts.
We began by conducting a thorough analysis of TAXA Outdoorsâ existing email nurture flow. This deep dive uncovered a critical issue: a rule in the first email of the sequence automatically removed leads from the flow if they visited any product pages after receiving the email. This rule was causing a significant number of leads to drop out of the nurture process prematurely, resulting in a huge missed opportunity for conversion.
Step 1: Establishing a Benchmark for Measurement
To measure the effectiveness of the new strategy, we created a benchmark using historical data. This benchmark gave us a clear picture of where TAXA Outdoors stood in terms of lead engagement, MQL generation, and conversion rates. We set up a Sankey report in HubSpot, tracking key metrics such as email delivery, open rates, engagement, and MQL conversion over a three-month period.
Since this period covered a 90 day period, we simplified this down to create a 30 day benchmark for us to use as a comparison measure for the following days to come.
30 day benchmarks:
Step 2: Removing Barriers in the Nurture Flow
The first step in optimizing the email sequence was to remove the auto-unenroll logic that was preventing leads from receiving follow-up emails. By eliminating this rule, we ensured that all leads, regardless of their early interactions, would continue to receive nurturing content.
Step 3: Enhancing Email Content and Frequency
Next, we focused on improving the content and structure of the emails. We introduced more personalized messages and dynamic content that adapted to each leadâs behavior. We also experimented with different formats, subject lines, and sending frequencies to see what resonated best with TAXA Outdoorsâ audience.
Step 4: Continuous Analysis and Optimization
Throughout the project, we continuously monitored the performance of the emails against our established benchmark. For example, in one of the initial tests, we saw that 26.87% of leads opened the first email, and 28.31% of those who opened it engaged further by clicking through. From these engaged leads, 35.78% were converted into MQLs. We used this data to tweak our approach and improve the flow’s effectiveness.
Step 5: Aligning Efforts with the Sales Team
Finally, we worked closely with TAXA Outdoors’ sales team to ensure they were receiving qualified leads that were ready to engage. We provided insights from our analysis, such as which leads had interacted with the emails and were more likely to convert, allowing the sales team to prioritize their outreach efforts effectively.
We tracked the performance of the revised email nurture flow against our benchmark over 30, 45, and 60-day periods. The data showed a consistent improvement in all key metrics, with the new strategy outperforming the historical averages. In the first 30 days, we produced three times more MQLs than expected based on the benchmark. The frequency and quality of the emails contributed to a 26% increase in the open rate and a 14% boost in engagement.
Our work with TAXA Outdoors demonstrates the power of a well-structured and optimized email nurture flow. By addressing key issues, setting clear benchmarks, and continuously refining our approach, we were able to drive significant improvements in lead engagement and MQL generation. The results speak for themselves, and weâre eager to help other businesses achieve similar success. Letâs work together to uncover the smartest ways to grow your business and maximize your marketing dollars.
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