What is a nurture sequence and where do I start?

What is a nurture sequence?

A nurture sequence is a series of communication touchpoints that provide valuable information about your company, product, and industry over time. The goal is to build a relationship with your audience, educate them about your product, and inspire them to take action when the time is right.

How does this relate specifically to the fintech/wealthtech space?

A good nurture sequence should be tailored to your audience and optimized for your industry, and because you know that retail investors are smart, as we've discussed elsewhere, the importance of optimization becomes all the more acute. Your prospective investors need to understand your product and the risks involved before they can make a decision to invest. Trust in your company as a credible authority in the space can help accelerate investment decisions, and providing value through education can help accelerate that process of building trust.

Tips for designing an effective nurture sequence

When designing a nurture sequence, it's important to keep your audience in mind. You want to make sure that you're providing value to them and that you're meeting their needs. Here are some tips to help you create a successful nurture sequence for your B2C fintech/wealthtech company:

1. Start with your earliest adopters

Tailor your nurture sequence to your earliest adopters. Find out what they are most interested in learning, how they first found you, and what made them decide to invest. Use this information to create a sequence that resonates with your target audience. As you learn more about your customers over time, you can iterate and refine your nurture sequence.

2. Focus on education

The primary goal of your nurture sequence should be to educate your prospects. Many alternative investment products are complex, and all involve risk. Retail investors need a certain level of understanding of the product and risk factors before they'd consider investing. Your ability to fill that need will demonstrate your credibility, which is a good foundation for trust.

3. Use multiple channels

A great nurture sequence will leverage multiple channels to create opportunities for direct engagement. Beyond just email, busy target customers with overflowing inboxes may be more apt to look at an SMS message or listen to a voicemail message. The lead you're nurturing may be flattered by an offer to connect 1:1 on a phone call, or intimidated, in which case a group call or webinar option may seem more appealing.

4. Personalize your communications

Personalization of communications to each lead using dynamic fields is a great way to make your audience feel more connected to your brand, and less like they're just a row in a database.

5. Leverage A/B testing

Effective A/B testing of email subject lines can chalk up some early wins on conversion efficiency. Adopt A/B testing best practices by ensuring you start with a thesis and only test one variable at a time. 

6. Avoid overcommunicating

Avoid bombarding the lead with such frequency that they unsubscribe. Also, be careful to not mistakenly re-enroll the same lead multiple times in the same sequence or prompt them about the CTA again after they’ve already taken that action. Instead, aim to strike a balance between providing value and not overwhelming your leads.

Solve for timing

What is the one variable you have the least control over and the least insight into? With the retail investor, it's timing. When will this investment fit in with their budget? There's no way to predict this, and it's unlikely the average retail investor would give you an honest answer if you asked.

So how do you solve for timing? By eliminating the other reasons a prospect might not invest, even if the timing were right — lack of trust, lack of information.

A carefully designed nurture sequence that has effectively engaged your prospects, provided high-value information and education, and built trust over time can maximize the probability of conversion whenever the timing is right.

Still want to learn more? Click here to download our guide to nurture sequences for fintech/wealthtech companies.