Did you know that lead scoring is a fundamental element of any automation strategy? However, since the customer journey for B2B and B2C prospects differs, you must take this into account to properly qualify and nurture your leads. Discover how in this article.
What do we mean by lead scoring?
Lead scoring is a technique designed to automatically qualify leads in your database. To do this, you need to consider certain parameters related to the characteristics of the ideal customer (buyer) or their behavior.
When we talk about digital marketing , we are simply referring to assigning a certain value to a user's conversion potential. This value is based on known socio-demographic data about them and their online behavior .
The more the prospect is known, implicitly or explicitly, the more accurate the score that can be assigned to them. The more qualified they are, the more effective the lead scoring strategy deployed to guide them to conversion will be.
Why use lead scoring?
The goal of lead scoring is, among other things, to facilitate coordination and collaboration between marketing and sales departments. This is achieved at the beginning of the lead management process through the classification of acquired leads. It is further emphasized later on through clear rules that determine when a lead is sufficiently ready for sale and what priority the sales department should assign it.
These rules and standards are grouped into a lead scoring model that can be implemented primarily in B2B marketing , but also in B2C marketing and sales. This model helps determine whether a sales activity is transferred to the sales department—that is, whether it moves to lead processing—or whether it continues to evolve toward lead nurturing .
What is the relationship between lead scoring and marketing automation?
The principle is simple. Once a certain number of leads have been tagged, it becomes virtually impossible to qualify and manage them individually. However, it remains essential to segment them correctly. This way, resources and time can only be invested in leads with the best conversion potential .
Although the type of scoring used may be more general or more specific depending on the buying process , you can generally distinguish three main types of leads: " hot " (or ready to buy), " warm " (in the decision-making process) and " cold " (which match the profile, but have not yet started the buying process).
For example, the information you send to a "hot" lead is not the same as the information you send to a "warm" lead. A "hot" lead came directly to your site to mention a product or service. A "warm" lead came from a web search and subscribed to your newsletter .
How do you assign qualifications to a lead?
The score you assign to a lead will depend on what you know about them. In this sense, if you have an automation tool that allows you to obtain as much information as possible, you already have a considerable advantage.
Two types of information are used to qualify a lead: socio-demographic data related to the customer's profile (age, gender, purchasing power, lifestyle, etc.) and data related to their search behavior. For example, some behavioral criteria for qualifying leads include:
- Visiting the site (which pages?);
- Frequency of visits;
- Target channel (social networks? organic search? PPC advertising?);
- Type of content you are looking for (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU);
- Registration on the website;
- Content download;
- Newsletter subscription;
- Request for information;
- Interaction with a chatbot or virtual assistant;
- Opening emails;
- Adding products to cart;
- Etc…
In general, in marketing automation , lead scoring sequences are triggered by criteria that relate to both the user profile and the user behavior.
READ ALSO: Optimize your sales process with lead scoring
What are the differences in behavior between a B2B lead and a B2C lead?
There are several differences you need to consider when implementing marketing automation for B2B and B2C . However, the most important ones regarding lead scoring are the following:
B2B: How many do you NEED? vs. B2C: How many do you WANT?
Normally, a B2B lead only converts when it has all the technical information about the product or service. It will have then made a detailed comparison of virtually all available options. Therefore, it's normal for the buying process to be much longer and for its evolution to be geared towards:
- Product logic;
- Return on investment;
- Your knowledge of the value proposition.
On the other hand, while a B2C lead also makes comparisons before purchasing, the emotional factor plays a much more significant role. This factor tends to diminish or "cool down" over time. It is therefore essential to capitalize on it as soon as it appears and try to accelerate the buying process as much as possible.
Different contact forms for B2B and B2C
Often, user information that's perfectly relevant for a B2C sale is irrelevant in a B2B context, and vice versa. The first thing to avoid is asking for information that isn't absolutely necessary. In fact, the more information you have to provide on a form, the less likely you are to complete the request.
You need to be very clear about the minimum you need to move forward in the sales funnel and focus on that. Keep in mind that everything depends on the relationship between your product and your customers. However, generally speaking, in B2B, the best strategy is to gather data to offer a customized solution based on objective needs. In B2C, it's a customized solution based on subjective preferences.
When does the sales manager get involved?
In B2B companies , sales managers typically take action when the automation process generates "warm" leads. In other words, these leads already have a considerable amount of interest and information about the product or service. However, they still need that definitive selling point or highly personalized added value to make a decision.
In most B2C transactions, it's desirable for the majority of the process to be automated. The sales manager should only be involved with "hot" leads, or those ready to buy. In fact, in many sectors, it's common for the process to be fully automated, without the intervention of a salesperson. This is the case, for example, in e-commerce or streaming services.
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