From Traffic to Loyal Clients in 9 Steps  

In this second part of our three-part lead generation guide, we’ll take the next steps in converting your engaged leads into event attendees and continue nurturing those who don’t initially engage. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to maintain interest, drive attendance, and keep your audience engaged, setting the stage for turning them into loyal customers.

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Recap: Steps 1 to 3

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Previously, we discussed how to kickstart your lead generation funnel by driving traffic to your website (Step 1), converting visitors into leads (Step 2), and nurturing those leads to keep them engaged (Step 3). By implementing these strategies, you should now have a strong pool of engaged leads ready to be taken to the next level.

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If you need a quick re-read of the Steps 1 to 3 article, CLICK HERE.

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Here's a quick reminder of the 9 goals of our lead gen funnel:

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Goal 1: 4000 clicks/visits

Goal 2: 50% sign up = 2000

Goal 3: 80% engage in content = 1600

Goal 4: 50% of sign ups attend event = 1000

Goal 5: 50% visit sales page = 500

Goal 6: Non-Buyer nurturing [additional step]

Goal 7: 50% of attendees = 250

Goal 8: 30% of buyers = 75 [part 1]

Goal 9: 20% of buyers = 50 [part 2]

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Now, let’s move into Steps 4 to 6, where we’ll focus on converting these engaged leads into event attendees, nurturing those who don’t attend, and keeping non-buyers engaged.

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Step 4: Convert Leads into Event Attendees  

The next critical step in your lead gen funnel is to encourage your leads to attend an event or a similar engagement opportunity. Attending events helps deepen their engagement and moves them further down the funnel.

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How to get leads to attend your event

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Send email reminders and SMS: Keep your event top-of-mind by sending regular reminders. These can include a series of emails leading up to the event, along with SMS reminders for added visibility. Pro tip: Add extra value to your reminders. If you’re simply sending reminders, they could be viewed as spam at some point, and that’s not what we want. Find out the main pain points and gains that are top-of-mind for your prospects, and speak to those with relatable stories (or something similar). Ask yourself, “Who is my starving crowd, and what are they craving that I can offer?”

Use retargeting ads: Re-target your leads with ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to remind them about the event. Highlight the key benefits and exclusive insights they’ll gain by attending. You can apply the same pro tip as given above.

Add calendar invites for attendees: Make it easy for your leads to remember the event by sending them calendar invitations they can quickly add to their schedules. Remember the golden rule in digital marketing, the fewer clicks/taps, the better.

Follow up personally: Reach out to key leads via direct messages, phone calls, or emails to encourage attendance. A personalised touch can significantly increase the likelihood of their participation.

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Extra note: I have mixed feelings about the whole 7-step DM approach (or however many steps people are using these days to reach out to prospects). Does the process of an initial introduction direct message, followed by five follow-up DMs, and finally a "last exit" DM sound familiar (the ones that say, "Looks like you’re busy right now; we’ll be in touch at a later time")? That’s a whole other story for another day, but we will have updated articles on that coming soon as well. My quick advice here is to be highly personal and provide “real” value - don’t try to sell yourself on the first date.

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Target Outcome for Step 4

Aim for 50% of your sign-ups to attend the event, focus is to get 1,000 attendees.

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Example Execution

A fitness studio could increase attendance at their open house event by sending a series of emails with exclusive offers and SMS reminders highlighting the benefits of the event. Retargeting ads on social media featuring testimonials from existing clients could further entice sign-ups. Personal outreach from trainers or staff members would add a personal touch to encourage attendance.

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Step 5: Nurture Non-Attendees  

Not everyone will attend your event, but that doesn’t mean the engagement stops there. For those who don’t attend, you’ll need to continue nurturing these leads to maintain their interest and drive them further down the funnel.

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Strategies to nurture non-attendees

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Nurture via email sequences: Keep them engaged with valuable content, such as follow-up emails sharing insights from the event or exclusive content they may have missed.

Retarget non-attendees: Use targeted ads to re-engage them. Ads could highlight key takeaways or benefits from the event they missed.

Conduct Q&A sessions: Offer virtual or in-person Q&A sessions to provide an opportunity for them to learn more about your product or service and ask questions directly.

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Target Outcome for Step 5

The goal is to have 50% of non-attendees visit your sales page, resulting in 500 visits.

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Example Execution

A SaaS company might send a post-event email series that includes summaries of key points discussed, access to exclusive recordings or content, and a special offer for those who didn’t attend. Retargeting ads on platforms like LinkedIn or Google could display content snippets from the event. Hosting an “Ask Us Anything” session online allows non-attendees to interact and get their questions answered, creating another touchpoint.

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Side Step 6: Nurturing Non-Buyers and Non-Registrants

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Continuing to engage those who haven’t purchased or registered is crucial. Not all leads will convert immediately, and some may need more nurturing before they’re ready to make a decision.

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Approach for nurturing non-buyers and non-registrants

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Provide value-add content and education: Share insightful articles, guides, videos, or white papers that keep them informed and engaged.

Stay top of mind with email sequences: Send regular emails that provide value without being too salesy. Offer useful information, tips, and updates on upcoming events or product launches.

Invite to FREE webinars/live events: Offer additional opportunities for engagement through webinars or live events tailored to their interests.

Seed future launches and build community engagement: Keep them excited about upcoming products or events, and create a sense of anticipation for what’s next. FOMO is a strong marketing tool that we can use - remember your starving crowd.

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Target Outcome for Step 6

The goal here is to keep non-buyers engaged and increase the likelihood of future conversions by keeping your brand top-of-mind.

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Example Execution

A local consultancy firm could nurture non-buyers by sending out a regular newsletter filled with industry insights, case studies, and expert commentary. They might invite these leads to exclusive webinars on topics of interest, such as market trends or strategy sessions. Additionally, they could build a community on platforms like LinkedIn or bespoke platforms like https://circle.so, where members can exchange ideas and stay engaged with the brand.

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Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively convert engaged leads into event attendees and continue nurturing those who don’t initially convert. These strategies ensure that you maintain a consistent level of engagement with your audience, setting the stage for turning them into loyal customers.

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Stay tuned for the final part of our guide, where we will cover how to turn these engaged leads into loyal customers and advocates, driving long-term success for your business.

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Here's an extra pro tip...

If you're like me and love to read/listen to business growth books then try this - simultaneously listen to and read the following books to help expand your marketing/sales and business skills in general. And in case you’re wondering, reading and listening simultaneously enhances learning by engaging multiple sensory modalities (visual and auditory), which reinforces comprehension and retention of the information:

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They Ask You Answer: Book by Marcus Sheridan

Oversubscribed: Book by Daniel Priestley

$100M Offers: Book by Alex Hormozi