Best Inbound Lead Nurturing Tactics for B2B

Most companies don’t have a lead quality or volume problem. They have a nurturing problem. 

You could be generating leads at volume. Even better, these leads could fit your ideal customer profile perfectly.

But without a nurturing strategy, you’re leaving revenue on the table. 

What Is Inbound Lead Nurturing?

Inbound lead nurturing is the process of turning interested prospects into customers by guiding them through the buying journey. 

Lead nurturing usually sits at the intersection of marketing and sales and includes:

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  Personalized follow-ups based on how leads engaged with your brand

  
  
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  Automated workflows triggered by certain prospects’ actions that deliver the right message at the right time

  
  
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  Educational touchpoints that build trust

  
  
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  Sales readiness signals that tell you when to hand off to reps

  
  

Inbound vs. Outbound: Key Differences

Inbound leads are prospects who came to you, drawn in through value-driven hooks—blog content, SEO, gated offers, webinars, podcasts, social posts, and referral traffic. They either downloaded a guide, signed up for a trial, or subscribed to your newsletter. They took action and showed interest.

Inbound lead nurturing is about deepening trust and moving those leads further down the pipeline. You use personalized workflows, educational content, and timely follow-ups, and score their intent.

Outbound is the opposite. You go out to prospects through cold calls, cold outreach emails, or LinkedIn outreach. Outbound lead nurturing works differently. Your team constantly initiates light, personalized touches—sharing case studies, checking in when intent signals appear, or reconnecting with new value. You engage prospects who showed some interest but aren’t ready to buy.

Is one strategy better than the other?

Yes and no. Plenty of studies prove that inbound tactics generate 54% more leads than outbound practices, with higher ROI generally. 

But both approaches matter. According to Demand Gen’s report, 68% of B2B buyers said they are more likely to engage with a vendor that consistently provides relevant content over time, even if they ignored the initial outreach. More importantly, outbound opens doors to harder-to-reach roles, like the C-suite. 

How Lead Nurturing Supports the Buyer’s Journey

Let’s look at how lead nurturing supports the buyer’s journey at each stage of the sales funnel:

Top of the Funnel (Awareness) 

Content like blog posts, social media, podcasts, YouTube, and SEO articles attracts your ideal buyer’s attention. This stage is all about exposure and education. Outbound tactics also seed awareness through LinkedIn and email touches.

Middle of the Funnel (Consideration)

Inbound nurturing fosters deep trust with case studies, ROI calculators, and comparison guides. Paid channels include retargeting, paid social, and display. Outbound nurturing complements these touches with persistence: SDR follow-ups, LinkedIn messages, and even a well-timed cold call.

It’s mind-blowing, but 52% of outbound appointments come from follow-up calls, according to Belkins’ 2025 Outbound report. So you definitely don’t want to miss this channel. 

Bottom of the Funnel (Decision)

Towards the bottom of the funnel, you deliver tailored demo invites, testimonials, pricing details, and free trials. The aim is to nudge leads to a sales conversation or purchase. Outbound nurturing, on the other hand, accelerates stalled deals with direct, persistent touches through emails, LinkedIn, and follow-up calls.

So, how does this look in practice?

Modern Inbound Funnels in Action

Lead nurturing today is intelligent, not random. You layer automation, email, social, and CRM in a way that scales and converts.

Here is what a real B2B lead nurturing campaign might look like: 

First Touchpoint (Awareness)

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  A VP of Ops at your target account lands on a blog post via organic search.

  
  
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  Simultaneously, your ABM platform kicks off a LinkedIn ad campaign targeting that account with thought-leadership content.

  
  
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  Your website intent tracker logs the visit and scores the account.

  
  

Deepening Interest (Consideration)

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  A week later, the same VP downloads your industry benchmark report.

  
  
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  Automation triggers an account-level nurture initiative—colleagues from the same domain see retargeting ads on LinkedIn promoting a case study.

  
  
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  An SDR sends a light LinkedIn connection request or engages with posts.

  
  

These touchpoints result in activity like multiple team members engaging with your content/ads/SDR. The CRM flags the account as “warming,” which then triggers the BoFu lead nurturing content.

Sales Activation (Decision)

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  SDR tries to approach a prospect by scheduling a value-add call (“We’ve helped [similar company] save 20% on supply chain costs. Worth a quick chat?”).

  
  
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  At the same time, you add a CTA to your bottom-of-funnel ABM ads (demo invites, ROI calculators).

  
  

If the prospect accepts, it’s a win. Lead nurturing ends, and the AE steps in for a tailored demo.

Keep in mind that all touchpoints must be recorded in your CRM to ensure smooth workflows and safeguard leads from falling through cracks.

Why Lead Nurturing Matters More Than Ever

Without lead nurturing, you simply leave revenue on the table. Most of your pipeline never matures and converts. Three truths prove it: most leads aren’t ready, nurtured leads convert better and faster, and trust only comes from content that hits at the right time. 

Let’s break it down.

Lead Volume vs. Lead Readiness

It’s a surprising stat, but only about 27% of B2B leads are sales‑ready when they first enter your pipeline (i.e., interact with your brand). The other 73% need coordinated follow‑up.

What conclusion can we draw? Neglected leads destroy pipeline momentum before it even forms. Lead volume doesn’t equal lead readiness.

Conversion and Sales Efficiency Gains

Nurturing multiplies sales efficiency and the size of your pipeline. You convert more leads, spend less per opportunity (reducing customer acquisition cost), and close higher-value deals. 

Forrester discovered that companies that invest in lead nurturing generate 50% mores at a 33% lower cost per lead. On top of that, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases compared to non-nurtured ones.

Trust Comes from Timely, Relevant Content

Trust and brand awareness are earned through highly relevant, hyper-personalized, and timely content. Of B2B buyers who participated in the DemandGen study, 68% chose vendors who help them navigate the buying process.

Automate your outbound with an AI BDR

Meet Ava—your AI BDR who handles prospecting, outreach, and follow-ups, so your team can focus on closing.

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The Main Components of an Effective Inbound Lead Nurturing Strategy

Inbound lead nurturing combines content, data, lead intelligence software, AI, and human follow-up. 

Without sugarcoating, it’s a complex process that usually requires a GTM engineer. They build a system that adapts to personas, channels, and intent signals in real time to engage relevant stakeholders.

Don’t let this discourage you, though. Every company starts small. 

Here are the exact steps to follow to achieve your first conversions.

Segment by Persona, Funnel Stage, and Firmographics

Why does segmentation come first?

If your segments are vague, every downstream touch is untargeted. B2B sales involve multiple stakeholders with conflicting triggers, risks, and success metrics. And what if your company serves both segments—enterprise and startups? The risks of mixed messaging become even greater. 

A startup founder evaluating tools needs different proof compared to a team of enterprise buyers fighting over budget. Segmentation makes your messaging aligned with each stakeholder. 

Here are three easy steps you can replicate to navigate pipeline chaos:

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   Build segments based on role, company size, and the funnel stage.

   
   
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   Plug in data enrichment tools like Artisan so inbound leads auto-update with industry, headcount, and tech stack right in your CRM.

   
   
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   Create dynamic lists in HubSpot or Salesforce that route each segment into its own workflow.

   
   

If you do this, the CFO at a 5,000-person enterprise won’t see the same nurturing sequence as a head of ops at a 30-person SaaS startup. Both will feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

Personalized Email Marketing

The smartest way to personalize your email marketing is to branch sequences in response to lead behavior. 

For example, a case study download could trigger a follow-up email with ROI benchmarks. The system might also trigger a personalized email from SDR: “Happy to walk you through ROI models.”

Or, when a lead views your pricing page twice in 7 days, the CRM could assign a high lead score and send a Slack ping to the assigned rep, bypassing standard lead nurturing sequences. 

Multichannel Touchpoints (Beyond Email)

Let’s continue with our example and look at how it could form the basis for multi-channel touchpoints. 

If there is no response to the SDR’s email after 48 hours, automated follow-up software, such as Artisan’s AI BDR Ava, would send a LinkedIn DM personalized connection request.

The same lead is then automatically added to an ABM campaign, which means they’re targeted with a relevant piece of content like a case study. 

Lastly, your SDR can follow up with a call. Remember how they boost conversions? A whopping 52% of outbound appointments are made after a call!

Marketing Automation and CRM Alignment

Marketing automation tools like HubSpot and Artisan are essential because they orchestrate nurturing sequences in real time. 

The CRM holds the full engagement history, lead score, and current status in the funnel. The outreach tool sends and tracks all outbound email and LinkedIn engagement (like in the example below).

When automation pushes a lead to sales, the CRM ensures the rep sees the context—every email they opened, LinkedIn message they replied to, and webinar they joined.

Proven Lead Nurturing Tactics That Drive Results

Here’s a breakdown of the main lead nurturing tactics we use at Artisan to generate a consistent flow of leads. We’ve refined them over a lengthy period of testing, so you can trust they work. 

Lead Scoring

Lead scoring is your filter. It prevents your CRM and automated workflows from surfacing the wrong leads. 

Lead scoring identifies who’s ready to buy by assigning weighted scores based on the lead. Predictive models outperform standard scoring. For instance, Amazon saw a 32% increase in qualified lead conversion rates and a 125% improvement in average lead conversion time when it implemented predictive modelling. 

Here’s how to use lead scoring effectively: 

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   Identify patterns across closed-won deals in your CRM, paying attention to industry, employee size, role, number of sessions, and pricing page views.

   
   
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   Assign points to specific high-intent actions, for example, +20 for case study downloads, +30 for webinar attendance, +50 for pricing page visits, and so on. 

   
   
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   Also assign negative points to identify stalled leads, e.g., -10 if inactive for 14 days.

   
   
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   Set thresholds and automate workflows based on them: ≥60 = MQL → nurture sequence, ≥90 or pricing page + webinar view = push to SDR immediately.

   
   

Trigger-Based Workflows

Trigger-based workflows are automated if-then campaigns tailored to buyer behavior.

Let’s learn through an example: 

A prospect registers for your webinar on supply chain automation—this is IF. Two days later, they automatically get an email with a case study about a similar company. This is THEN. 

Next, IF they click through, THEN they’re moved to a high-priority sequence or retargeted with ads. IF they ignore it, THEN they get a lighter touch, like a short 60-second explainer video via email. 

HubSpot and Artisan’s Ava can help you set up this workflow. In HubSpot, you can set triggers like “form fill = webinar registration” and then configure Artisan to fire off a personalized follow-up email or queue a LinkedIn message. 

Content Timing Is Everything

Content timing is about pacing follow-ups to match their urgency. Timing determines whether your content feels helpful or pushy. And we definitely want to avoid the latter. 

Set up logical delays for both inbound and outbound lead nurturing. 

Here are some examples: 

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  Send next-touch content two days after engagement.

  
  
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  If there are no clicks in five days, send alternate content.

  
  
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  If high-intent actions occur (pricing page view, demo request, webinar attendance), trigger follow-up within 24 hours via LinkedIn.

  
  

Use Mid-Funnel Retargeting and Social Proof

The middle of the funnel is where deals stall. Prospects know you, but they’re comparing options or just delaying their decision. Retargeting ads and social proof (testimonials and customer quotes) keep you top of mind while building trust across target accounts.

Here’s how to execute mid-funnel retargeting: 

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  Build retargeting audiences from leads who visit key pages (pricing pages, case studies, etc.).

  
  
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  Design creative featuring peer logos and direct customer quotes.

  
  
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  Use automated software to coordinate outbound: once someone hits the retargeting pool, email and LinkedIn will align with the same narrative.

  
  
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  Set notifications so that if a lead engages with any channel, reps see the activity log in the CRM and can reach out.

  
  

Examples of Inbound and Outbound Lead Nurturing Campaigns Combined

Inbound and outbound don’t live in silos. The best GTM tactics blend both until the deal is real. 

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Download to Demo

You don’t sweat over those free eBooks just for the sake of brand awareness. You gate it, collect lead data, and nurture prospects that match your ICP. That’s why you should never stop at shooting a “Thanks for downloading” email. 

Instead, design a structured follow-up sequence to turn a passive download into an active sales conversation.

Here’s an example sequence:

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  Day 0: Thank-you email with the ebook link (short and no pitch).

  
  
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  Day 2: Value email with two or three practical tips pulled directly from the ebook.

  
  
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  Day 5: Case study of a customer who solved the same problem faced by the target lead.

  
  
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  Day 8: Demo CTA: “Want to see how this works in practice?”

  
  

Here’s how this sequence could be executed:

In HubSpot, set “Form fill = ebook download” as the trigger. Design a workflow that paces these emails automatically. Then, connect Artisan to enrich the lead record with the lead’s role and industry and send a hyper-personalized LinkedIn message mid-sequence.

Nurturing from LinkedIn Engagement

Social engagement (likes, comments, shares) often signals early curiosity, especially if left under thought leadership content. 

Don’t ignore thought leadership—60% of decision-makers said such content prompted them to begin researching a solution they hadn’t previously considered. Meanwhile, a shocking 23% of them ended up buying from or contacting the vendor because of it.

Treating LinkedIn activity as a trigger lets you strike while the iron is hot. In other words, while your brand is fresh in their mind.

Here’s an example sequence:

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  Day 0: Automation connection request referencing the post a lead engaged with.

  
  
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  Day 1–2: Personalized message, DM, or InMail, that adds value (e.g., “Glad you liked our post on pipeline automation—here’s the full framework we use”).

  
  
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  Day 4: Follow-up email with relevant resources, case studies, or an invite to a webinar on the same topic.

  
  

Here’s how this sequence could be executed: 

Use Artisan to monitor post interactions. Once Ava captures an action, it can automate the connect and follow-up sequence, and sync engagement back into CRM. If the lead clicks the emailed resource, their score will be increased and routed to an SDR for timely follow-up.

Email and Webinar Funnel

Webinars are high-intent signals. They attract prospects willing to invest 30 to 45 minutes with your team. Please, please, please don’t forget about these leads.

My former team at Serpstat made this mistake over and over. We launched product webinars and interviews with SMEs, and then did what? Nothing. Literally. We didn’t have a lead nurturing workflow in place, so leads weren’t activated and ultimately were lost.

The only reason for having those webinars was customer education, brand awareness, and newsletter database collection.

And we’re not alone in this model.

What we should have done instead, and you should too, is develop a solid nurturing funnel around them.

Here’s an example sequence:

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  Day 0: Confirmation email with an add-to-calendar link.

  
  
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  Day 2 (pre-event): Resource pack or related blog posts to set context.

  
  
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  Day 0 (post-event): Replay link + “3 key takeaways” email.

  
  
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  Day 3–5: Case study or ROI story tied to webinar topic.

  
  
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  Day 7: Next-step CTA, e.g., book a demo, strategy call, or trial.

  
  

Here’s how this sequence could be executed:

Use HubSpot for emails. Artisan can nurture leads by messaging attendees directly on LinkedIn post-event with a message like, “Thanks for joining yesterday’s session—want me to send the slides we didn’t cover live?” This keeps momentum going outside the inbox and sparks conversations.

Metrics That Matter in Lead Nurturing the Most

Tracking the right metrics at every stage of the funnel helps you fine-tune workflows and understand the bottom-line results. 

Here’s a list of the metrics that are crucial to track in complex B2B sales.

Engagement Metrics

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  Email signals: Open rate, click-through rate, replies (positive vs. negative intent)

  
  
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  Content downloads: Number of whitepapers, ROI calculators, or webinars consumed by an account

  
  
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  On-site behavior: Repeat visits to pricing, security, integration, or product pages

  
  
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  Event engagement: Webinar attendance duration, Q&A participation, poll responses

  
  
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  Outbound response behavior: LinkedIn connection acceptance, DM replies, call pick-up rates

  
  

Funnel Conversion Rates

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  TOFU → MOFU: Early-stage prospects converting into MQLs

  
  
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  MOFU → SQL: MQLs booking demos or trials

  
  
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  SQL → Opportunity: SDR-qualified leads turning into real pipeline in the CRM

  
  
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  Opportunity → Closed-Won: Final stage of the sales cycle

  
  

Benchmarks to aim for in B2B

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  TOFU → MQL: 2–5%

  
  
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  MQL → SQL: 20–30%

  
  
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  SQL → Opportunity: 25–35%

  
  
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  Opportunity → Closed-Won: 20–25%

  
  

How to Optimize Lead Nurturing With A/B Testing

No abstract playbook will survive the arena of real B2B sales. Continuous testing is how you refine nurture sequences to fit your market and your buyers. You should test a range of variations: subject lines, buyer personas, send times, and content types.

Here’s what to test in B2B with practical examples:

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  Subject lines: Value-driven “Cut cycle time by 30%” vs. curiosity-driven “How SaaS CFOs win back 10 hours/week”

  
  
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  Send times: Weekday mornings vs. afternoons and 24hr vs. 48hr delay windows

  
  
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  Content type: Deep case study vs. two-minute video explainer vs. ROI calculator

  
  
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  Channel sequencing: Email-first vs. LinkedIn-first vs. ad-first touch

  
  
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  CTA framing: “Book a demo” vs. “See it in action” vs. “Compare with peers”

  
  
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  Persona-specific proof: ROI calculators for CFOs and integration guides for CTOs

  
  

Don’t Let Warm Leads Go Cold: Automate With AI

Most sales teams don’t lose deals to competitors, they lose them to silence. Inbound lead nurturing is how you plug that leak. 

One of the most scalable, cost-effective ways to segment smartly, time your touches, layer channels, and connect it all back to your CRM is to use a modern AI automation tool.

Artisan syncs seamlessly with your tech stack. It automates 80% of the early and middle sales cycle with outreach that’s personalized, timely, and synced across email and LinkedIn.

Automate your outbound with an AI BDR

Meet Ava—your AI BDR who handles prospecting, outreach, and follow-ups, so your team can focus on closing.

Book a Demo