Lead Nurturing Emails: Tips for B2B Success

In B2B, where the sales cycle is longer and trust matters more, lead nurturing emails play a huge role in moving prospects through the funnel.

You can’t expect potential customers to buy your solution on impulse. They learn about it, test it, and see how you communicate and offer help.

A smart lead nurturing strategy helps with all of these and can deliver staggering conversions.

Why Lead-Nurturing Emails Still Win in the Sales Funnel

Salesmate reports that lead nurturing emails get 4 to 10 times more responses than generic email marketing campaigns, showing just how well targeted, well-timed messages work.

But what makes them so effective? Let’s look at the key reasons. 

From Cold Leads to Warm Conversations

According to Invesp, leads nurtured through email end up making purchases that are 47% larger than those from un-nurtured ones.

Nurturing emails build strong connections over time, turning cold leads into conversations. And it’s exactly those conversations that kick off high-ticket deals and speed up the sales cycle.

Trust Wins Customers Back

Nurturing emails can even bring cold leads back to life. This tactic is called reactivation (also re-engaging).

For example, a large communications company in 2024 used a multi-touch email lead nurturing campaign to re-engage old leads not contacted in 90 days or more or previously marked as “closed and lost.” 

Their lead nurturing process involved:

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  Three email touches with educational content tailored to the lead’s interests

  
  
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  Follow-up calls by the sales team based on email engagement

  
  
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  One-to-one personalized emails and relevant articles

  
  

It was a resounding success. The campaign revived dormant leads and produced a 10% higher conversion rate compared to new leads.

What Makes a Lead Nurturing Campaign Effective?

On the surface, lead nurturing looks simple. Gather lead data, craft compelling emails, and send them out when the time is right. 

Simple, right?

But there’s much more to it than that. Let’s dig into the details. 

1. Segment First, Then Personalize Deeply

You definitely won’t send the same pitch to a startup CMO and a mid-market RevOps lead. They have different needs, timelines, pain points, and triggers.

On the other hand, your sales reps won’t be excited to write unique emails for every lost lead.

First, group your email list by buyer personas, including title, behavior, industry, demographics, and lifecycle stage. 

Then, segment your list further with the following criteria (where appropriate):

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  Reason for a lost deal

  
  
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  Visited a landing page more than once

  
  
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  Attended a webinar but didn’t book a demo

  
  
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  Industry and product category 

  
  
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  Opened last three emails but didn’t click

  
  
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  Downloaded a comparison guide but hasn’t engaged since

  
  

Find customer data in your CRM, email marketing platform, or website visitor tracking platform (like Snitcher or Lead Forensics).

Once your segments are defined, you can use that info to make your email as personal as possible. 

Here’s how to do it:

Example #1: If someone downloaded your guide to choosing a customer data platform (CDP).

"Thought you might like this quick case study on how [Similar Company] evaluated 3 CDPs and made their pick. Book a call if you have questions."

Example #2: If they opened new product update emails a few times, but haven’t interacted with new features.

"Noticed you’ve been keeping up with our latest features—any questions I can answer about how they might complement your stack?"

Example #3: If they registered for a webinar but didn’t show up.

"Sorry we missed you! Here’s a three-minute recap and what most attendees wanted to know."

Not sure how to scale this level of personalization? Artisan has a suite of AI personalization features.  Artisan’s AI business development representative Ava will help you tailor every message. She will A/B test different email versions, adjust tone, message, and subject, refine CTAs, and more. 

2. Map Content to Funnel Stages

A strong lead nurturing campaign delivers the valuable content your prospects need, exactly when they need it. And it’s all based on where they are in the buyer’s journey and previous interactions with your website.

Here’s how to map content to the different stages of your funnel: 

1. Early-stage (Awareness): Focus on educational content that helps prospects identify and understand their challenges.

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  Blog post: “5 Signs Your Team Needs a New Project Management Tool”

  
  
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  White paper: “The Future of Remote Collaboration in 2025”

  
  
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  Ebook: “From Invisible to Iconic: How X Mastered Brand Awareness”

  
  

2. Mid-stage (Consideration): Offer content that helps prospects evaluate solutions.

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  Case study: “How XYZ Company Cut Onboarding Time by 40%”

  
  
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  Webinar: “Comparing Top CRM Platforms: What You Need to Know”

  
  
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  Email course: “3 Days to Understanding Marketing Automation”

  
  

3. Late-stage (Decision): Provide reassurance and specifics to support purchase readiness.

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  Demo or live walkthrough

  
  
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  Interactive ROI calculator

  
  
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  Personalized pricing sheet or quote

  
  
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  Social proof (e.g., customer testimonials and “industry celeb” recommendations)

  
  

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

3. Use Timings and Cadences That Build Momentum

Never lose momentum. Respond within hours or—better yet, minutes—after a lead takes a predefined action. Then, keep the pace steady with relevant content only. But don’t be annoying, blasting out three emails per day. Instead, adjust the frequency based on how engaged your leads are.

Let’s make it more concrete based on lead type:

Active leads:

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  Reply within 30 minutes to a positive response and provide more value (e.g., case study, demo).

  
  
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  Follow up within 24 hours if they click your email link—it increases your reply rate by 25% on average.

  
  

Cold leads:

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  After no response, follow up in one to three days with a reminder.

  
  
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  If they open your cold email but don't reply, follow up in seven days with a soft nudge.

  
  

Engaged but not ready to convert:

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  If they click a demo link but don’t engage, follow up in 48 hours with help or clarification.

  
  
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  After an initial call, follow up within a few days with a relevant case study.

  
  

Anatomy of a High-Performing Nurturing Email

From the subject line to the CTA, each part of an email plays a huge role in keeping your leads engaged and moving down the funnel. 

Want to know the best inspiration for crafting high-performing emails?

Real lead nurturing campaigns…

Subject Lines That Drive Opens

Your subject line is your first shot at grabbing someone’s attention. In fact, 47% of people open emails based purely on the subject line.

If it’s boring or off-topic, it gets trashed. But a good one? That’s the scroll-stopper.

Here’s an example of a great subject line:

Why does it work?

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  It’s short. No fluff, easy to digest.

  
  
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  Builds curiosity. What signal? What happened? You can’t resist opening it.

  
  
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  Feels human. Someone is sharing a real screw-up. Relatable and way more clickable.

  
  

Let's take a look at another one:

It makes readers wonder:

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  What keyword?

  
  
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  Why is it dead?

  
  
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  How does this affect me?

  
  

It sounds dramatic and taps into a natural curiosity gap. People want to click just to find out what they’re talking about.

Always remember to A/B test different subject line styles—questions, emojis, first names, cliffhangers, and so on—until you find out what works best for your target audience.

Email Content That Delivers Unexpected Value

Deliver something your prospect didn’t see coming. Something that makes them think, smile, or rethink a problem they’ve been stuck on.

Two content types, in particular, deliver a truckload of value:

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  Storytelling, stats, and unexpected tips to grab attention.

  
  
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  A free resource, template, or exclusive offer.

  
  

Keep each email focused on one clear, helpful idea or insight.

Example #1: WizzAir

WizzAir managed to deliver negative news while retaining and upselling its customers.

Why does it work?

It softens the bad news with good news. Right after mentioning the ticket price change, they introduced new perks, like exclusive deals, personalized offers, better partner benefits, and priority customer care. 

It balances things out. Readers definitely did not expect it, and it left them feeling more positive about the change.

Down the fold, they also suggest upgrading your account to get even more exclusive deals.

Example #2

Artisan also likes to deliver unexpected value in their feature update emails. 

For example, in a past feature update email, it’s likely that most people expected a simple announcement, but we surprised them with a live webinar invite to explore a new tool together.

CTAs That Guide (Not Push)

A good CTA (call to action) doesn’t yell—it invites. It needs to be clear, benefit-focused, and placed where it makes sense.

Here’s what works with CTAs:

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  Keep it simple: Say exactly what they’ll get if they click (and make sure to take them where promised).

  
  
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  Put it in the right place: One at the top, one after you explain the value, and one at the end usually works best.

  
  
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  Match the funnel stage: Don’t jump to “Buy now” if they’re just getting to know you. Offer a free trial or download first.

  
  
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  Use the right tone: Helpful, not salesy.

  
  

Here’s an example of simple, well-placed CTAs from Headspace: 

Why it works:

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  Clear message: “Start your free trial” tells you exactly what you’ll get. No need to guess.

  
  
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  Good placement: There are two CTAs right at the top and bottom. Easy to spot, not annoying.

  
  
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  Eye-catching: The blue button stands out against the soft white, yellow, and orange. Research proves that changing the CTA button color can improve conversions by 21%.

  
  

Automation and Triggers: Scaling Without Losing the Human Touch

At some point, you need to scale lead nurturing campaigns, and automation helps. But if it feels robotic and irrelevant, it will backfire. 

Fortunately, mimicking human beings with automations and triggers is nowhere near as difficult as it used to be. 

Behavior-Based Email Sequences

“Triggered emails” send when leads take certain actions: downloads, site visits, clicks. The key here is to send content that aligns with the lead’s intent and timing. 

Let’s say someone visits a pricing page. That’s your cue to send a helpful, relevant follow-up.

Triggered emails work because they’re timely and relevant, meeting the person where they are in their customer journey. Done well, they build trust and don’t annoy.

Here’s a good example of a behavior-based email from Dropbox:

Dropbox sent this follow-up/welcome email after a user signed up and tried to share a file. It wasn’t a generic message but triggered by the user's action.

The content informs the user what they can do with Dropbox—send documents, large files, add password protection, etc.

Finally, they mention Dropbox Transfer without it feeling like a hard sell but more like another helpful solution.

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

Personalization at Scale with Automation

Use dynamic fields and content blocks to customize the nurturing email sequence for each lead. 

Here are the main methods of personalization:

1. Dynamic Fields

These pull info (like {FirstName}, {Company}) from your CRM or contact list. They are automatically populated before a message is sent. 

Examples:

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  Template: “Hi {FirstName}, we loved your recent work at {Company}.”

  
  
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  Output: “Hi Sarah, we loved your recent work at Acme Corp.”

  
  

2. Content Blocks

These are pre-built message sections shown only to certain segments. They’re based on lead data like industry, title, behavior, or lifecycle stage. They’re typically pre-written or (increasingly) composed by AI on the fly. 

Examples:

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  A lead in tech sees a block about disruptive software solutions released over the past six months.

  
  
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  A lead in healthcare sees a block about patient engagement tools along with data about tangible results the tools have delivered for clinics. 

  
  

Let’s peek at HubSpot’s lead nurturing sequence at the early stage of the funnel:

Here’s why it works:

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  Personalized opening: Starts with the lead’s name and taps into a specific mission in Ukraine, highly relevant to the recipient.

  
  
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  Clear value (highlighted in red): Offers to show how similar organizations are using HubSpot—great move for building trust and interest.

  
  
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  Easy next step: Includes available time slots and links to a sales rep’s calendar.

  
  

Most of the email’s personalized content pulled basic customer data into variable fields. In the example, HubSpot used First Name, Lead’s Site, and Lead’s Site Info. Then, the intro was likely crafted with HubSpot AI, Breeze—an in-built AI assistant.

How can you replicate this?

Artisan is an AI outreach platform powered by digital BDR Ava. She sends hundreds of personalized emails every day, freeing up reps to focus on all-important human tasks.

Here’s a snapshot of Ava’s abilities: 

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  Pulls data from LinkedIn, company websites, news, and more to understand leads in depth.

  
  
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  Combines firmographic, technographic, and behavioral data.

  
  
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  Uses the relevant, up-to-date lead info to craft emails that feel personal and specific.

  
  
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  A/B tests subject lines, CTAs, and content to see what gets the best results, improving with every campaign.

  
  

Beyond Email: Multichannel Nurturing

A 2025 First Page Sage report found SEO delivers up to 748% ROI, email marketing up to 298%, and webinars up to 430%. Used together in a multichannel strategy, these tactics create a high-ROI ecosystem that drives real growth.

Keep this in mind as you build your lead nurturing workflow. Email is powerful, no doubt about it. But it works best when it is part of a broader campaign. 

Digital marketing expert Neil Patel has been particularly vocal about the benefits of omnichannel campaigns, with heaps of data to back up his position. For example, he found that most customer journeys now have 11.1 touchpoints across different platforms. 

Tracking, Testing, and Optimizing Nurture Campaigns

Launching a lead nurturing email campaign is just the beginning. As you move forward, it’s essential to keep an eye on the data, test different types of emails, and tweak things as you go. 

Which Metrics Matter?

Keep tabs on these basic metrics:

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  Open rates

  
  
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  Click-through rates

  
  
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  Conversion rates

  
  
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  Unsubscribe rates

  
  

They will tell you how your content is landing. To dig deeper, use effective lead scoring and CRM data to track how close your leads are to being sales-ready.

A/B Testing for Continuous Gains

A/B testing helps you figure out what works best in your emails. Try testing one thing at a time—like subject lines, CTAs, email templates, or send times. 

For example, send the same email with two different subject lines and see which one gets more opens.

Alternatively, try two different CTAs: “Download Now” vs. “Get the Guide.” See which one gets more clicks and stick to it.

Using Insights to Improve Content and Sequences

Check your analytics to see which nurturing or cold emails are getting opened and clicked, and which ones are falling flat. If an email isn’t doing well, optimize it. Try changing the subject line, making the message shorter, or adding a clearer CTA.

If certain topics or formats get more engagement, lean into those. Maybe your audience likes quick tips more than long stories, or prefers emails in the morning. 

Importantly, set up customer surveys as part of ongoing lead nurturing campaigns. 

Send a survey every quarter and ask newsletter subscribers the following:

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  What content do they enjoy? 

  
  
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  What content do they enjoy least?

  
  
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  What content do they want to receive more and less of?

  
  

Use the survey templates below as inspiration. You may want to sound friendly and natural, like in the purple option. Or you can opt for a composed letter written by your founder or CEO, like in the white-green example.

Nurture at Scale With AI

Scaling your nurture campaigns doesn’t nearly mean sacrificing quality. Automated emails can deliver high-quality, targeted content with a personal touch.

What’s more, AI now provides a level of quality far and above traditional automations. 

Ready to put AI into action? Artisan automates your lead generation, personalizes content at scale, and runs A/B tests in the background. All of which frees you up to add that vital human touch to hot, ready-to-buy leads. 

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