After someone becomes a lead, they still have a long way to go before they’re a customer.Â
What pushes them forward and keeps them from turning back or (worst-case scenario) falling into the abyss?Â
The answer is lead nurturing. But there’s an issue—following up with leads consistently is a lot of work.Â
That’s where lead nurturing software—which can handle everything from scoring to follow-ups—comes in.Â
What Is Lead Nurturing Software?
Lead nurturing software helps your business move leads down the sales funnel towards a conversion. Common examples include CRMs, sales automation tools, and email marketing platforms. Most offer automated follow-up, multichannel campaigns, and outreach personalization.Â
Let’s go over the three main functions of lead nurturing software: engagement, personalization, and automation.Â
Automates Follow-Ups and Lead Engagement
Lead nurturing software automates follow-up across email, SMS, and social media. This means no lead falls through the cracks.Â
Here are some common examples of lead engagement automations:
Sending a text to a lead who completed a contact form on your websiteÂ
Adding a lead to an automated multichannel campaign for their audience segment Â
Emailing relevant content to leads based on their online behavior
Sending a LinkedIn direct message to a lead who attended your webinarÂ
These automated follow-ups ensure your brand responds quickly to inquiries, striking while the iron is hot. Â
Improves Personalization and Lead Scoring
Personalizing sales outreach is extremely time-consuming. Fortunately, lead nurturing software has features that automate personalization.
Lead nurturing software usually has all of the following features:
Email, text, and LinkedIn templates with merge fields that auto-populate with lead data
Tracking tools that collect behavioral data and use it to personalize outreach
Segmentation tools that allow you to create highly targeted nurturing campaigns Â
Most software also comes with lead scoring tools that rank leads based on likelihood of buying. This intel helps your team put them into the right nurturing campaigns.Â
Artisan, for example, has a suite of data-gathering, scoring, and personalization features that run on autopilot. They allow reps to cut busywork and focus on all-important human tasks.Â
Streamlines Your Sales Workflow
A HubSpot report found that the average sales rep spends around one hour per day doing admin work.Â
Lead nurturing tools reduce this manual work through customized automations. They also integrate with CRMs and other sales tools, which allows for cross-platform automations. Â
Here’s an example of a lead nurturing automation:Â
A lead submits their contact information into a web form on your site for an ebook.
The lead receives an email containing the ebook download link.
A corresponding contact record is created in the CRM.
A sales rep is notified and assigned as the contact owner based on lead routing rules.
The lead is added to an email nurturing sequence and starts receiving emails based on their online activity.
In addition to automating sales tasks, lead nurturing tools also offer reporting features that help you improve pipeline visibility and lead engagement tracking.
10 Best Lead Nurturing Software Tools
From AI sales tools to email marketing platforms, here are the best solutions to improve and automate your lead nurturing workflows. Â
1. Artisan: AI-Powered Outbound Dynamo
Artisan is an all-in-one AI sales platform for lead generation and nurturing. The platform is built around an AI business development rep (BDR) called Ava. She automates all of the early and middle stages of the outbound sales process, from finding leads and qualifying them to running multichannel outreach sequences.Â
Unlike most AI sales tools that send out generic messages, Artisan is built for personalization. AI data scraping tools scour the web and social media for lead information that Ava uses to compose highly personalized messages. She’ll even A/B test her campaigns in the background to optimize them for better results.Â
Features
B2B database of hundreds of millions of B2B, local business, and ecommerce leads
Customer segmentation based on your ICPsÂ
AI LinkedIn and email message creation, personalization, and outreach
Waterfall algorithm that scrapes company websites and LinkedIn and selects the best information to use for personalized nurturing
AI-powered multi-channel campaign creation and automationÂ
White-glove onboarding from a team of veteran outbound sales experts
Email warmup and deliverability optimizationÂ
Outbound campaign optimization with background A/B testingÂ
PricingÂ
Reach out to sales for a custom quote.
2. HubSpot: The Inbound King
HubSpot is a feature-rich CRM for capturing, nurturing, and managing leads. It offers lead capture forms, lead scoring software, data-based segmentation, and an email builder for auto-personalization.
Notably, HubSpot offers a free CRM that comes with basic lead nurturing features. However, to access most automation and analytics features, including outreach sequence automation, you need the Professional Customer Plan, which costs $1,300 per month. This puts it out of reach for many smaller businesses.Â
Features
Built-in CRM for marketing, sales, operations, and customer serviceÂ
Lead scoring automation with custom criteriaÂ
Automated follow-ups and task assignment
Centralized contact data and visibility into every lead’s buyer journey
Lead segmentation based on behavioral dataÂ
Email sequence builder with pre-built templates and personalization options
Pricing
Free: Limited tool set for up to 2 usersÂ
Starter Customer Platform: $9/month per userÂ
Professional Customer Platform: $1,300 per month
Enterprise Customer Platform: $4,700 per month
3. Pipedrive: The Visual Pipeline Pro
Designed by salespeople for salespeople, Pipedrive offers incredibly easy-to-use features, including a drag-and-drop visual pipeline that makes it a breeze to track leads as they progress through the sales cycle.Â
The CRM comes with various nurturing features, such as lead routing, live chat, and automated emails that send when leads hit a certain stage in the pipeline.Â
Despite its many positives, compared to other CRMs like Salesforce, Pipedrive’s analytics and customizations are underwhelming.Â
Features
Lead distribution software that assigns leads to reps based on chosen criteria
Visual, Kanban-style sales pipeline with a drag-and-drop interface
Lead generation chatbot that interacts with web visitors 24/7
Workflow automation for appointment scheduling, task assignment, follow-ups, and more
Custom dashboard to track lead nurturing KPIs
Email outreach features like email scheduling, recipient behavior tracking, and templatesÂ
Pricing
Essential: $14/month per seatÂ
Advanced: $39/month per seatÂ
Professional: $49/month per seatÂ
Power: $64/month per seatÂ
Enterprise: $99/month per seatÂ
4. Keap: The SMB Automation OG
Keap is a small business CRM that specializes in automating sales and marketing tasks, including those associated with lead nurturing.Â
The platform has tools that capture lead information and use that data to send personalized emails and texts. Key features include drip email sequences, lead scoring, and automated follow-ups.Â
That said, there have been complaints about its ease of use. Small business owner Larry M. even describes it as unintuitive. One cause might be the dramatic expanse of features. It’s easy to get lost in all the marketing, sales, and lead gen tools available. This versatility is a serious double-edged sword.Â
Features
Employee reminders so no sales tasks fall through the cracks
Segmentation based on lead source (social media vs. organic traffic, for example)
Automated, personalized text messagingÂ
Marketing text broadcasts to pre-defined groups of leads
Email marketing automations that trigger based on lead activity
Landing page and forms builderÂ
Analytics and auto-reporting toolsÂ
Pricing
Plans start at $249/month for 2 users and 1500 contacts, and the price increases as you add users and contacts.
5. Zoho CRM: The Customization Champion
Zoho CRM is a highly customizable sales CRM. Key nurturing features include email workflows, email templates, and automated lead routing.Â
Keap’s AI assistant, Zia, can also predict a deal’s likelihood to close, helping sales reps focus on the highest-quality leads.
Due to the platform’s customizability, there is a steep learning curve. Also, most of the AI and advanced reporting features are confined to higher-priced plans. Â
Features
Customizable email templates for mass outreach
Lead assignment and territory management
Real-time notifications about lead activity through a feature called SalesSignals
AI-powered lead sentiment analysis and optimal outreach time suggestions
Automated multichannel lead follow-up sequencesÂ
Pricing
Zoho CRM Standard: $14/month per user
Zoho CRM Professional: $23/month per user
Zoho CRM Enterprise: $40/month per user
Zoho CRM Ultimate: $52/month per user
6. LeadSquared: The High-Velocity Sales Ally
LeadSquared offers landing page creation, lead scoring, lead segmentation, and sales insights. It also comes with automated email and SMS outreach specifically for lead nurturing.Â
However, users have flagged issues. Reviewers on Software Advice mention bugginess, lagging, and poor-quality UX. The tool may cause frustration for those used to seamless technical experiences.Â
Features
SMS and email outreach automationÂ
Trigger-based campaigns across email, SMS, Facebook, Google, and WhatsAppÂ
Email reports covering engagement scores, email opens, clicks, and more Â
Lead scoring and tracking based on leads’ online interactions with your brand
Led segmentation by demographics, location, and engagement status
Custom, reusable email templatesÂ
Pricing
Marketing Pro: $2,000 per account
Marketing Super: $3,500 per accountÂ
7. Skipio: The SMS Follow-Up Engine
Skipio helps businesses automate their text message follow-up to new leads. Users can embed a web chat widget onto their website, which visitors can use to text you directly.
Marketing and sales teams can also create drip messaging campaigns that automatically send personalized text messages to new leads.Â
One potential problem is that if you also need email and social media nurturing, you won’t find it on Skipio. They focus on SMS lead nurturing. While that’s great for industries where texting prospects is expected, like real estate or fitness, it won’t fly in most B2B sales settings, where LinkedIn and email tend to be the best nurturing channels. Â
Features
Webchat that enables your web visitors to text you from your site
Drip text message campaignsÂ
Custom merge fields to personalize text messages
Activity-based drip campaign triggersÂ
Call forwarding to redirect calls to a number of your choice
Auto-assignment of leads to pre-set campaigns based on SMS responses
Pricing
Essential: $199/month
Professional: $299/month
Premium: $399/month
Max: $599/month
8. ActiveCampaign: The SMB Automation Ace
ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation platform for small and medium-sized businesses. When it comes to lead nurturing, it has tools for managing content creation, segmenting your audiences, and running AI-powered, trigger-based marketing campaigns.Â
As for drawbacks, ActiveCampaign's email designer tools can feel a bit limited. In an otherwise glowing G2 review, one user also called the email templates feature outdated.Â
Features
Suite of content creation tools, including an AI content generator and a drag-and-drop builder for landing pages, web forms, and email designs
Audience segmentation, lead scoring, and deal success probability forecasting
Personalized drip email campaigns and automated follow-ups
AI campaign builder for creating cross-channel marketing campaignsÂ
Built-in CRM with customer journey mapping and pipeline visualization
A/B testing for optimizing email content, landing pages, marketing channels (SMS vs. email, for example), and other touchpoints
Sales routing with manual and round robin assignment options
Pricing
Starter: $15/month
Plus: $49/month
Pro: $79/month
Enterprise: $145/month
9. Close: The All-in-One Sales Communication Hub
Close is a sales CRM for startups and small sales teams with tools that support and streamline email, phone, and SMS outreach. Features range from automated follow-up reminders and emails to a predictive power dialer that calls multiple numbers at the same time and connects sales reps with leads that answer.Â
While effective for growing sales teams that need to scale lead nurturing, the platform is insufficient for larger, more established businesses looking for advanced customization and marketing automation. Â
Features
Built-in power dialer and predictive dialer for fast cold calling
Bulk email tool to send personalized nurturing emails at scaleÂ
Automated follow-up reminders
Multi-channel sales workflows with lead behavior triggers
AI email editor and customizable email templatesÂ
SMS outreach and texting directly from the Close platformÂ
Dynamic (auto-updating) lead list building with filters and a search function
Pricing
Essentials: $35/month per seat
Growth: $99/month per seat
Scale: $139/month per seat
10. Adobe Marketo Engage: The Enterprise-Grade Powerhouse
Marketo Engage is an AI-powered marketing automation platform for enterprise brands that want to nurture leads across multiple sales channels while keeping sales and marketing teams aligned on complex initiatives.Â
It offers tools for omnichannel engagement, audience segmentation, outreach personalization, and performance tracking.Â
On the negative side, the platform requires significant time and investment to set up properly. Smaller businesses might lack the financial and human resources to make use of the platform’s various feature sets.Â
Features
AI that can build landing pages, write emails, and respond to visitors via live chatÂ
Omnichannel campaigns across email, mobile, web, digital advertising, and more
AI content assistant that predicts which content will resonate most with your leadsÂ
Auto-adjusting campaigns that adapt to lead responses and online activityÂ
Lead scoring based on a comprehensive set of signals
Chat-based meeting scheduler you can embed into your landing pagesÂ
Out-of-the-box dashboards to measure performance across nurturing touchpointsÂ
Pricing
Reach out to sales for a custom quote.
How to Choose the Right Lead Nurturing Software
The right lead nurturing software can help you achieve significant boosts in sales productivity and conversion rates. A poor choice, however, could mean you end up paying for expensive software that no one uses.Â
To help you pick wisely, here are the main points to keep in mind during product evaluation.Â
Know Your Team Size and Workflow
A small startup doesn’t need the same lead nurturing features as an enterprise brand. Find a tool designed for your company’s size and in alignment with your workflows and goals. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying for features you don’t need. Or worse, trying to make your internal processes fit the software when it should be the other way around.Â
Before starting your search, ask yourself:
What pain points am I trying to solve?
What lead nurturing tasks do I want to automate?
What lead nurturing goals am I trying to hit?Â
Your answers will help you stay focused in your search and prioritize tools that will actually help you hit your lead nurturing objectives.Â
Prioritize Automation and Multi-Channel Touchpoints
Automation and multi-channel sequences are essential in modern lead nurturing. Sales reps and marketers need tools that can automate outreach across not only email but also SMS and social.Â
Additionally, it’s important to prioritize tools that can auto-personalize this outreach based on lead behavior and demographics and adjust campaigns according to how leads engage with your content.Â
Consider Budget and Ease of Use
It should go without saying—budget is a key factor. If you don’t see how “luxury” options directly serve your specific lead nurturing goals, they might not be worth it. Conversely, a platform with limited functionality will be unsuitable for a company with complex workflows.Â
Ease of use is also another factor that affects ROI. Some tools, like Artisan, are easy to implement and come with a dedicated support team that helps you customize the platform and get it up and running in days.Â
Others tend to require more technical know-how to set up and use. If you lack the internal IT staff to implement the solution and train users, look for out-of-the-box solutions.Â
Choose the Tool That’ll Actually Move the Needle
Do your team a favor. Don’t buy a dozen sales tools. Half of sales reps are already overwhelmed by the size of their tech stack. Instead, focus on a small number of B2B sales tools that move the needle.Â
How can you create a concise tech stack while still getting the functionality you need? Start by investing in end-to-end solutions. Artisan, for example, consolidates your lead generation, sales prospecting, and lead nurturing tools into one easy-to-use AI-first sales platform.
Thanks to its countless automations, it requires very little oversight from your sales team. Instead of working inside the platform, your reps can focus on meeting with prospects, building relationships, and closing deals.Â
