Now that we’ve covered the basics of lead scoring, and how to build your model, let’s tackle the last topic in our 3-part lead scoring series: lead scoring tools. Lead scoring is a process and a framework, not a tool — but technology makes it possible to implement at scale. Here are the lead scoring tools you can expect to use in your quantitative quest.
Lead scoring tools: lead enrichment
Lead enrichment tools like ZoomInfo supplement your first-party data (like form fills and website tracking) with third-party information.
While you don’t need lead enrichment tools to implement lead scoring, they can make it easier to gather and populate your records with clean, verified data about your prospects’ demographics and firmographics. And the more data you have, the more effective your lead scoring will be.
Lead scoring tools: Marketing automation
Unlike lead enrichment, marketing automation tools are a must-have: your marketing automation platform is where your lead scoring actually happens.
To support advanced lead scoring, a robust marketing automation platform will:
- Store and organize your contact data
- Develop and deploy lead scoring models
- Monitor and track lead engagement across your website, email, social media, and other channels
- Automatically update lead scores based on behaviors or added datapoints
- Sync contact and lead scoring data with your CRM so the sales team has clear visibility
- Provide reporting and lead scoring analytics
However, marketing automation tools don’t just support lead scoring to smooth handoffs to sales. You can also use lead scores to deliver more relevant and targeted marketing campaigns.
Segmentation (the secret superpower of lead scoring)
The whole practice of marketing automation depends on segmentation: automatically categorizing audience members based on demographics, firmographics, or behavior.
If that sounds exactly like lead scoring, you’re onto something. Lead scoring is a type of segmentation. And while it’s commonly used to determine MQL thresholds, lead scoring can also be used as a layer of segmentation to power marketing automation. What’s more, AI-driven lead scoring and AI-powered segmentation are pushing lead management into new, exciting directions.
Lead scoring tools: Lead nurturing
Marketing automation uses segmentation to execute lead nurturing programs at scale. Lead nurturing means continually engaging with a would-be customer over time, sharing content and messages that educate and inform them about topics related to your products or services.
Lead scoring, segmentation, and nurturing are a powerful combination. By segmenting audiences based on their lead scores, marketers can deliver content according to the lead’s progress along their buying journey through stage-specific nurture campaigns.
That’s exactly how our team structures our lead nurture campaigns here at Act-On. As Suzy Balk, Sr. Marketing Campaigns Manager, describes, “When you have a lower lead score, we offer thought leadership content. We want to communicate ‘Here’s what we do — and we know what we’re talking about.’ Our intention is that you continue to take a look at Act-On and the other content we have that supports your business. Then, as your lead score grows, we start to introduce more mid-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content — maybe some case studies around the impact of marketing automation.”
Once a lead gets close to the MQL threshold, Suzy introduces content that would help them cross the metaphorical finish line: offering a demo, introducing the pricing page, or other bottom-of-funnel CTAs. At that point, a lead has engaged with multiple pieces of content, usually across different channels, and our team has gathered enough information through progressive profiling to determine that they’re fairly likely to be interested in our marketing automation platform.
“It’s a lot less intrusive to introduce a demo or CTA once someone has engaged repeatedly, versus if they downloaded one piece of content,” Suzy says. “It really creates more warmth and familiarity with us as a solution.”
Advance your lead scoring expertise
We’ve covered a lot of ground in this series: the basics of lead scoring and its many benefits, how to build your own lead scoring model, and the lead scoring tools you’ll need to implement it at scale. And, thanks to Suzy, we’ve shared a lot of lead scoring best practices, examples, and inside tips along the way. Take the journey a step further with our webinar on managing leads from pipeline to conversion.