In this blog, we discuss what an MQL nurture journey is, why it's important, and how it can benefit recruiters everywhere. Depending on the data you have and the tools available, this can become one of your biggest assets.
03 December 2024
Recruitment is a highly competitive industry, and standing out is one of the biggest challenges recruitment marketers face. In a field where transactional recruitment is fading, those who invest in creating genuine value will rise to the top—winning market share, increasing client loyalty, and positioning themselves as market leaders.
According to Gartner Research, businesses using marketing automation to nurture prospects see a 451% increase in qualified leads. That’s an opportunity no one should pass up! If you’re looking to add value beyond recruitment, it starts with a well-crafted MQL nurture journey.
An MQL nurture journey is an automated email activity where qualified marketing leads are guided through different stages until they convert. Typically, the journey is broken down into phases based on behavioural intent:
If this sounds familiar, it's because it follows the classic marketing funnel—the goal is to make the prospect “warmer” at every stage, ultimately leading to a conversion. Many organisations overlook the stages leading up to conversion, focusing solely on prospects who are ready to act now. But in reality, that’s only about 3% of potential customers—what about the remaining 97%? Using a nurture journey allows you to keep those prospects warm until they're ready to convert, whether that takes days, weeks, or even months.
The real effort behind an MQL nurture journey isn’t just setting up email automation—it’s curating valuable content to engage your audience meaningfully. Moving beyond a transactional approach requires providing real value throughout your prospect’s journey.
No. If you’re emailing a prospect to engage with them, don't make them fill out a form just to access your report—simply give it to them.
This content is only shared with your email marketing list. So unless you’re adding competitors to your database, you’re fine. Spend less time worrying about what competitors might see and more time creating industry-leading content to differentiate from them.
“Value” means helping someone accomplish their goal better. “Value content” is the vehicle for delivering that insight. Start by mapping your value proposition to your customers’ jobs, pains, and gains—then identify how you can help. Translate that into different forms of content that align with where your customers are in their journey.
Examples include:
Providing this content ensures 'value beyond recruitment' while also boosting your industry credibility, supporting your market position, and differentiating you from competitors.
Aside from successful conversions, nurturing MQLs can provide other valuable returns:
The most successful MQL nurture journeys rely on segmentation, which involves sending relevant content based on data such as lists, forms, and workflows. Think quality over quantity—personalised messaging results in better engagement.
If you’re new to segmentation, start with a manageable approach. For example, segment prospects based on their role within the decision-making process—such as operational users, influencers, and decision-makers—each with different pain points you need to address.
Over time, as your resources grow, you can create more sophisticated journeys that segment customers based on their specific engagement levels or actions taken. The more personalised you make the journey, the better results you will achieve.
Remember, not everyone is ready to buy right away—in fact, 30% of your audience might not be considering a purchase right now, while another 30% don't think they're interested based on what they know about you at this point. It’s your job to nurture them until they are ready to take the next step.
Investing in an MQL nurture journey means taking a strategic, long-term approach to your recruitment marketing. By providing genuine value, understanding customer needs, and leveraging segmentation, you not only increase conversion opportunities but also enhance client relationships and set yourself apart from the competition.
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