Implicit Lead Scoring, What Really Matters
Lead scoring rules for B2B marketing automation programs may differ across various lead management architectures. An attribute such as a lead’s company position may receive higher scoring in one program than in another. But most programs will include explicit and implicit lead scoring matrices. While explicit, or physical, scoring is critical to lead qualification, it is the implicit, or behavioral, scoring that can really determine how sales-ready a lead may be. And we’re not just talking about establishing a score for a single website visit; effective scoring also includes the level of a lead’s interest.
There are several implicit scoring considerations that should be included when developing a lead scoring system.
Website Visits
How did a lead find you? The path a lead takes to land on your site may reveal some attributes like buying authority and need. Internet searches generally indicate a greater urgency or interest; therefore, scoring for a website visit should reflect how a lead arrived at your site.
How many and which pages were viewed? Site engagement is an important lead scoring criteria. The pages a lead will visit can indicate the level of buying authority and purchase imminence. Also, the amount of time spent viewing your content can reveal buying authority or influence and timing.
Webinar Attendance
Don’t forget about webinars as a variable in implicit lead scoring. When a lead attends your webinar, the score should reflect the deeper commitment to participate in your marketing efforts. This commitment may indicate buying authority, need, and timing. Time spent in attendance may reveal buying influence. A lead’s level of participation should also be used in your scoring metrics. Did she raise any questions? Those that ask questions are typically more interested than those that simply attend.
Content Download
Most automated lead scoring programs assign a score for content downloads. But not all download scoring is the same. For example, a lead who has downloaded free content should warrant a low to medium-level score, whereas a lead who pays for a download should receive a higher score.
It’s also important to score the type of content and the frequency of downloads by a lead. Has a lead requested a single white paper download or has he subscribed to a newsletter? Content download activity may reveal buying authority and need. It’s important to score the curious differently than the active buyers.
Email Activity
Email response is important as well, and scoring for this activity should include variations to reflect interest levels. Leads that open your email may all likely have a need for your solution. Their interest may be passive or active, but a lead who has opened a marketing email should be assigned a score that indicates an elevated level of interest. Click-through activity is also an important indicator that should be accounted for within an implicit score matrix. Leads that follow an embedded link may be close to sales-ready status.
If you would like to learn more about effective lead scoring, contact a Lead Liaison representative today!
