To achieve a lead scoring-based cross-channel nurture strategy, a CDP must be positioned at the center of the tech stack. The CDP must be aware of all customer behavior to align an accurate lead score. To achieve this, the CDP must connect to all downstream activation points. In some cases, they must also have a bi-directional connection to platforms to both ingest events into the CDP and push audiences out of the CDP. Common data sources and downstream activation points are websites, lifecycle marketing tools, Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc. Without a CDP in place, scoring strategies lack a 360 view of customer behavior, resulting in messaging that misses the mark.
A Single Source of Truth
The objective of lead scoring is to align content to where the user is at in their customer journey. If a prospect is in the researching phase, they need to receive content reinforcing the brand and how they stand out from competitors. If a prospect is in the deciding phase, they need to receive a different message. For example, harder-hitting sales messaging, persuasive case studies, white papers, etc.
Without a source of truth for all channels to create a singular lead score from, strategies become fragmented. This leads to lost opportunities or communications that do not align with current funnel stages. Imagine a prospect is looking for a new pair of jeans and is interested in brand A and brand B. After vetting both brands, they are ready to find the perfect pair with brand B. They start getting targeted paid ads from brand B for best sellers but are still receiving irrelevant email content that lacks cohesivity with the best seller messaging they are seeing with paid ads. This can quickly create unnecessary noise and become distracting, and in the worst case, this can create an annoying experience on the customer’s end. In this case, the brand’s email marketing tool was not receiving cross-channel behavioral updates, and therefore missed key steps in the customer journey.
Setting Up CDP-Based Lead Scoring
As detailed in the example above, it should be clear that a lead scoring model built on a 360 view of a customer’s behavior is essential. Below is an example table of how one could structure a CDP-based, cross-channel lead scoring model. Note that customer behavior sources, scores, etc., are variable and will change based on how a business is structured. The objective of a table like the one below is to establish score tiers and align messaging with where a customer falls in each tier. For example, let’s assume the table below is a basic scoring model based on an e-commerce brand selling apparel.
Cross-Channel Scoring Example:
The Future of Lead Scoring
With CDPs becoming more widely implemented, we will start to see fewer siloed lead scoring strategies. The future of lead scoring is all about the full customer view and having a CDP to fuel scoring behaviors will change the way we interact with customers.
A CDP-based lead scoring model will allow brands to achieve cohesive, consistent, cross-channel messaging that’s aligned with the customer journey. This will lead to enhanced outcomes such as, better customer experiences, growth in customer lifetime value, and improved ROI through paid channels and lifecycle marketing efforts.