A drip campaign, also known as an email drip campaign or marketing automation campaign, is a pre-designed series of automated, time- or action-triggered emails sent to a specific group of subscribers over a set period. The primary purpose of a drip campaign is to engage, nurture, and educate leads or customers, ultimately guiding them through the sales funnel or encouraging desired actions such as purchasing, signing up, or renewing a subscription.
Drip campaigns are highly effective because they deliver relevant and personalized content to the recipient based on their behavior or actions, ensuring that each message is timely and contextually appropriate. They help maintain consistent communication with leads or customers, building trust, and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Examples of drip campaigns
- Welcome series: Sent to new subscribers or customers, introducing them to the brand, products, or services, and setting expectations for future communications.
- Onboarding series: Helps new customers learn how to use a product or service effectively, providing tips, best practices, and resources.
- Lead nurturing series: Targets leads at different stages of the sales funnel, offering tailored content and messaging to move them closer to a purchasing decision.
- Abandoned cart series: Reminds customers who have left items in their shopping cart to complete their purchase, potentially offering incentives such as discounts or free shipping.
- Re-engagement series: Attempts to re-engage inactive subscribers or customers by offering special promotions, new product announcements, or content that addresses their interests.
To set up a successful drip campaign, it’s essential to segment your audience, create engaging and relevant content, set appropriate triggers and timing for each email, and monitor and optimize the campaign’s performance over time.