Email drip campaigns: Strategy, examples, and best practices 

Regularly keeping in touch with prospects and customers might seem challenging, but your work becomes super easy and fast once you start using drip email campaigns.    

Exciting data states that companies that use drip marketing emails generate 80% more sales and can bring in more than 7x revenue.  

These automated, perfectly timed emails are like the breadcrumbs that keep your leads or customers on the path toward conversion.   

In this digital age, it’s not about the flashiest marketing campaign but about the most consistent and personalized. And this is where drip marketing campaigns steal the spotlight!   

So, whether you are new to the game or looking to level up your email marketing efforts, join us as we dive deep into the world of drip campaigns, exploring powerful strategies, inspiring examples, and industry-proven best practices. 

What is a drip email campaign?

A drip email campaign is a set of pre-generated emails that you can send to your subscribers, existing or potential customers at fixed intervals using automation. 

When you talk about the meaning of a drip campaign, it is based on four major elements: 

1. Target audience  

2. Timing   

3. Frequency  

4. Content  

You have successfully created a drip email campaign plan when you decide:   

Who would get my emails?  

At what time will they get my emails exactly?  

How many emails will they get in total? 

What’s the takeaway from these emails? 

You could be running an eCommerce online course platform providing courses or running your own business, and drip emails could be an ideal way for you to connect with your audience. 

The best part of the drip campaigns – you have the authority to define timeline, frequency, and triggers.   

Why use drip campaigns? 

Let’s explore the magic of drip campaigns and why they’re such a game-changer in the digital marketing world: 

1. Lead nurturing

Drip campaigns can help guide prospective customers down your sales funnel. You can cultivate relationships and nurture leads effectively by providing valuable information and educational content through drip emails. 

2. Personalization and segmentation

Drip campaigns allow you to target customers based on their preferences and actions, ensuring each drip email is highly relevant and personalized. 

3. Automated efficiency

With automated drip campaign emails, you save time and ensure consistency in your email marketing. Email drip campaign software and marketing automation software are vital tools for managing these campaigns. 

4. Customer retention and engagement

Drip campaigns can help keep existing customers engaged and reinforce relationships with new customers. For example, welcome emails for new subscribers or onboarding emails for new customers can be part of an effective drip campaign strategy. 

5. Re-engagement

For inactive or former customers, a re-engagement drip campaign can remind customers of your value and bring them back into your sales cycle. An abandoned cart email is an excellent example of this type of campaign. 

6. Tracking and analysis 

With drip marketing campaigns, you can track user actions and measure success with tools like Google Analytics. This data can help refine your drip campaign strategy for better results. 

7. Sales and conversion

Drip campaigns can influence your sales pipeline by gently leading a potential customer to a sales pitch. For example, offering a discount code in a drip email can encourage conversions. 

Remember, running a successful drip campaign means following best practices for creating engaging content, choosing the right subject lines, and tailoring your message for your target audience.

What are the types of email drip campaigns?  

Drip campaigns can be categorized into various types, each with its unique purpose and strategy. Here are some common types of email drip campaigns: 

1. Welcome email drip campaigns

These are sent to new subscribers, making them feel valued and starting the customer journey positively. Welcome emails typically introduce your brand and what subscribers can expect from future communications. 

2. Onboarding emails

This drip campaign type is designed to guide a new user through your product or service. For example, if you run an eCommerce business, an onboarding email might explain how to purchase, detail the return policy, or provide a discount code for their first order. 

3. Lead nurturing campaigns

The goal is to engage potential leads or prospects, usually with valuable information and educational content. The aim is to move prospects down the sales funnel until they are ready to become customers. 

4. Re-engagement drip campaigns

These are targeted at customers who have become inactive or unresponsive. The objective is to remind consumer interest in your brand and remind them of its benefits. 

5. Post-purchase drip campaigns

These are designed to improve customer relationships after a purchase has been made. They can include thank-you messages, product usage tips, or invitations to leave a review. 

6. Abandoned cart drip campaigns

These emails are delivered to clients who have added products to their shopping carts but have not yet finished the transaction. The goal is to encourage them to return and finalize their order. 

7. Upselling and cross-selling drip campaigns

These campaigns are meant to promote other products that complement the customer has purchased or encourage additional purchases. 

8. Newsletter drip campaigns

Newsletter campaigns are used to consistently provide valuable content to subscribers, building brand authority and keeping your audience engaged over time. 

When designing your drip campaign, remember that the most effective drip campaign aligns with your marketing strategy, speaks directly to your target audience, and provides timely and relevant content.  

Using reliable email drip campaign software can help automate these processes and make your email marketing efforts more efficient and successful.

How to strategize an email drip campaign strategy? 

Email campaigns are forty times more effective in acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.  

But with the right drip email campaign strategy, this works!     

Here are a few pointers which shall help you design the right strategy:   

1. Define the purpose of your drip campaign

As I mentioned above, there can be many purposes for email drip campaigns. You need a clear idea about your vision of the campaign. 

2. Segment your email list

A segmented list with tags will help you identify the purpose in the future as well. A sorted list could be helpful for future campaigns as well.   

For example, subscribers interested in “Email Marketing” would also be interested in “A Free Course on Emil Outreach.” You can use the same list multiple times for different products.   

3. Build and divide your campaign into fragments

As we know, the drip campaign is a series of automated emails sent over a duration. Therefore, you must build your entire campaign into various steps and then pick the right triggers.    

4. Write and work on emails

It is the most essential step for obvious reasons. Make sure your writing is in line with your motive. Here are some quick tips:   

• Create click-worthy subject lines  
• Align your content with the motive  
• Link the right resource in emails  
• CTA links should reflect your end goal  
• Every email of the drip should follow a pattern that resonates with your goal  

5. Assess your performance

Nothing is called a perfect strategy, and you must monitor your plans compared to your targets. However, you can modify and rework the loopholes every time you assess your routine. 

How to create a drip email campaign?

Creating an effective email drip campaign involves strategic planning and understanding your customers’ journey. Here’s how to get started:

Identify your goal

Define the purpose of your email drip campaign. It could be anything from lead nurturing, onboarding new subscribers, or re-engaging former customers.

Understand your target audience

Know your potential customers. What are their interests? When and why do they interact with your brand? Answers to these questions will help you tailor your drip emails effectively.

Segment your audience

Break down your target audience based on specific criteria (e.g., new customers, existing customers, customers who have abandoned shopping carts) to make your email drip campaign more personalized and relevant.

Craft your content

Write engaging content that aligns with your goals. For example, provide valuable information and educational content if your goal is lead nurturing. Remember to make your subject lines catchy!

Design your email drip campaign

Plan the number of emails, the time interval between them, and the triggering events. Email drip campaign templates can be a useful starting point.

Leverage email marketing software

Utilize email drip campaigns or marketing automation software to automate the process, allowing you to send timely and relevant emails based on user actions.

Test and adjust

Monitor your email drip campaign’s performance using tools like Google Analytics. Measure success based on click-through rates and conversions, then tweak your campaign for improved results.

Follow best practices

Align your email marketing efforts with industry best practices. It includes a clear call-to-action, a well-planned sales funnel, and knowledge of the customer journey.

To run a successful drip campaign, it’s crucial to send the appropriate message to the right person at the perfect time. Therefore, your drip campaign strategy should focus on creating a meaningful and personalized customer experience.

6 design tips to follow while creating a drip campaign  

Each email must have a unique design and layout to serve its purpose. Some design attribute tips remain the same for all of these emails, and you should follow them to create better drip emails.

1. Add relevant visuals to your emails 

Personalization is the key for an audience to connect with your brand, so interact and add a personalized touch to your visuals.    

Provide useful images like vector graphics, data-driven charts, or animated data patterns. 

2. Have a Call to Action (CTA) in your email 

The CTA action buttons should be spread across the layout to ensure optimum results. 

3. Integrate your brand logo in the email  

Drip emails are the perfect way to promote your brand, so integrate your logo in all the emails, preferably at the top.

4. Add links to social media platforms 

Email campaigns are the most sought-after way to build a base of your subscribers for different mediums. Add social media links at the bottom of the template to allow subscribers to connect with your brand on various platforms. 

5. Have a well-designed layout and content 

The content and layout are kings, so make sure they are well-designed and user-friendly. A user-friendly layout helps in building customer engagement. 

Users are becoming more comfortable with dark mode by default. Make sure your templates are visually appealing in dark and light modes. 

6. Always have a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of your email 

The bottom end of your email template should always have the option to unsubscribe. When you add an unsubscribe button to the list, add more relevancy for yourself and avoid annoying users.    

What are the best practices for a drip email campaign?  

Email drip campaigns are successful because of their relevance and rely on the customer trigger to send. The motive is to provide value to the customers, and here are some best practices you can follow: 

1. Have a clear targeted message

The heart of any successful drip campaign lies in the clarity of its message. Therefore, your email drip campaign should have a clear, targeted message that resonates with your audience.

As a result, it increases the likelihood of the recipient taking the desired action, whether making a purchase, signing up for a service, or any other goal of your marketing efforts.

2. Build a map for your campaign

Drip marketing is all about sending the right message at the right time. Therefore, it’s crucial to map out your drip email campaign beforehand.

Think of it as a customer journey, where each email plays a specific role in moving the customer through the sales funnel. Make sure your drip email campaign software provides this capability.

3. Consider and evaluate the purpose of your content

Each email in your drip campaigns should have a specific purpose. Whether it’s a welcome email, a lead nurturing email, or a re-engagement drip campaign email, ensure the content aligns with your overarching marketing strategy and is beneficial to the recipient.

4. Build urgency by setting a deadline

Drip marketing campaigns often include limited time offers or discounts to create a sense of urgency. This tactic encourages potential customers to act quickly, boosting click-through rates and conversions.

However, ensuring this urgency comes across as something other than a sales pitch but a valuable opportunity for the recipient.

5. Respect unsubscribes

Compliance with email marketing best practices and regulations is essential. For example, if a user decides to unsubscribe from your email drip campaigns, their decision should be respected and actioned promptly.

Efficient drip email campaign software can help automate this process, ensuring a positive experience even for those who opt-out.

Always keep in mind that knowing your target audience and giving them relevant, timely, and interesting material are the keys to a successful drip campaign.

Utilize marketing automation to deliver a personalized experience and always strive to follow best practices for the best possible results.

Examples of drip email campaigns

Drip emails can be pretty daunting, especially with complex strategies, testing, and end-goals involved. A brand needs to get it right, and the best way to learn that is through examples.   

Let us take three examples to understand how to create successful drip email campaigns.   

 1. The customer delight campaign by Zombie Run 

If you are wondering how to engage with new members and create a successful campaign on board, Zombie Run – a fitness app, is a perfect example. Their email campaign is simple and immediately shows users what to do next.  

In addition, this campaign allows you to display to users the specific number of steps they should take, and the calculation is tailored to their individual activity levels.

2. Twelve days campaign by Trello

The holidays mark the perfect occasion to promote your products and services to your audience. All you need is some high-converting messages in your email drip campaign.    

Trello did precisely that and implemented its unique “Twelve Days to Trello Campaign” during Christmas time. 

The campaign gave out all the project’s benefits and contained links to pages on using it.    

3. Cart abandonment campaign by Kenneth Cole’s   

If you run an eCommerce website, you will know the struggles faced when people leave items in the cart.   

Cart abandonment is a serious issue for most eCommerce, and there can be multiple reasons. According to statistics, an average store loses 75% of sales due to digital cart abandonment.  

It would help if you had a solid drip campaign that motivates customers to complete their purchases.   

The drip campaign from Kenneth Cole is a perfect example, and what’s more, they also offer discounts to buyers.

Top 4 software for drip email campaigns 

Drip email marketing is about sending the right automation emails through marketing campaigns. It is a more innovative way of conducting campaigns by automating mailing machines and CRM software.   

There is a wide variety of software and tools available out there, and to help you make the best choice, we have a few recommendations for you – 

1. Salesmate 

Salesmate is a cost-effective marketing automation tool to help you design your dream drip email campaigns. It’s a marketing tool and a fine combination of sales CRM and customer service facilities.   

That means you don’t have to spend on multiple sales, marketing, and customer service tools.

Features:

• 45+ triggers, actions, and conditions 
• Craft beautiful email templates 
• Pre-made library of automation and email templates 
• Create lists and segments 
• Segment customers easily using tags and many more filters 
• Send emails and texts using automation 
• Live view of your campaigns with logs 
• Test campaigns with A/B testing 
• Detailed insights on your marketing campaigns 
• Automate other marketing outreach and tasks 
• Lead capture and nurturing using Web Forms and Chat Journeys 
• Integrate Salesmate with your favorite tools 
• Send personalized emails in bulk with security 

Salesmate is cost-effective, and the plans start from $23. What’s more, is that it also offers 15-days free trial.

2. Mailchimp 

Mailchimp is a well-known product in the email marketing segment that helps send automated emails for specified activities, and you can choose from how many emails to send and the rate at which to send them.    

Features:

• Customer segmentation and lists 
• Interactive audience dashboard 
• Take surveys easily 
• Track customer engagement and purchase behaviors 
• Create email templates easily 

3. Sendinblue 

This tool is a comprehensive email software and a marketing communication platform. Sendinblue offers design templates to create a good-looking email with A/B testing and a segmented recipient list.  

Features:

• Customer segmentation  
• Mobile-friendly email designer 
• Marketing automation capabilities 
• Create landing pages effectively 

4. Sender  

The sender is a marketing automation tool with great features to ensure smooth deliverability. This software allows you to create unique newsletters without any knowledge of HTML.   

Features:

• HTML editor 
• Contact profiles and segmentation  
• Email automation and workflows 
• A/B split campaigns 

I suggest you compare each tool in-depth. As far as Salesmate goes, it’s a super affordable, all-in-one business tool that offers much more than just email marketing, like built-in calling, lead management, lead nurturing, live chat, and much more. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, email drip campaigns are a game-changer in marketing. By delivering targeted messages, utilizing automation, and following best practices, businesses can engage their audience, guide them through the sales funnel, and drive conversions.  

With the versatility to cater to various goals and customer segments, drip campaigns offer a powerful tool for nurturing customer relationships.  

By measuring success and continuously refining strategies, businesses can unlock the full potential of drip campaigns to elevate their email marketing efforts and achieve their objectives. So, embrace the strategic magic of drip campaigns and watch your business thrive. 

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