Email Drip Campaigns
Turn Engagement from Trickles to Torrents
“Email drip campaign” may be a foreign phrase… until you know how valuable it can be. A series of pre-written, pre-scheduled messages triggered by a reader’s behavior, an email drip campaign works like a factory to help prospects go from curious to serious.
Book a free 20-minute appointment with Email Broadcast to have the experts handle your email drip campaign.
How an Email Drip Campaign Works
When done right, an email drip campaign converts prospects into serious leads within a few emails. Firstly, the messages are written, designed, and coded ahead of time to anticipate different kinds of engagement. For example, new subscribers receive an automated welcome series right after they sign up for your list. Meanwhile, first-time customers get funneled into an onboarding series that helps them get the most of your product or service. Similarly, potential attendees are sent through an event series that alerts them to upcoming occasions like sales, trade shows, and celebrations.
Using best practices, these automated messages are timed to drop in response to the actions of a prospect or customer—which is why they’re called drip campaigns. Once a drip campaign is crafted and programmed, it gets sent automatically according to optimized times and behaviors.
7 Keys Steps to Setting Up an Email Drip Campaign
The most successful drip campaigns are generated with care, time, and thought. That way, after you set up and start the automation, your job is mostly finished. When setting up your email drip campaign, here are some key steps to follow:
1. Choose the audience for your email drip campaign.
Of course, part of setting up your automation is selecting your audience. Who are you trying to reach in this phase of the customer journey? For instance, do you want to send VIP offers to everyone who makes a purchase—or would you like to send those special offers to people spending a specific amount of money?
2. Set the goal of your email drip campaign.
Obviously, the aim of your automated series will inform every individual message within it. Identify what you want this automation to do so that you can work toward this goal—whether it’s to greet new customers, announce products and services, prevent cart abandonment, or convert readers into customers.
3. Pick the number of emails in your message series.
Indeed, the number of emails in your drip campaign is critical to its success. Consider the life cycle of your offerings, the demographic you’re targeting, and the cost of your merchandise (as more expensive purchases often require more engagements).
4. Decide which action will trigger your email drip campaign.
Is it signing up for your list? Making a purchase? Scheduling a consultation? Regardless, the chosen trigger informs both the content of your message series as well as its timing.
5. Create an email drip campaign that’s on brand.
Without doubt, you can develop a loyal customer base when you’re consistent and engaging to your audience. When creating an automated message series, don’t abandon your voice. Make these emails friendly, engaging, and value-adding.
6. Monitor the performance of your email drip campaign.
Additionally, review how your email series performs at least once per month. Measure the clicks and conversion rates and refine the content accordingly to get the most from this type of automation.
7. Review your automated message series over time.
Periodically checking every email drip campaign ensures that all your messages remain relevant and timely. You’ll want to look for broken links, programs that ended, updated services, or stats that are out-of-date.
How an Email Drip Campaign Relates to Automation
Because automated email series are created and scheduled in anticipation of triggers, they help you send the right message at the optimal time to relevant people. In other words, an email drip campaign is email marketing automation at its finest.
A Different Email Drip Campaign for Every Purpose
If you’re new to the world of automated message series, here are some examples to illustrate their different goals:
Welcome Series
This series is a set of automations sent to people who sign up for your email list. Here are some things a successful welcome series can do:
- Deliver lead magnets
- Introduce your brand
- Give rewards
- Expand your list
- Get feedback and testimonials
Remember, a new subscriber is most excited to hear from you right after they’ve joined your list. Consequently, sending a welcome series to immediately connect with these subscribers makes an indelibly positive impression.
Onboarding Email Drip Campaign
When someone becomes a customer, that’s only the start of your relationship with them. An onboarding email drip campaign is a series of messages that allows you to continue adding value after a purchase has been made. Specifically, an effective onboarding series can offer these perks:
- How to get the most out of the purchased product or service
- Links to helpful information on your website, e.g. Frequently Asked Questions
- Introduction to advanced features
- Complementary products or services to consider
Abandoned Cart Automations
From time to time, prospective customers put items in their shopping cart only to abandon them a few minutes later. Abandoned cart email automations can close sales that would otherwise wither on the vine.
On average:
- 45% of abandoned cart emails are opened
- 21% of these messages get clicks
- 50% of those clicks result in a purchase
That’s significant sales potential.
Special Occasion Emails
These automations are generated when subscribers have birthdays or reach an anniversary status. In addition to making readers feel valued—particularly if discounts or deals are offered—these automations keep them conscious of your brand throughout the years.
Reactivation Reminder Email Drip Campaign
Another way to engage subscribers is through a reactivation email drip campaign. Subscribers that haven’t been active for a set period of time get tagged to receive these automations. Consequently, you can send these messages according to your industry’s specific buying cycle.
Create Your Own Email Drip Campaign
Of course, these are just some examples of successful automations. The only limit is your imagination. Pay attention to your customers’ journeys and craft a message series around those experiences. For example, is there a point in this journey that raises questions for potential customers? Send an email drip that includes responses to frequently asked questions. You get the picture.
Invest in a Professional Email Drip Campaign
Because an email drip campaign is one of the most effective automation tools around, you’re smart to get expert help with it.
Make no mistake: crafting an effective automated campaign takes time, insight, and expertise. Our team of full-service email marketing experts is happy to create and manage your campaign for you. Establish your brand, connect with your readers, and invest in a promotional tool that quickly pays for itself.
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Schedule your free 20-minute consultation to see if your business can profit from expert email marketing.
