Email marketing is an effective strategy for building relationships with new and existing customers. Brands around the world are taking advantage of email automation to generate new leads and convert existing leads into customers. A powerful method of email marketing is a drip campaign.
A drip campaign is a series of automated emails sent to subscribers based on a pre-determined timeline or in response to a specific action. A drip campaign can be used to nurture new leads, welcome new subscribers, or re-engage with inactive users. It’s also an effective way to remind customers about your products and services.
Advantages of Drip Campaigns
Automated drip campaigns are simple to set up and manage, and they give your prospects timely, relevant content. The benefits of drip campaigns include:
Automation
Drip campaigns are a great way to save time. Once you’ve set up your sequence of messages, they will do the rest of the work for you. You’ll consistently stay in touch with your customers, without the risk of leads slipping through the cracks. A well-executed drip campaign will nurture your leads and build relationships, leaving you more time to focus on sales.
Segmentation
Segmenting your drip campaign allows you to reach out to specific groups of customers with highly targeted messages. Each potential customer can receive the exact information they need based on where they are in your sales funnel. You can easily add or update content to ensure your leads receive timely information. Your messages will be relevant and personal, leading to higher open rates and higher conversions.
Lead Nurturing
Drip campaigns take the heavy lifting out of lead nurturing. Not all potential customers will engage right away. They may wish to know more about your products or your company before making a purchase. That’s why it’s essential to stay in contact with customers and build relationships. A drip email campaign allows you to explain the benefits of your products, answer common questions, and address any potential concerns your prospect may have. This will keep your products in your customers’ minds and build trust.
Building Brand Awareness
A series of relevant emails will keep prospective customers connected to your brand. When a prospect is ready to make a purchase, they’ll think of your company. An effective drip campaign will increase brand awareness and build relationships with new prospective clients.
Applications and Examples
Drip campaigns encompass several types of messages. Here are some of the most common.
Welcome
When a prospect joins your company’s mailing list, the first message they’ll receive is a welcome email. Effective welcome emails are personalized with the prospect’s name, a welcome message, and information about your services or products. A welcome email lets your customers know that you appreciate their interest. It also allows you to showcase what you have to offer and what they can expect from your company. It’s a chance to make a great first impression while the customer is newly interested.
Onboarding
A welcome email is often followed by an onboarding email, which lets your customer become further acquainted with your company and what it has to offer. For example, if a user signs up for a free trial, an onboarding message may explain the next steps to take and the benefits available to paid users.
Re-Engagement
Re-engagement messages are sent to your subscribers who haven’t engaged with your company for a long time. There are several reasons a potential customer may no longer engage. They may have an issue with your website, or no longer be interested in your products. A re-engagement campaign attempts to reconnect with users and win them back.
Special Promotion
Everyone loves to get a good deal. Set up a drip campaign to offer your prospects a free trial, a temporary discount, or a promo code. Running an exclusive offer for your email subscribers is a great way to boost engagement and sales. It will keep your customers interested in your products—and your mailing list.
Keys to an Effective Drip Campaign
A successful email campaign can convert leads into new customers. However, if it’s not done well, it will only annoy your prospects, leading them to unsubscribe from your mailing list. Follow these best practices for a successful drip campaign.
Segment Your Mailing List
Sending the same email to your entire mailing list is not an effective tactic. To increase engagement and ROI, make sure your messages are relevant to your users and where they are in the sales funnel. A brand-new lead may need to learn more about your company and your products. Long-standing customers may respond to discounts and exclusive offers.
Provide Quality Content
Users are more likely to engage with relevant, high-quality content. Keep these tips in mind for effective emails.
- Keep paragraphs short. Users may find long blocks of text intimidating, especially on mobile devices.
- Personalize your emails with the customer’s name.
- Avoid sounding too “salesy.” Marketing buzzwords can get your messages sent to users’ spam folders.
- Create a sense of urgency and fear of missing out. You should set deadlines for taking advantage of special offers.
- Include a call to action in each message. Keep the call to action simple and straightforward, and make it easy to click on a mobile screen.
Don’t Flood Your Users’ Inboxes
An effective email campaign should keep your users engaged, but also leave them wanting more. Sending too many messages too soon is likely to irritate your leads. Many customers will unsubscribe if they feel inundated with emails. A good guideline is to avoid sending your prospects more than one email per day. This should keep your leads engaged without making them feel overwhelmed.
Perform A/B Testing
A/B testing involves testing a new design against an original design to determine which one performs better. You can A/B test any aspect of your emails: subject lines, images, copy, or calls to action. With ongoing A/B testing, you’ll continuously improve your drip campaign.
A well-executed drip campaign will keep your prospects engaged throughout the entire customer journey. For more insights into drip campaigns and marketing automation, contact us today.
