If you want to increase your brand awareness, build trust, and engage with your current and potential customers, you need to implement a strategy that nurtures your audience over time. This is where a drip campaign comes in.
What is a drip campaign?
A drip campaign is a series of emails scheduled over an extended period of time. This strategy tends to generate more engagement than standard email marketing. These pre-written, pre-scheduled emails are sent to your contacts based on a series of triggers.
Timing
The timing of your email is up to you. For example, you may have a ‘subscribe’ button on your website. When someone subscribes, they receive an email from you. Then, 3 days later, they receive a second email. This way, you deliver your message in gradual ‘drips.’
Benefits of a drip campaign
There are several benefits to using a drip campaign. First, you are gently cultivating your contacts over time, building interest gradually rather than overwhelming them with a hard-hitting campaign. Because drip emails are targeted and personalized, they tend to be more compelling to your contacts than a single email blast.
Second, a drip campaign boosts engagement by keeping your brand top of mind with your audience. They are an ongoing conversation about your brand and slowly establish trust.
Setting up a drip campaign
First, you need to identify your goal. Do you just want to generate some buzz about your brand? Or are you looking to pick up some new leads or promote a new product?
Once you have your goal, determine who your audience is. This type of email marketing campaign isn’t one-size-fits-all. You hit your goal if your messages feel personal and relevant to the reader.
The next step is to plan your campaign. How many drips should you create? How often should you send them? You want your audience interested and engaged but you don’t want to annoy them.
Four to 10 emails over a space of 3 days to 2 weeks is an effective drip campaign timeframe. Just don’t overwhelm your audience with too many emails at once.
You need compelling content. Have a subject line that makes people want to open the email. Personalize the email. People are more engaged when they feel your message is meant for them.
Be consistent with your brand voice. Be concise. Don’t use too much text or share too much information in each email. Space it out over the life of the drip campaign.
Focus on giving value. How will your product or service benefit the reader?
Include a call-to-action. What do you want your reader to do? This can be a prominent button with direct, action-oriented language such as “Sign up,” “Download,” or “Start Now.”
You can build excitement and anticipation by dropping hints in your emails about an upcoming sale, a contest, or a new e-book as a “P.S.”
Refine your strategy
Just like every marketing campaign, you should look at your results and adapt your strategy. What worked and what didn’t?
Analyze the results of your drip campaign so you can improve the result of your next campaign.
About the Author:
Laurie Enos is the Director of Communication and co-owner of Blue Lilac Marketing Group LLC. She helps clients in diverse industries with their blogs, social media, public relations, and website design. Laurie can be reached at Laurie@BlueLilacMarketing.com.