What Are Drip Campaigns in Email Marketing and Why You Need Them?
By Rupanksha Srivastava • December 30, 2024 • 14 mins read
Running a business or eCommerce store is challenging, especially when it comes to convincing prospects to take action. Most of the time, they aren’t ready to buy or take action… and even if they are, it’s hard to retain and keep them engaged.
Regular communication is crucial to turning a business into a brand. However, drip campaigns in email marketing make it simple.
Once you start using drip email campaigns, your work will become much easier and faster. You will deliver the right content to the right leads at the right time, making them feel like every email they receive is relevant and crafted only for them.
In this blog, we’ll cover what is an email drip campaign, its types, and its benefits. We’ll also answer some frequently asked questions.
Now, let’s get started…
What is a Drip Campaign?
A drip campaign in email marketing refers to sending a series of automated, targeted emails to contacts or leads. These drip emails are automatically sent:
- at fixed intervals of time or
- when a prospect takes any action like clicks or downloads anything, on your website, or
- when they subscribe to your email.
In this email drip campaign, you decide the quantity and frequency of emails and personalize them with the prospect’s name or any specific references. You can easily manage the whole campaign with tools designed for email drip campaigns.
Based on the prospect’s activities, the campaign continues to send targeted drip emails at a pre-determined date and time for further action. In this way, drip campaigns in email marketing let you stay in regular communication with potential customers. So that they stay engaged and come closer to your business.
Typically used by B2B companies, however, email marketing drip campaigns are worth using for e-commerce businesses, SaaS companies, real estate agents, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations.
Do drip campaigns actually work?
Well, the answer is yes!
Email marketing drip campaigns are genuinely very effective. Each type of drip campaign helps in different ways, like welcoming new subscribers or bringing back inactive customers, and smoothly turns prospects into customers.
So it comes as no surprise that email marketing drip campaigns are known for high open rates and engagement—they often have open rates of around 80% and they increase engagement by 119% compared to non-segmented email campaigns.
Therefore, understanding each type of drip campaign is as important as understanding its benefits.
How Many Types of Drip Campaigns in Email Marketing?
Based on various business types and customer behaviors, there are different types of drip campaigns. However, if we talk about primary types, there are majorly 4 types of drip campaigns:
1) Welcome/Onboarding Series
Welcome series or onboarding emails are sent to individuals who are new or have just subscribed to your emails. They are kind of a first impression that sets the relationship of your brand with prospects to let them feel valued.
They could contain a welcome message, a staff introduction, business information, a new product/service launch, or a discount code.
For example, a new email subscriber to a recipe blog might receive a series of emails like this:
Email 1: “Welcome to [Blog Name]! We’re so glad you’re here. Get ready for yummy recipes and cooking tips.”
Email 2: “Our Top 5 Recipes for Beginners” (with links to popular blog posts).
Email 3: “Special Discount: Get 30% off our New Recipe Book!”
Here’s White Flower Farm is a perfect example of a welcome or onboarding email campaign series.
When you send onboarding emails to new subscribers, remember that the first impression is the last impression—you have a small window of opportunity, however limited. So make the most of it. You can witness this in the above example of the onboarding drip email of White Flower Farm. The first email shows gratitude, the second is asking for an introduction, while the third one is a sales email.
2) Abandoned Cart Reminders
Cart abandonment is a common issue that most e-commerce sellers face. To tackle this, sending emails to potential customers who have added products to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase can make a significant difference.
These emails usually include discounts, free shopping, BOGO (buy one, get one) offers, or anything else to influence prospects to make purchases.
For instance, a customer who adds a pair of shoes to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase, might receive:
Email 1 (1 hour later): “Still thinking about those shoes? They’re waiting for you!”
Email 2 (24 hours later): “Don’t miss out! Your shoes might sell out soon.”
Email 3 (48 hours later): “Last chance: Free shipping on your order!”
The primary motive of these emails is to recover lost sales by reminding customers about items left in their carts.
As of 2023, the global cart abandonment rate reached 70% meaning 7 out of 10 online shopping carts are abandoned before the purchase is completed. And one of the major reasons is additional shipping costs and taxes.
Kenneth Cole’s cart abandonment drip campaign is an excellent example; they’re also providing discounts to customers.
3) Post-purchase Engagement
The reason for sending post-purchase engagement emails is to build relationships with customers after a purchase.
This is why these emails generally include product/service feedback, product usage tips, thank-you messages, or invitations for review.
For instance, a customer who buys a new camera might receive:
Email 1 (after purchase): “Thank you for your order! Here’s your confirmation.”
Email 2 (3 days later): “Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most Out of Your New Camera” (links to helpful resources).
Email 3 (1 week later): “Share your photos with us! Use #[BrandHashtag] for a chance to be featured.”
Let’s look at perfect examples of post-purchase engagement campaigns—1st is a humble Thank You email from Abercrombie & Fitch and 2nd is the review request from Casper.
Abercrombie & Fitch’s email is simple and heartfelt, thanking customers without any promotions. Sometimes, a genuine “thank you” is all that’s needed.
Casper’s email focuses on asking for a review. It’s clean, clear, and straight to the point, with no extra marketing.
4) Re-engagement Emails
The reason for sending re-engagement emails is to win back the potentially interested customers. The customers who were previously interested in your products and services or visited your website, but are now inactive.
These emails usually include educational content, benefits of a product/service, or a milestone/anniversary of being a valued customer for a year.
For instance, a customer who hasn’t opened an email or visited a website in several months, might receive:
Email 1: “We’ve missed you! Look into what you’ve been missing.” (Show new products/content).
Email 2: “Special Offer: Come back and get 20% off your next transaction.”
Email 3: “Update your preferences or unsubscribe.” (Provides an easy way to manage their subscription).
Let’s take a look at the following examples of re-engagement drip campaigns in email marketing—Paul Smith and Martha and Marley Spoon.
Paul Smith re-engaged inactive customers with a 10% off coupon code, HELLO10, using the subject line “We miss you – 10% off everything” to encourage them to return and shop.
In their first re-engagement campaign, Martha & Marley Spoon offered a Martha Stewart meal kit subscription with over 20 weekly recipes, all under 30 minutes to prepare. They later targeted customers (who had canceled their subscriptions) with a $30 discount split over two orders. The email subject line was personalized like this: “Name, We Miss You!.”
Why You Should Use Email Marketing Drip Campaigns
Running drip campaigns in email marketing is essential for targeting specific groups by segmenting your email list. This list can be segmented based on demographics, sign-up dates, purchase history, and past email interactions.
This way, you can target only the right potential customers and make the most of every penny and minute spent.
According to BCG, four-fifths of consumers globally are comfortable with personalized experiences—and most expect companies to offer them. So let’s deeply understand the benefits of drip email campaigns:
1) Lead Nurturing to Convert Prospects Into Customers
Drip campaigns in email marketing are all about nurturing leads by building and improving relationships between potential customers and the brand. This requires constant engagement, personalization, valuable information, and educational content.
Just as a plant flourishes with regular watering and care, the business-customer relationship improves when prospects consistently receive engaging and valuable emails. This regular engagement helps prospects move through the sales funnel.
Despite being a part of an email series, each email you send should stand on its own. Suppose, a prospect skips the first two but opens the third email, they should still understand the call-to-action (CTA). Always provide context and relevance in every email, assuming not all emails will be read. In this way, you can win the trust and credibility needed for lead nurturing.
2) Welcoming a New Customer with Personalized Drip Emails
With email drip campaigns, you can easily connect with new prospects based on their actions, interests, and details like their name, marital status, or profession.
This means you’ll send emails that feel relevant and personal to each prospect.
Drip campaigns in email marketing allow you to interact with customers in a way that feels tailored to them. This helps build a stronger bond between your brand and your customers.
3) Automated Efficiency and Behavioural Triggers
Sending emails to prospects with the right content at the right time is truly important to convert them into customers. Marketing automation software helps to do this without putting any manual effort into managing drip campaigns.
Your automated, pre-written emails are automatically sent to contacts based on their behavior at a specific time–such as clicking on a link, downloading a file, or adding a product to the cart.
Suppose, a customer clicks on a certain product, the subsequent emails may include special offers/discounts or benefits of using that product. This way time is saved, the emails contain only relevant content, and you maintain consistency in your drip campaigns in email marketing.
4) Increasing Brand Awareness
With automated drip campaigns in email marketing, you can constantly remind subscribers of your brand, regardless of whether they open the email or not.
Even if they don’t buy right away, if you do so consistently and your message is memorable, they may give you a chance in the future and possibly become your long-term customers.
5) Gradual Relationship Building and Conversions
Instead of filling inboxes all at once, drip email campaigns send drip emails gradually at fixed intervals or based on customer behavior. This way, you build interest and attract prospects over time.
The purpose of drip campaigns in email marketing is to nurture leads, gradually bring potential customers into the sales funnel, and boost sales and conversions.
If you send a series of educational drip emails about the benefits of a product, you can build trust and interest. Meanwhile, you can gradually send the sales pitch—because the prospect is now informed and more likely to convert.
However, your drip email content should be engaging, subject lines should be compelling, and messages should be crafted to your prospect’s needs.
Summing Up on Drip Campaigns in Email Marketing…
A strategic drip campaign can turn uninterested leads into engaged customers. No matter your industry, a well-planned drip campaign in email marketing strategy helps you stay relevant, engage customers, and achieve your marketing goals.
By sending the right message at the right time to just the right prospects, you can keep your brand top-of-mind, nurture leads, and drive sales—all while saving time with automation.
If you’re looking to grow your business and keep your audience engaged, email drip campaigns are a must-have tool in your email marketing strategy. So do not wait any longer, get in touch with the experts at Mastroke—and see how they can help you stay out of the competition and achieve results.
FAQs
Q. How many emails should I include in a drip campaign?
A. Regardless of your business type, the “right” email frequency is the one that creates a unique image of your brand in your customers’ minds, engages them, and gets you the results you want. Nonetheless, this table will give you a guide on drip email frequency and volume:
| Email Drip Campaign | Time-Period | Number of Emails | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | One Week | 3-5 | Introduce new subscribers to product offerings. |
| Abandoned Cart | Three Days | 2-3 | Encourage completion of abandoned purchases. |
| Post-Purchase | Two Weeks | 2-4 | Build loyalty and encourage repeat business. |
| Re-Engagement | Three Months | 6-8 | Reconnect with inactive or dormant customers. |
Q. How can I measure the success of my email drip campaigns?
A. First, you need access to analytics tools such as – Google Analytics or GSC (Google Search Console). Secondly, you can create a unique UTM link for every campaign to measure and compare performance easily. Then, you need to focus on:
- Click-through rates (CTRs): The number of people clicked on the link you mentioned or hyperlinked.
- Conversion rates: The number of people who did what you wanted, such as making a purchase.
- Bounce rates: The number of people who left the email or landing page without engaging.
- Unsubscribe rates: The number of people who unsubscribed from your emails.
This way, you can identify areas to improve and make your email drip campaign more effective.
Q. How can I add prospects to the email drip campaign?
A. First, collect their email addresses through forms, pop-ups, or other ways. Then, add them to your contact list in your email tool. Now, set up your drip campaign, choose the right group of people, and add them to it. The emails will go out automatically based on your schedule.
Q. How to plan an email drip campaign workflow?
A. First, decide what you want to achieve—like welcoming new customers or increasing sales. Then, plan the steps, like sending a welcome email, a follow-up, and a special offer. Now, decide the frequency and timing of emails you want to send. Then, write simple and clear drip emails for each very important step–the subject line should be catchy and personalized, CTA should be clear.
Next, set up the sequence in your email tool so the emails go out automatically. Test everything to make sure it works before starting.
Q. What industries can use a drip campaign in email marketing?
A. Any business can use email drip campaigns, such as – e-commerce, education, healthcare, real estate, and software. If your business needs regular communication with its customers, you should use an email marketing drip campaign.
Q. What are the most popular types of email drip campaigns?
A. Welcome emails, Abandoned cart emails, Post-purchase emails, and Re-engagement emails–these are major types of email drip campaigns. However, each one is further divided into some sub-types, such as –
- Welcome emails: Onboarding Campaign, Product Launch Campaign, Promotional Campaign, and Event Invitation Campaign
- Abandoned cart emails: Standard Cart Recovery Emails, Incentivized Reminders, and Post-Demo Campaign
- Post-purchase emails: Thank You Campaign, Upsell/Cross-Sell Campaign, and Feedback Request Campaign
- Re-engagement emails: Anniversary Drip Campaign, Retargeting Campaign, and Educational Campaign
Q. What should an email marketing drip campaign include?
A. “Strategic Drip Campaign = Clear goals + Interesting Emails + Clear CTA + A Plan + Personal touch.” A strategic drip campaign should include all of this.
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