Despite what you might hear people say, email marketing is not dead. In fact, email is an excellent method that can be used to stay in contact with your current and potential customers, keeping them up to date about your products and any current deals that are happening. A quality email drip campaign helps you build long-lasting relationships with people who are interested in buying the things that you have to offer.
If you aren’t leveraging email marketing, then it’s time to get started. You are leaving money on the table if you don’t have automated email sequences in place. Here are a few best practices to help you get started:
What Is an Email Drip Campaign? (And Why It Works)
The term “email drip campaign” refers to a series of scheduled emails that are sent to the people on your list based on specific timeframes or actions that the people take when interacting with your website or business. The goal with these email automation tools is to maintain consistent communication, which helps to build relationships and move each person through your sales funnels.
While you always have the option to send manual emails., these automated email sequences save you time and money by maintaining the communication for you.
Over time, regular emails will keep your brand at the top of mind. Then, when these customers are ready to buy, there’s a higher likelihood that they will come to your business instead of purchasing from a competitor.
Drip Campaigns: An Effective Strategy for Relationships and Conversion
The reality is that most customers aren’t ready to buy during the first interaction that they have with your brand. It takes time to build the relationship, and people need to feel comfortable with what you are offering before they pull out their credit cards.
Drip campaigns can foster these relationships over time, helping people learn to trust your brand. In fact, the right drip campaign helps to drive higher engagement, especially when the messages are coming through at the ideal times.
Make sure that the content in your drip campaigns is helpful and consistent. Add value through the free information that you are offering through the email campaigns, and it will help boost conversions because people will feel more confident about the value they will receive through a purchase.
Additionally, an email drip campaign is an opportunity to address concerns and offer solutions. Use lead nurturing emails to warm up your leads and guide them towards the actions that will result in a purchase.
How to Plan and Build Automated Email Sequences
It takes a bit of time and effort in the beginning, but building out an automated email drip campaign is a great investment. You build the system now, then it continues working in the future to nurture relationships with every person that joins your email list. Follow these drip campaign best practices to build an effective system that is going to bring in the revenue that you desire:
- Goal: In the beginning, you need to understand your goal for this campaign. Are you prioritizing lead nurturing emails that will strengthen the relationship with each customer? Or maybe your priority is to educate or onboard the email subscriber.
- Planning: Now that you understand your goal, the next step is to create a plan by mapping out the sequence step-by-step. Determine the message you want to communicate in each message, and the ideal timing between emails.
- Segmentation: Consider setting up multiple automated email sequences based on where each person is in the funnel. Segmentation can meet customers where they are at. Create these segments based on their behavior and interests, then ensure that the messages in each segment are relevant to the reader’s unique needs.
- Tools: A variety of email automation tools can be used to make this process as easy as possible. Some of the most popular email marketing tools include Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign.
Email Writing Strategies So Your Messages Are Actually Opened and Clicked
Just sending the email isn’t enough… you need to make sure that the content and copywriting are compelling and interesting. Make subject lines that drive people’s curiosity. Look for ways to personalize the messages whenever possible. Be sure that the communication focuses on the benefits that people will receive from the products or services they receive from you.
The best formatting includes short copy that is easy to skim through, because most people won’t read everything word-for-word. Use an email marketing template that is simple and integrates a mobile-friendly design. Remember that a lot of people will be viewing the messages on their cell phones, so a responsive design is key to ensuring good user experience.
Choose a clear Call to Action (CTA) that you want the reader to follow and put direct messages within the email copy that encourages the person to take action. Only use one CTA and place it several times within the email, including in the middle of the content and at the end.
Finally, text and tweak the campaign to optimize results. Try A/B testing with different subject lines and content styles. Then when you figure out what is working for your audience, you can build the campaign based on these best practices.
FAQs
What is an email drip campaign?
The phrase “email drip campaign” refers to automated emails that are sent to your customers in a series, based on predefined rules that control when the emails are sent (based on timing and user behavior).
How do I segment my audience for a drip campaign?
Create email marketing segments based on the actions that people have taken or specific interests they have shown. For example, if a customer has shown interest in a specific product line, then you can have an email series that focuses on that product specifically.
What types of emails should be included in a drip sequence?
You can include many different types of emails in your sequence. Examples include a welcome email, educational content, sales or current deals, messages to re-engage the reader, or content that is designed to build trust.
ARYU Advertising: Full-Service Marketing Solutions for Your Business
If you need help with your online marketing campaign, then reach out to our team at ARYU Advertising. We offer full-service solutions, including email marketing, SEO, PPC, strategy, and more. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation to learn more about the ways a digital marketing campaign can boost your business.