Drip Marketing Campaigns that Excel your Marketing Automation

January 2, 2015

The principles behind drip marketing aren’t new, but use of this approach has been on the rise as marketers are becoming familiar with various tactics and experiencing increasing success. In essence, you can develop drip marketing campaigns that will excel your marketing automation and boost your advertising efficiencies. However, you need to understand what this concept is and how to properly use it. It’s smart to start by reviewing some basic information, and then moving on to more advanced topics on usage and fine tuning your strategy.

Drip Marketing 101

What is it?

As the name suggests, this style of marketing sends poignant messages to a prospect or customer over time. Essentially, you’re “dripping” the content rather than showering them with information. The messages are typically short and pertain to some activity that the recipient has engaged in while online.

How does it work?

Drip marketing is distinct from other forms of email advertising that operate according to database information, as it’s designed to be sent over a pre-determined time period. The course of sending the messages depends upon the behaviour of the recipient or their status within a group.

Why does my company need it?

In general, drip marketing is suited for lead generation and qualifying them as they move further within the sales process. By interacting with a potential customer over a period of time at regular intervals, the recipient eventually warms up to your company. They’ll actually look forward to your messages if you’re doing it right. Once you have their attention, you can deliver other engaging content and connect with them personally. When you’re able to automate it, drip marketing can free up sales staff time while still nurture your leads.

Types of Drip Marketing Campaigns that will Excel Your Marketing Automation

There are numerous approaches you can take to drip marketing, all of which are suitable for automation through most of the top vendor solutions. However, the challenge is to come up with material that your prospects want to see. Here are a few ideas.

Providing educational content through drip marketing is a double boost

Any time you deliver content that teaches prospects about subject matter that affects them, you’re helping move them further down the sales funnel. They’re looking for information to help them make buying decisions, even if they’re not quite ready now. Plus, your valuable and informative material makes them see you as a trusted source and an expert in your industry.

Remind them about an important deadline

Existing customers with an expiring service contract are ideal targets for drip marketing. Send them a reminder while also forwarding information on related products or services. Other times, industry developments or government regulations require your prospects to take action by a specific date. Tell them a deadline is approaching via drip marketing.

A series of tips or other strategies get them to check back often

People like to get daily or weekly tips on topics that interest them, especially when they know the content is going to be short and sweet. Delivering them pointers as a series will keep them engaged over a period of time. Make sure you announce what the next session will cover at the end of the message, and include a call to action on how they can find out more information.

Product how-to’s are a great way to demonstrate your offerings

Another short-form type of content that’s ideal for drip marketing is a product how-to. Don’t go overboard by providing a high level overview of your offerings; instead, pick a particular feature that’s popular among your customers and can be covered in a few sentences or graphics. You’re essentially giving a product demonstration over time rather than all at once where the information can be overwhelming.

Your prospects love to take advantage of a deal

One of the most frequently used drip marketing campaigns that will excel your marketing automation is a coupon or discount on your offerings. Make sure you’re not giving anything away for free, but consider providing a complementary accessory or feature to go along with one of your primary products.

You almost can’t go wrong by incorporating drip marketing strategies into your advertising approach. However, you do need to know what you’re doing. There are drip marketing campaigns that will excel your marketing automation and then there are those that will fail. Retaining a third party marketing expert can help you take full advantage of the benefits of drip marketing, especially if you’re just getting started.