Marketing automation is a tricky area for many marketing pros, but it’s important to understand the potential automation has when executed well. Email marketing has been a staple of the marketing world since the dawn of the internet, but many marketers unfortunately overlook its lasting potential, especially when you curate your automation to your readers’ actions.
Many companies rely on very basic forms of automation such as receipt emails after completed transactions, confirmation emails after customers perform specific actions, support ticket information, and other basic automatic messages. A drip campaign takes automation a step further and leverages automation as a more valuable marketing tool.
A drip campaign is named so because it “drips” content to your mailing list based on past interactions. For example, if you send a downloadable attachment to your mailing list, you could send one of two possible follow up emails depending on whether or not the recipient opened your previous attachment. Done well, you narrow your funnel and capture the attention of your best leads while cultivating more.
A drip campaign can be one of your company’s best tools for generating new business, but it takes careful development to succeed. The goal is to offer the right thing at the right time to the right people, so testing is necessary to find successful patterns. Despite its apparent complexity, drip campaigns offer tremendous value.
Cost-Effective Content
Drip campaigns are one of your best opportunities to leverage your content as a lead generator. When you take time to craft different styles of valuable content, you can tailor your drip campaign to feed this content to your readers based on their past actions. The drip campaign channels you create could be tailored to rewarding repeat customers, educating leads, or offering help to customers who need it. Although they may have different patterns of interaction, you can still deliver your content at the most opportune time for each.
Balance is Important
Don’t overdo your drip campaign. Inundating your readers with multiple messages will only frustrate and annoy them. Luckily, you can automate when your emails are actually sent, so use this control advantageously. Drip campaigns are successful in the long run, so don’t expect immediate results. Track your progress and adjust your drip campaign accordingly. The goal should be to nurture your leads over time with valuable content and information.
Creating Your Drip Campaign
How you automate your drip campaign will depend on the type of business you do, what kind of content you publish, and your overall business goals. Every company will have unique variables, so measure your past open rates and see what type of emails seemed to resonate the most with your readers.
Successful drip campaigns also hinge on your knowledge of your customers. Consider survey tools to find out what your customers like and don’t like about your brand to find new ways to reach them. If you know your audience, it’s much easier to curate your communications to them and drive engagement.
Author : Jaime Nacach
This article originally appeared on Bloominari