What is Drip Campaign?
TL;DR
A series of pre-written emails sent automatically over time, "dripping" messages at scheduled intervals. Unlike one-off campaigns, drip sequences nurture relationships progressively. A typical drip: Day 1: Welcome and deliver promised content. Day 3: Share your story and values. Day 7: Provide educational value. Day 14: Introduce your services. Day 21: Offer and call-to-action. Drip campaigns work because behavior change requires multiple touchpoints; few people buy from the first email. They're essential for longer sales cycles where prospects need education and trust-building. Design drips around the buyer journey, not just your calendar. Each email should provide standalone value while building toward conversion. Test timing, content, and sequence length, optimal drip duration varies by industry and offer complexity.
On this page
Frequently Asked Questions About Drip Campaign
How many emails should a drip campaign have?
5-7 emails is typical for most sequences. Welcome drips might be 4-5 emails over 2 weeks. Sales nurture drips might extend 8-10 emails over months. Match length to your sales cycle and how much education prospects need.
How far apart should drip emails be spaced?
First few emails can be closer (days 1, 3, 5). Later emails can spread out (weekly, bi-weekly). Watch engagement, if open rates drop mid-sequence, you might be emailing too frequently or content isn't compelling enough.
What's the difference between a drip and a newsletter?
Newsletters are ongoing, timely broadcasts sent to everyone. Drip campaigns are fixed sequences triggered by actions (signup, purchase) and experienced individually. Drips are journeys; newsletters are ongoing updates.
How do I measure drip campaign success?
Track per-email metrics (opens, clicks) and overall sequence completion and conversion rates. If email 4 has 50% lower opens than email 3, investigate that gap. Measure what percentage of drip starters become customers.
Terms Related to Drip Campaign
Email Automation
Emails that send automatically based on triggers, timing, or subscriber behavior, not manually written and sent each tim...
Read definition Email MarketingLead Nurturing
The process of building relationships with prospects over time until they're ready to buy, typically through Email Autom...
Read definition Email MarketingWelcome Sequence
A Drip Campaign triggered when someone joins your Email List, the most important automation to set up. First impressions...
Read definition Email MarketingAbandoned Cart Email
Automated emails sent when someone adds products to their shopping cart but doesn't complete the purchase, recovering po...
Read definition Email MarketingClick-to-Open Rate
The percentage of email openers who clicked a link, Clicks ÷ Opens × 100. This measures how compelling your email conten...
Read definition Email MarketingDouble Opt-In
A subscription process requiring email confirmation before adding someone to your Email List, they sign up, then must cl...
Read definition