Email drip campaigns are an essential part of any email marketing strategy, helping businesses stay top-of-mind and guide customers toward a specific action. When done well, these campaigns can not only nurture new leads but also engage existing customers, increasing retention and reducing churn.
We’re huge fans of a well-executed email drip marketing campaign because they truly have the power to produce excellent business results. But first, for those who might be unclear or unfamiliar, what is a drip campaign?
Simply put, it’s a type of email marketing campaign where a targeted email sequence is sent to recipients over a set period of time. The goal? To move them further along the customer journey in an intentional, automated way.
Say, for example, that you really like a particular magazine and sign up as a new subscriber to the free email newsletter. A drip marketing campaign would see that new email signup as the trigger to send a series of “drips” aimed at converting you into a paid subscription holder. All of these emails would be automated to send on a set schedule. You’d receive the first email upon signup, the second a week later and the third email a week after that.
You’ve probably also seen plenty of drip campaign examples while shopping with ecommerce brands. A retailer might send an abandoned cart email, followed by a second email showcasing positive reviews and then a third offering a discount to encourage you to place your order. It’s all pretty straightforward.
But like everything, this method has a few naysayers. There are people who think automation is lazy (we say you’re working smarter, not harder), some who think it’s impersonal (not if you do it right) and others that think it’s a big ol’ waste of time (not by a long shot). Read on as we tackle the main misconceptions about email drip campaigns and show you just how untrue they are.
1. Drip Campaigns Don’t Really Work
Let’s settle the score on this one right up front. Drip email campaigns do work. And the data proves it.
First, take into consideration the fact that nearly 7 out of 10 consumers prefer that brands communicate with them via email. By choosing to reach your consumers through email you’re already giving them what they want.
Now consider the effectiveness of automation tools. Marketing automation is an $8.23 billion global industry that’s growing rapidly, likely hitting $21.7 billion by 2032. And the marketing channel using automation the most? You guessed it — email. In fact, 58% of marketing decision-makers say they automate their email workflows.
Drip campaigns are a prime example of this efficiency, letting you automatically send the right message to the right person at the right time without having to hit “send” manually. A well-timed sequence can nudge customers about an item in their shopping carts and then present an exclusive offer if they buy soon. These automated notifications keep you connected with buyers, increasing conversion rates without requiring constant hands-on effort.
After all, timing is everything when it comes to conversions. Email drip campaigns are built to highlight a call to action (CTA) at the moment it’s most likely to have the biggest impact and best odds for success.
And success is possible, no matter what the naysayers say. The ROI of email marketing continues to grow. In a recent survey, more than half of marketing professionals reported a 2x improvement rate in their email marketing campaigns’ ROI rates.
When you consider how much time and effort automation saves while delivering these kinds of returns, it’s hard to argue against the effectiveness of drip campaigns.
2. Drip Campaigns Wouldn’t Work for My Business
While email automation was at one point a tactic that only made sense for enterprise-level businesses, this is no longer the case. Drip marketing is now scalable for a variety of budgets, needs and scopes. Thanks to user-friendly email marketing software, any brand can create automated email sequences that build customer relationships — without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re an innovative startup, a growing ecommerce store or a well-established B2B company, there’s a type of drip campaign that can work for you. Drip marketing is adaptable. From lead nurturing sequences to follow-up emails after a purchase, there’s a strategy for every stage of the customer lifecycle.
Maybe you’re a tech company looking to convert potential customers from a landing page. A welcome drip sequence can introduce your brand over time, guiding them thoughtfully towards adopting your new products.
Or perhaps you’re a service-based business. A series of emails can be used to show appreciation after a service, maintain engagement and then upsell additional services. No matter your industry, there’s a drip campaign that fits.
3. No One Opens Automated Emails
If people didn’t open drip campaign emails, automation platforms would cease to be in business. Yet here we are, with 84% of email marketing campaigns incorporating automation to some extent.
Automation is not a dirty word, so let’s move away from the idea that it can’t be an effective component of a marketing plan. If people aren’t opening up your emails, it’s not because they’re automated — it’s because they’re not doing enough to engage your target audience.
Let’s face it: Inboxes are busy places. With 67% of consumers saying they receive too many daily emails, you need to ensure your emails stand out from the pack. So how do you make sure your emails don’t just get buried? One proven way is to add something unexpected and enticing — like embedding a video.
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Video is one of the most engaging content types on the internet, so why not use it to increase email engagement? Simply putting the word “video” in your subject line can actually boost open rates by 6%. Not to mention, a majority of consumers who receive videos from brands (82%) say they like that content.
Think about the kinds of emails you’d send a new customer. A drip campaign might involve a series of onboarding emails that include an explainer video. Instead of a generic welcome email, you could approach it the way American Express did and send a Personalized Interactive Video.
Created for new Business Gold cardholders, the video was interactive, allowing viewers to control the narrative, and personalized to ensure the information is relevant. The result? The campaign generated a 10x uplift in responses compared to the control group.
Video not only grabs attention but also encourages a higher click-through rate, setting the stage for ongoing communication. So no, automation doesn’t make emails invisible — especially not if you combine it with relevant dynamic content and the right strategy.
4. Automated Emails Are Impersonal
Who says they have to be? Four-fifths of consumers worldwide are comfortable with personalized experiences, and most expect companies to offer them. With the right tools and strategies, personalized content can take your drip campaign from cold and robotic to warm and engaging.
Email drip campaigns filled with relevant content are more effective than generic, mass-mailing ones. That’s because you’re targeting recipients based on data — whether that’s demographics, purchase history, specific user actions or something else — that ensures they’re at the best place within the sales cycle to receive your message.
Go beyond personalizing your subject lines and make your emails uniquely crafted for each recipient. A great CRM system can help you segment your email list based on different engagement levels, letting you nurture leads by sending content that speaks directly to where they are in the customer journey. The more relevant the email, the better the engagement — and the lower your unsubscribe rate.
Personalized Video, specifically, can create an opportunity for data-driven, visually-rich communication and allows you to easily refresh your campaigns as you collect more customer information or adjust your positioning.
Take Wells Fargo’s personalized follow-up video. The video was sent via email alongside a customer’s home financing summary, offering a clear and tailored breakdown of their options. It wasn’t just an info dump — it was a dynamic and helpful way to clarify next steps.
When an email is personalized — filled with content created just for them — it makes it impossible to ignore. So let’s put this myth to rest: Automated emails don’t have to be impersonal. When done right, they can be some of the most engaging, effective emails you send.
5. Drip Campaigns Are Hard To Set Up
Think about it this way. You’re already collecting data on your customers and leads, right? And (I hope) you plan on having some form of communication with these people, whether it’s part of a drip campaign or not. So why not put that data to work and make sure your audience is receiving the most relevant messaging possible?
AI-driven hyper-personalization is the top trend that marketers feel will have the most impact on email marketing automation. Surely it’s for good reason. And that reason is because informed communication efforts are effective communication efforts. You’re wasting time if you’re doing anything less.
Luckily, setting up a tailored drip campaign isn’t as hard as it used to be. Most email marketing software comes with email templates that take the guesswork out of email design, while integrations with CRMs ensure you can seamlessly pull in customer data. You can easily segment new users based on their actions — whether they’ve signed up for a newsletter or downloaded a resource — so that each person gets a sequence that makes sense.
Pro tip: Even video production has changed drastically. With our AI video creator, you can generate high-quality Personalized Videos in minutes. This means you can easily add engaging, dynamic video to your emails, making your drip campaigns even more compelling.
6. Email Leaves Very Little Room for Creativity
If you’ve read anything above, you already know this isn’t true. The creativity of your drip marketing campaign is only limited by your own imagination. You can even A/B test different subject lines, copy, visual content and CTAs to see what drives the most customer engagement.
One of the best ways to break free from generic emails? Next Generation Video. Unlike traditional video, Next Gen Video is customizable and data-driven, delivering a one-of-a-kind experience to each individual viewer.
With our Next Generation Video Platform, you can blend emotionally charged storytelling with native personalization. This means the personalized elements of your video will look like they were individually implemented for each and every viewer. And that’s because they were — each and every video is rendered in real-time to uphold the highest level of cinematic quality. No cheap, “paste-on” visuals here.
Wondering if this kind of creative content actually works? Just look at Huuuge’s re-engagement campaign. They used a personalized highlight reel to remind players of the good times they had and achieved results like 7x higher engagement with the video via email and an increase in daily active users after the campaign launch.
Not only did the video help reconnect users with the brand, but it also encouraged players to share the video on social media, reinforcing brand loyalty and increasing reach at the same time.
Take Your Drip Campaigns to the Next Level
Drip marketing isn’t just effective — it’s an opportunity to engage your audience in a smarter, more personalized way. With the right strategy, creative elements and data-driven insights, you can turn automated emails into powerful conversion tools.
Ready to see what’s possible? Reach out today to see how we can transform your email marketing efforts.
