Page 34 - index

BUZZWORDS

Drip Marketing

"Drip marketing" is a blanket term that covers several Further, new leads are automatically enrolled into a
different marketing strategies, which all have the same drip marketing campaign with messaging relevant to
goal of keeping users engaged with a product. It is a the call-to-action from which the lead came. This is also
communication strategy that "drips" a pre-written set of known as lead nurturing. Put simply, drip marketing is
messages to customers or prospects over time, typically all about giving people the right information at the right
automated. In fact, drip marketing is distinct from other time.
database marketing mainly due to the fact that the timing
of the messages follow a pre-determined course and that Marketing automation company Pardot provides a great
the messages are dripped in a series applicable to a overview of a drip campaign (see the full infographic).
specific behavior or status of the recipient.
Drip campaigns, as mentioned above, are automated
Drip marketing is popularly applied as a sales tool, par- sets of emails that go out based on specific timelines or
ticularly in long sales-cycles where persistent follow-up user actions. They enable you to stay in touch with
can become a deterrent to closing the sale. It can be groups of people based on events, e.g. when a user
used for lead generation and qualification processes as it signs up for an account, or how often that user visits
often represents an automated follow-up method that your site. Each time a drip email is sent out, it comes
can augment or replace personal lead follow-up. Hence, from a queue of already-written emails—there's no
drip marketing is also known as autoresponders, auto- need to manually write and send each one. They can
mated email campaign, lifecycle emails and marketing even be personalized with your contacts' name, compa-
automation, since the concept is always the same, ny info, and more.
namely sending out a set of marketing emails automati-
cally on a schedule. Perhaps one email will go out as The beauty of drip emails is that this all happens auto-
soon as someone signs up; another will go out three matically based on triggers and user segments that you
days later, with one more going out the next weekend. define. But as usual, moderation is key, so don’t overdo
it, as too many drip emails will most probably only an-
Alternatively, the emails can be varied based on triggers, noy your customers. However, a thoughtful set of drip
or actions the person has performed like signing up for emails can be the perfect way to remind people to buy
your service or making a purchase, which is why they your product, teach them how to use your tool once
are also sometimes called behavioral emails. they have purchased it, and get new subscribers up-to-
speed on your email newsletter.◊

By MediaBUZZ
34 Asian eMarketing June 2015 - Marketing Automation
34