Quick answer: A drip campaign is a series of emails sent automatically, at set intervals, after someone takes an action such as signing up, downloading a guide or buying. To set one up, pick one clear trigger and one goal, map out three to seven emails with a purpose for each, write them in a helpful and personal tone, and choose sensible gaps between them. Build the sequence in an email tool with automation, such as MailChimp (automation is a paid feature), ActiveCampaign, Drip or ConvertKit, test it with your own address, then watch opens, clicks and conversions and improve the weakest emails.
Most businesses send email when they remember to: a newsletter here, an offer there. Drip campaigns work differently. You write a sequence once, and it runs for every new contact, at the moment it is most relevant to them. Done well, it nurtures leads, welcomes customers and brings people back, without adding to anyone’s daily workload.
What a drip campaign is
The name comes from the idea of delivering information a little at a time, rather than all at once. Each sequence has:
- A trigger: the event that starts it, such as joining a list or making a purchase.
- A series of emails: each with its own purpose.
- Timing: the delay between emails.
- Exit conditions: events that stop the sequence, such as the contact buying or booking a call.
Common types of drip campaign
Welcome sequence
Sent when someone subscribes. Introduces your business, delivers anything you promised, and sets expectations about what you will send. This is usually the best place to start, because new subscribers are at their most interested.
Lead nurturing
For people who enquired or downloaded something but are not ready to buy. Shares useful advice, answers common objections, shows examples of your work and invites them to take the next step.
Onboarding
For new customers. Helps them get started with a product or service, reduces support questions, and makes it more likely they stay.
Post purchase
Thanks the customer, offers care tips or related products, asks for a review, and later suggests a reorder. For shops, this pairs well with order notification automation.
Re-engagement
For subscribers or customers who have gone quiet. Reminds them what you offer and gives them an easy way to update preferences or unsubscribe.
Step 1: Choose one trigger and one goal
Resist the urge to build everything at once. Pick one sequence where the trigger is clear and the goal is measurable. For example:
- Trigger: downloads the pricing guide.
- Goal: books a consultation.
Every email in the sequence should move people towards that goal, even if indirectly.
Step 2: Map the sequence
Sketch the emails on paper or in a spreadsheet before writing anything. For a lead nurturing sequence, a typical outline might be:
- Immediately: deliver the guide and thank them. Say what is coming next.
- Day 2: a practical tip related to the guide.
- Day 5: a common mistake and how to avoid it.
- Day 9: a real example of how you approach this type of work.
- Day 14: answer a frequent question or objection, such as cost or timing.
- Day 20: a direct invitation to book a call.
How many emails?
Three to seven is a sensible range for most sequences. Fewer may not build enough trust; more risks fatigue unless every email is genuinely useful.
How far apart?
Start closer together while interest is high, then space them out. Daily emails for a week suit a short course people signed up for; every few days suits most nurturing sequences. Consider skipping weekends for business audiences.
Step 3: Write emails people want to read
- One purpose per email. One idea, one call to action.
- Write like a person. Send from a real name, use “you” and “we”, and keep the tone conversational.
- Lead with value. Most emails should help the reader, with only a few asking for something.
- Clear subject lines. Specific beats clever. Tell people what is inside.
- Short and scannable. Short paragraphs, a few bullet points, and plenty of white space.
- Mobile friendly. Many people read email on phones, so use a single column layout and large buttons.
- Personalise sensibly. First names help a little; references to what they downloaded or bought help more.
Step 4: Choose a tool
Several email platforms handle automated sequences:
- MailChimp: widely used and familiar. Automation workflows are a paid feature, with triggers such as joining a list, clicking a link or a purchase in a connected shop.
- ActiveCampaign: strong automation with branching logic, tags and a built in CRM, at a reasonable price for small businesses.
- Drip: built around automation and ecommerce, with visual workflows and good integrations.
- ConvertKit: designed for bloggers and creators, with simple sequences and tagging.
- CRM based tools: HubSpot, Infusionsoft and similar platforms include sequences tied to sales data.
Pick a tool that connects to your website forms, shop and CRM. If contacts live in several systems, plan how they will stay aligned; our guide to email and CRM sync explains the options.
Step 5: Build and test
- Create the trigger, for example a form on your site that adds subscribers to a list with a tag.
- Add each email with its delay.
- Set exit conditions, such as removing contacts who book a call or buy, so they do not keep receiving sales emails.
- Set sending times and time zone.
- Test thoroughly. Sign up with your own address, check every email arrives, links work, personalisation fills in correctly, and it looks right on phone and desktop.
Keep your list legal and clean
Only add people who have agreed to receive marketing email, include an unsubscribe link in every message, and use a real business address in the footer. These are requirements under anti spam laws such as CAN-SPAM and PECR, and they protect your sender reputation.
Step 6: Measure and improve
Look at each email’s performance, not just the sequence as a whole:
- Open rate: mainly tells you about subject lines and sending time.
- Click rate: tells you whether the content and call to action interest people.
- Unsubscribes: a spike after a particular email suggests it misses the mark.
- Conversions: the real measure. Track goal completions with UTM tagged links and Google Analytics goals.
Improve the weakest email first, then move on. Many tools let you split test subject lines.
Going further
Once a basic sequence works, you can add branches based on behaviour: people who click a pricing link get a different follow-up from those who do not. You can combine sequences with lead scoring so sales hear about contacts who show strong interest. Keep it manageable, though. A simple sequence that runs reliably is worth more than a complex one nobody understands.
FAQ
What is the difference between a drip campaign and a newsletter?
A newsletter goes to everyone at the same time. A drip campaign sends each person a sequence based on when they joined or what they did.
How long should a drip campaign be?
Usually three to seven emails over two to four weeks, depending on how long people take to decide.
Can I use MailChimp for drip campaigns?
Yes. Automation workflows are part of MailChimp’s paid plans.
Email that keeps working
A well planned drip campaign turns new contacts into conversations and customers, quietly, every day. We plan, write and build automated sequences that connect to your site and CRM. See how we help businesses automate the busywork.
