Drip marketing is a marketing strategy that sends small bits of information to customers over time. It is intended to build awareness and interest in your product or service slowly rather than a once off information blast.
It can take many forms including email and bulk text marketing. It is widely used on the internet in an attempt to convert consumers who have expressed an interest in what a company does.
For the purpose of an example let us say a website has a 30 day free trial in operation.
- Typically the customer will receive an email within a couple of minutes of registering their interest.
- After 1 or 2 days they may receive another email with some video tutorials on getting started with the service.
- Between days 7 and 10, they may then receive an email or Bulk text message reminding them of the service and offering them a discount to purchase before the end of the free trial. This would be the first call to action in the drip marketing campaign.
- On day 15, an email may be sent with some customer testimonials and some more information on the benefits of the service.
- Finally as the free trial comes to a close the drip marketing campaign will make a more explicit call to purchase with an offer to the customer.
In the above example there are 6 touch-points between company and customer over the course of the drip marketing campaign. The customer gets a small bit more information each time and builds their knowledge of the benefits of the product or service. Finally, at the end, and only at the end of the free trial, a decision needs to be made whether the customer wishes to purchase or not.
Advantages of Drip Marketing
Some of the advantages of drip marketing include the automation and efficiency, as well as the continued ability for direct response. Intelligent e-commerce sites, such as Microsoft, Dell and Apple have integrated this form of drip campaign within their conversion processes.
Disadvantages of Drip Marketing
Drip Marketing does tend to have a lower response rate than personal sales. The impersonal manner of follow-up is the reason for this. However Bulk Text and email marketing can be personalised and then followed up a traditional and personal follow-up call.
The lowered response rate is often justified by scale that can be achieved and the efficiency with which leads can be generated and converted.
John