To understand drip marketing, it is necessary to first understand
the function of an autoresponder. An autoresponder provides an
automated way to send emails to current and potential customers. That
brings up the question, how did these people get on the list originally?
How did they establish a relationship with the company, whether online
or offline, where the company now has their email address?
Generally, there are two ways people become a part of an email list. Either they have already bought something from a company, and through the process of the sale, their email address was captured and kept for future mailings, or they have signed up for a free gift of some sort and thus have willingly given the email address to the company. For example, often you will see an offer of a free eBook on a particular topic in exchange for a name and email address.
Once the customer is signed up within the autoresponder system, the "drip" campaign or drip marketing goes into effect. The customer will receive periodic emails, all prewritten, and all structured in a certain logical order. These emails will keep the company, product, or service in front of the customer for as long as the customer remains on the mailing list. At the bottom of each email, there should be an unsubscribe link, so the customer can remove himself from the email list at any time.
However, if a good drip marketing campaign has been set up, where the customer is receiving good information in a timely manner, and is not being bombarded with sales pitches, the customer will likely remain on the list. The problem with a drip campaign is when it degenerates into one sales pitch after another. While an occasional offering of a product or service you think the customer would like is acceptable (after all, he signed up with you for a reason, he was interested in the topic) it is not acceptable to bombard him with sales pitches daily. As the saying goes, "it gets old" or it might even be considered "autoresponder madness". Too much of anything, including sales pitches, is too much.
However, if the thought of service to the customer is kept in mind, if the thought of providing real value to the customer is kept in mind, it should not be difficult to craft a series of emails around a certain topic or niche that would provide value to the customer. The value of sending out emails every other day or so with valuable information is that a relationship of trust is created, and we are more likely to buy from someone we trust. Then, because of that relationship of trust, when you do offer something the customer might likely need or want, there is a greater potential of a sale. Done correctly, a drip marketing campaign can provide good value to both the customer and business.
Generally, there are two ways people become a part of an email list. Either they have already bought something from a company, and through the process of the sale, their email address was captured and kept for future mailings, or they have signed up for a free gift of some sort and thus have willingly given the email address to the company. For example, often you will see an offer of a free eBook on a particular topic in exchange for a name and email address.
Once the customer is signed up within the autoresponder system, the "drip" campaign or drip marketing goes into effect. The customer will receive periodic emails, all prewritten, and all structured in a certain logical order. These emails will keep the company, product, or service in front of the customer for as long as the customer remains on the mailing list. At the bottom of each email, there should be an unsubscribe link, so the customer can remove himself from the email list at any time.
However, if a good drip marketing campaign has been set up, where the customer is receiving good information in a timely manner, and is not being bombarded with sales pitches, the customer will likely remain on the list. The problem with a drip campaign is when it degenerates into one sales pitch after another. While an occasional offering of a product or service you think the customer would like is acceptable (after all, he signed up with you for a reason, he was interested in the topic) it is not acceptable to bombard him with sales pitches daily. As the saying goes, "it gets old" or it might even be considered "autoresponder madness". Too much of anything, including sales pitches, is too much.
However, if the thought of service to the customer is kept in mind, if the thought of providing real value to the customer is kept in mind, it should not be difficult to craft a series of emails around a certain topic or niche that would provide value to the customer. The value of sending out emails every other day or so with valuable information is that a relationship of trust is created, and we are more likely to buy from someone we trust. Then, because of that relationship of trust, when you do offer something the customer might likely need or want, there is a greater potential of a sale. Done correctly, a drip marketing campaign can provide good value to both the customer and business.
Cheryl Jones is a copywriter and online entrepreneur.. She authors on a variety of topics. Samples of her work can be viewed at http://cherylblogs.com
