Drip Marketing
Encyclopedia
Drip marketing is a communication strategy that sends, or "drips," a pre-written set of messages to customers or prospects over time. These messages often take the form of email marketing, although other media can also be used. Drip marketing is distinct from other database marketing
in two ways: (1) the timing of the messages follow a pre-determined course; (2) the messages are dripped in a series applicable to a specific behavior or status of the recipient.
in a method called an autoresponder
. In this method, a lead completes the form on a company's website and is then enrolled in a drip marketing campaign with messaging appropriate to the form's context.
Direct mail. Although more costly, direct mail
software has been developed that enables drip marketing techniques using standard postal mail. This technology relies on digital printing, where low-volume print runs are cost justifiable, and the variable data can be merged to personalize each drip message.
Social media. The principles of Drip Marketing have been applied in many social media
marketing tools to schedule a series of updates.
and qualification process. Specifically, drip marketing constitutes an automated follow-up method that can augment or replace personal lead follow-up. Often called Autoresponder
s, new leads are automatically enrolled into a drip marketing campaign with messaging relevant to the call-to-action from which the lead came.
Advantages include the automation and efficiency, as well as the continued ability for direct response. Intelligent e-commerce sites, such as Dell, have integrated this form of drip campaign with un-purchased shopping carts. The continued messaging is relevant to the contents that the shopper stopped short of purchasing, and continue to include direct response actions (i.e. buy now).
Disadvantages include the impersonal manner of follow-up. If not augmented with a traditional and personal follow-up method, this automated follow-up has a lower response rate than does personal sales. The lowered response rate is often justified by the volume and efficiency with which leads can be generated and converted.
", an agriculture/gardening technique in which small amounts of water are fed to plants over long periods of time.
Database marketing
Database marketing is a form of direct marketing using databases of customers or potential customers to generate personalized communications in order to promote a product or service for marketing purposes...
in two ways: (1) the timing of the messages follow a pre-determined course; (2) the messages are dripped in a series applicable to a specific behavior or status of the recipient.
Mediums
Email. The most commonly used form of drip marketing is email marketing, due to the low cost associated with sending multiple messages over time. Email drip marketing is often used in conjunction with a Form (web)Form (web)
A webform on a web page allows a user to enter data that is sent to a server for processing. Webforms resemble paper or database forms because internet users fill out the forms using checkboxes, radio buttons, or text fields...
in a method called an autoresponder
Autoresponder
An autoresponder is a computer program that automatically answers e-mail sent to it. They can be very simple or quite complex.The first autoresponders were created within mail transfer agents that found they could not deliver an e-mail to a given address. These create bounce messages such as "your...
. In this method, a lead completes the form on a company's website and is then enrolled in a drip marketing campaign with messaging appropriate to the form's context.
Direct mail. Although more costly, direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
software has been developed that enables drip marketing techniques using standard postal mail. This technology relies on digital printing, where low-volume print runs are cost justifiable, and the variable data can be merged to personalize each drip message.
Social media. The principles of Drip Marketing have been applied in many social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
marketing tools to schedule a series of updates.
Lead generation
Drip marketing can be used as a function of the lead generationLead generation
Lead generation, or lead gen is a marketing tool used, particularly in internet marketing, to generate consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business. Leads can be generated for a variety of purposes - list building, e-newsletter list acquisition or for winning customers....
and qualification process. Specifically, drip marketing constitutes an automated follow-up method that can augment or replace personal lead follow-up. Often called Autoresponder
Autoresponder
An autoresponder is a computer program that automatically answers e-mail sent to it. They can be very simple or quite complex.The first autoresponders were created within mail transfer agents that found they could not deliver an e-mail to a given address. These create bounce messages such as "your...
s, new leads are automatically enrolled into a drip marketing campaign with messaging relevant to the call-to-action from which the lead came.
Advantages include the automation and efficiency, as well as the continued ability for direct response. Intelligent e-commerce sites, such as Dell, have integrated this form of drip campaign with un-purchased shopping carts. The continued messaging is relevant to the contents that the shopper stopped short of purchasing, and continue to include direct response actions (i.e. buy now).
Disadvantages include the impersonal manner of follow-up. If not augmented with a traditional and personal follow-up method, this automated follow-up has a lower response rate than does personal sales. The lowered response rate is often justified by the volume and efficiency with which leads can be generated and converted.
Sales process
Drip marketing is popularly applied as a sales tool, particularly in long sales-cycles (large ticket items or enterprise-level sales). Whereas persistent follow-up can become a deterrent to closing the sale, Drip Marketing methods offer the ability to remain top-of-mind, and even prompt action, without jeopardizing the relationship.Etymology
The phrase "drip marketing" is said to derive from "drip irrigationDrip irrigation
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation or localized irrigation , is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves,...
", an agriculture/gardening technique in which small amounts of water are fed to plants over long periods of time.