How to Create Successful Email Drip Campaigns [Examples + Best Practices]

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When I built my first email list, I was ready to create email drip campaigns. But I didn't know what to write. I felt like a salesperson with the perfect prospect, yet lacking the right words to craft a persuasive pitch.

Now a seasoned email marketer, I've created countless email drip campaigns that have yielded impressive results, especially when targeting leads who've already shown interest in my products.

What changed? I realized that writing drip emails is easy with the right strategy.

In this guide, I'll share stunning email drip campaign examples to inspire you. I'll also reveal some expert tips that helped me create click-worthy email sequences.

Table of Contents:

• What is an Email Drip Campaign?
• Types of Email Drip Campaigns
• Email Drip Campaign Best Practices
• Email Drip Campaign Templates
• Email Drip Campaign Examples

Say a lead downloads a white paper on customer management tips and shares their email address. I add them to my email list and send them a series of emails over a four-week period. In these emails, I include calls-to-action (CTAs) asking the lead to request a demo of our CRM software.

Types of Email Drip Campaigns

Even though it's considered old, email marketing is my favorite way to maintain long-term relationships with customers. And that's true for other marketers as well. According to HubSpot's 2024 State of Marketing Report, 87% of marketers plan to increase their email marketing investment in 2024.

However, in my experience, investing in lead-nurturing email marketing campaigns is much better than sending out abrupt, single emails. The former helps build a strong relationship with potential customers, while the latter just looks sales-y and might drive leads away.

But drip email campaigns don't just have to be about sales. I use them to reduce cart abandonment rates, convert blog visitors into buyers, re-engage customers, or simply welcome new subscribers.

D. Channing Muller, marketing consultant at DCM Communications, uses drip emails for event management.

She says, "Someone registers to attend an event, and they get an email confirmation. [...] You need to give them a reason to actually attend the event they registered for. This can all be done effectively with drip campaigns."

There are no limits to the types of drip campaigns you can create, but most of them fit into these categories.

1. Onboarding Email Drip Campaign

Onboarding emails are emails sent to leads who have newly registered on a website. These automated emails are sent as soon as a lead creates a new account or provides their contact info.

My onboarding email campaigns typically include:

• A simple welcome email.
• An email that introduces my products.
• An exclusive limited-time discount for new members.

Recent research reveals that welcome emails have a click-through rate of 14.34%, which is more than seven times higher than the click-through rate of 1.89% for a standard email.

Consider this onboarding email by Mailmodo.

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This is a good example of a welcome email. Along with onboarding the customer, it introduces them to the platform by giving quick links to the various resources they'll need.

2. Retargeting Email Drip Campaign

A retargeting drip campaign targets people who've shown initial interest in a business but failed to convert. Say I have a prospect who clicked on a social media ad and visited my website but didn't make a purchase. I can attempt to convert them using a nurturing drip email campaign.

My lead-nurturing emails usually include:

• A fillable workbook related to the ebook the lead downloaded.
• An email directly from a sales rep offering a one-on-one chat.
• A feedback request to learn about the lead's experience.

Here's the start of a good retargeting campaign by Litmus.

Litmus invites its subscribers to join an upcoming event on automating email development workflow. While this campaign may not directly contribute to sales, it gets the leads interested in the platform once again.

3. Post-Demo Email Drip Campaign

If I'm marketing a product that can be easily demonstrated, I make sure to run an email campaign with a CTA to request a one-on-one product demo. However, this doesn't guarantee a sale.

Here are excellent content ideas for a post-demo campaign:

• Video testimonials from past clients.
• Access to an exclusive free trial offer.
• Tutorials on a feature the lead was particularly interested in.

One of my favorite post-demo emails is this one from Away.

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The luggage company sent written instructions on how to handle its product. This information might have already been provided in the demo, but the email re-emphasizes the value of the product, reminding the lead of its top features.

4. Post-Purchase Email Drip Campaign

While the cost of acquiring new customers has gone up by 222%, selling to existing customers has proven to be much cheaper and easier.

So, I strengthen existing customer relationships through post-purchase drip campaigns, which might include:

• A survey to help me gain insights into the customer's experience.
• Related products they might like.
• A helpful resource related to the item purchased.
• An exclusive offer to encourage brand loyalty.

Here's a good example of this. Harney & Sons, a tea company, sends a discount coupon for a customer's next order in its post-purchase email.

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5. Cart Abandonment Email Drip Campaign

In 2024, 70.19% of ecommerce customers abandoned their shopping carts. However, I find that reminding customers of their abandoned carts increases my chances of making a sale. Many marketers, including me, achieve this by running abandoned cart email campaigns.

Here are some things I love to include:

• A notification about limited product quantity.
• A special offer such as free shipping or a discount.
• A reminder containing a preview of the customer's cart.
• Request for feedback on why the customer abandoned their cart.

Check out this email drip campaign example by Rudy's.

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This email includes the products in the customer's abandoned cart, along with a request to complete the purchase. It also includes a discount code to motivate the buyer.

Pro tip: I recommend sending three cart abandonment emails: one immediately after the customer leaves your website with products in their cart, the second email the following day, and the third after three days - and this one should include an incentive.

6. Unsubscribe Email Drip Campaign

I send out unsubscribe drip campaigns when a subscriber opts out of my email list. There's a slim chance of winning them back, so I try to understand their reasons for unsubscribing, as it helps me identify areas to improve my marketing strategy.

Here are email ideas for these campaigns:

• An email confirming their action and letting them know I'll miss them.
• A short survey asking why they unsubscribed.
• A final email reassuring them I value their feedback.

In the final email, I include an easy way to resubscribe if they ever change their mind. I also send unsubscribe emails to subscribers who don't open my emails. Here's a really cool example from Framebridge.

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7. Promotional Email Drip Campaign

If you're launching a new product, running a sale, or revamping your brand, promotional drip campaigns are a great way to attract both new and existing customers. During a product launch for one of my clients, I created a five-email drip campaign spread over four weeks.

Check out some things I included:

• The first three emails provided sneak peeks of the new product.
• The fourth email contained a fun riddle that customers could solve for a coupon code.
• The last email officially announced the launch of the new product, along with a direct link to make a purchase.

Polestar, a Swedish automotive manufacturer, sends out promotional emails to announce the launch of its new products.

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8. Feedback Email Drip Campaign

In my opinion, feedback email drip campaigns are one of the most important marketing emails - they tell me what I'm getting right and where I need to improve.

I typically request feedback from customers who:

• Viewed a demo.
• Abandoned their carts.
• Completed a purchase.
• Downloaded a free resource.
• Interacted with customer support.
• Attended a webinar or training program.

Consider this feedback email from Miro. It contains a five-minute survey asking customers to help improve the brand.

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Pro tip: Keep your feedback surveys short. A couple of questions or just a star rating is enough to collect the right data. If your feedback email is too long, it may discourage people from completing the survey.

9. Re-engagement Email Drip Campaign

Apart from new leads and existing customers, I also target old customers who've become inactive. Maybe it's been a couple of years since their last purchase, or a once-regular email subscriber hasn't opened my email for the past two months. I re-engage them with an email drip campaign to win back their hearts.

There are several ways I do this:

• I give a preview of the bestsellers in a new product range.
• I recommend products based on the customer's purchase history.
• I build a newsletter series highlighting brand updates that might interest them.

Resy, a restaurant reservation website, uses emails to re-engage inactive subscribers.

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Apart from these, marketers also create drip email campaigns to ask for testimonials, launch their social media pages, or simply celebrate a milestone. There are endless possibilities for creating drip marketing campaigns. But, I like to stick to the nine types I mentioned above to avoid sending too many emails.

Email Drip Campaign Best Practices

Remember how I struggled to find the right words when creating my first campaign? It turns out it's not just me. According to Litmus, 41% of marketers struggle with creating an email for their marketing strategy.

Concerning this, David Sneider, Sendbloom's former head of growth, shares some crucial advice for new marketers.

"Introductory email messaging is the 'tip of the spear' for starting business relationships. The copy you write needs to be sharp yet sincere, showing that you can provide value without inundating them."

But how do you create email drip campaigns that are empathetic yet compelling? I'll share some of the best drip email marketing tips I've mastered over the years.

1. Choose a drip campaign software.

To automate and schedule drip emails, you'll need a sales automation tool. While there are several such tools, I prefer HubSpot Sales Hub because it allows me to create and send email sequences on time.

The software easily integrates with my CRM and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools. I import data from these tools into Sales Hub and use it to refine my email marketing strategy.

I also use the numerous email templates preloaded on the software and simply customize the content to suit my campaign. While there's a slight learning curve for HubSpot Sales Hub, I find it quite easy to use once I've learned the ropes.

2. Know when to take someone out of the drip.

You want to ensure your leads receive timely and relevant content, so it's crucial to monitor their activities. Once they take the desired action, it's time to unenroll them from your drip.

Let's say you enroll a prospect in your drip campaign with the goal of getting them to schedule a demo. If they schedule a demo on Monday and get another email on Friday asking them to schedule a demo, they'll probably lose faith in your brand.

This happened to me recently. I got an email asking me to provide feedback about my experience with a brand's support team. Naturally, I should have received a thank you email after submitting the form. Imagine my shock when I got another feedback request. It made me disappointed in the brand, and that's not the kind of reaction you want from your prospects.

Knowing when to take someone out of your drip is a crucial part of your campaign. To ensure things flow smoothly, create a trigger that will unenroll a prospect once they complete a desired action.

3. Gather the required info early on.

I trigger email campaigns when a lead shows interest in my business, either by downloading a white paper, registering for an event, or creating an account. But I can only send the right emails if I have the right info.

So, I create ways for prospects to submit their email addresses and other relevant details early on. In exchange for this info, I offer them an incentive such as a new member discount or an exclusive report.

I also include a small checkbox so customers can confirm if they want to receive marketing emails from me.

4. Have clear CTAs.

It's tempting to want to schedule a demo, offer a discount, and request a purchase - all in a single email. But that's also the best way to discourage customers from taking action.

I've made the mistake of having too many CTAs in my emails. This only confused customers as they had no clue which action was the right one to take. That's why I recommend sticking to a single CTA for each email.

Ask yourself which of the following goals aligns with yours:

• Generate revenue.
• Boost user engagement.
• Increase brand awareness.
• Gather customer feedback.
• Promote a new product or service.
• Drive registrations for an upcoming event.

Based on your answer, you can formulate appropriate calls-to-action to include in your emails.

5. Personalize your emails.

Customers stick with brands that genuinely care about them as individuals. A generic one-size-fits-all email might help you save time, but it only tells your customers you don't value their individuality.

That's why I personalize every email campaign based on the recipient.

Robert Catalano, digital marketing specialist at Toshiba, shares the same sentiment: "Personalization is key. Try to customize emails to your target audience's industry and align your emails to provide the right information at the right time. This ensures that each email feels relevant and tailored to the recipient, enhancing overall engagement and conversion rates."

If you're new to email personalization, you'll find that it consumes a lot of time. With a mailing list of thousands of subscribers, tailoring each email to the needs of each individual is next to impossible.

The solution? Creating customer segments. I separate my leads and customers into smaller groups based on their demographics and interests. Then, I craft a separate email for each segment and then use marketing automation to personalize the names in each email.

While my email may not cater to college-going Jane who loves everything K-Pop, it does resonate with a group of customers aged 18-25, who love new-age fashion. And this has got me good results in terms of open rates and CTR.

Most marketers create multiple versions of the same email to send to different customers. Nearly 44% of marketers stick to two to three versions, while 18% create four to six versions of an email.

6. Run A/B tests.

I also send these email versions to a select group of people to determine which one works best. For instance, I'd select two or three of the best versions of an email and send it to different customer groups for A/B testing. I predetermine a metric, such as the open rate, to compare the success of each email.

These tests help me understand the email type, frequency, and content each customer group prefers. Then, I further refine my email campaigns based on these key insights.

Pro tip: Change one element at a time. I either try out different subject lines or images while keeping everything else the same. This helps me pinpoint the exact change that made the campaign more successful.

7. Send your emails on Tuesdays.

There has been much debate on the best time and day to send emails. Look up "email frequency" or "email cadence" on Google, and you'll see what I mean.

To bring an end to this debate, HubSpot surveyed 150+ marketing experts in the U.S., asking which day of the week their emails got the most engagement.

See the top picks:

• 27% said Tuesday.
• 19% said Monday.
• 17% chose Thursday.

While these findings can be a nice guidepost, I've found that my cadence ultimately depends on when my leads mostly interact with my emails. So, I closely monitor performance metrics to determine what drives results for my business.

8. Measure your success.

Even when I'm not testing, I still measure the success of each campaign. This serves as evergreen data I can use anytime I want to create a new email series.

Here are some email marketing metrics I track:

• Open rate. I divide the number of people who opened my email by the number of emails delivered.
• Click-through rate. This metric measures the percentage of people who click on a link in my email out of the total number of recipients.

• Response rate. If my email requires people to reply, I compare the number of replies received with the number of emails sent.
• Conversion rate. This is the number of leads I actually converted through the email campaign.
• Value per campaign. I compare the revenue generated from the campaign with the cost to determine the return on my investment.
• Unsubscribe rate. I also keep track of the number of people who unsubscribe from my mailing list after a campaign.

Since each metric tells me something different, I don't rely on a single metric to measure the success of my drip campaigns. Instead, I compare all of them to gain insights into my performance and see areas where I need to improve.

There are some specific things to keep in mind when comparing these metrics. Greg Zakowicz, senior ecommerce expert at Omnisend, highlights them:

"If the unsubscribe rate for a drip campaign is significantly higher than scheduled campaigns, it is usually a good indication that something needs to be altered, such as the message timing or the content. One exception is a welcome message. Many times, a customer will sign up to receive a discount and then immediately unsubscribe."

Email Drip Campaign Templates

Creating a compelling email drip campaign might be challenging. But you don't have to start from scratch. I'll share some customizable templates to help you kick off your campaign.

Email Drip Template 1

Hello [Prospect],

I'm [Name], and I'm the founder of [Company Name] - a brand that simplifies online payments. We work with popular payment gateways and card companies to make credit card payments accessible for all businesses.

We'll help you process card-based transactions with minimal fees and also handle compliance issues for you. This gives you more time to focus on your business.

If this sounds good to you, could you spare 15 minutes to explore it further by booking a free demo?

[BOOK DEMO BUTTON]

Once you've booked a slot of your preference, our agent will reach out to you.

Regards,

[Name]

Why This Works:

• It's personalized to include the name of the recipient.
• The value proposition is simple, direct, and concise - using only two to three sentences.
• There's a clear, single CTA, so the recipient knows exactly how to proceed.
• The email also indicates when an agent will follow up, showing that the company is actively engaging its leads.

Email Drip Template 2

Hi [Prospect],

Hope you found value in our demo. Our software has dedicated features to handle international transactions, so you can seamlessly collect payments from your global clients.

If you want to learn more about these features, we'd love to set up a Zoom call with our sales manager, [Name]. When would be a good time to set this up?

Regards,

[Name]

Why This Works:

• The email highlights a feature that's of interest to the prospect, showing that the company pays attention to its customers.
• There's a clear point of contact in the email so prospects know who they're talking to.
• The email isn't sales-y. Instead, it gives prospects another opportunity to understand the product better.

Email Drip Template 3

Hello [Prospect],

We are offering a 25% discount on all our annual packages. This will help you get started with our product so you can solve all your payment issues.

Use this coupon code at checkout to claim your discount:

[Insert code]

Regards,

[Name]

Why This Works:

• The email offers an exclusive coupon, which makes the customer feel valued.
• The body of the email is short and straight to the point.
• It has a clear CTA.

I suggest sending each email two to three days after the customer takes a desired action because it gives them time to absorb the value of the previous interactions.

Email Drip Campaign Examples

If you're ready to kickstart your campaign, here are some real-life examples of email sequences to inspire you.

1. Kay Unger's Cart Abandonment Drip Campaign

Kay Unger is an American fashion brand with a 50-year-old legacy. Being a B2C brand, it has seen a good number of online customers adding products to their carts but leaving without making a purchase.

Its cart abandonment drip campaign targets these customers and encourages them to complete their purchases.

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The first email is simple. It reminds the customer of products in their cart and also displays related products they might be interested in.

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The second email goes out a couple of days later, again reminding the customer about their abandoned cart. Kay Unger offers a "Pay Later" option, motivating the customer to complete their purchase even if they don't have enough funds.

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The third and final email warns the customer of their cart expiring. If they delay further, the products may be removed from their cart or may be out of stock.

Even though Kay Unger's campaign is simple, it creates a sense of urgency and highlights solutions to possible reasons why a cart was abandoned.

2. Whistles' Summer Promotional Drip Campaign

Whistles is another modern fashion brand that loves to unveil new collections every season. Here's its promotional drip campaign to market new summer collections.

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The campaign contains a series of emails, all highlighting the best products from Whistles' new collections. Customers directly receive the product catalog in their inboxes, so they can conveniently place an order.

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The final email announces an impressive sales discount, with up to 50% off. It also includes a direct link to the product catalog, so interested leads can click through to the website and start shopping immediately.

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I love how the emails highlight products the prospects might be interested in. It shows the company has spent time analyzing the prospect's online activities enough to know their preferences.

3. RealSelf's Lead-Nurturing Drip Campaign

RealSelf is a global online forum for people looking for advice on cosmetic procedures. While its resources are free, it has an exclusive community for its members.

The company uses drip campaigns to nurture leads and invite them to join its community. Here's how the campaign goes.

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RealSelf sends a series of educational emails on trending cosmetic topics. These emails contain links leading to the company's blog. After a few of these informative emails, RealSelf sends out an email asking leads to join its community.

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This email highlights the benefits of being in RealSelf's community and also provides social links. By sending educational emails, the brand establishes its value among readers. Prospects are more likely to join the community if they find the free resources useful.

4. Winona's Onboarding Drip Campaign

Winona is a wellness brand that helps women proactively manage their health. It offers several blog and video resources to guide women on their wellness journey.

The brand uses email drip campaigns to deliver these resources to its members' inboxes and also to promote its products.

Here's how Winona onboards new members.

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First, Winona assures clients they made the right move by reaching out. The "Quick Call" button helps recipients schedule a call with healthcare professionals and find answers to any questions they might have.

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This is followed by helpful resources encouraging women to prioritize their health and also try out Winona's solutions.

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Winona's onboarding campaign isn't about making a sale. Rather, the goal is to assure new members that they're in the right place. This helps the company to nurture leads for the long term and eventually turn them into prospects.

5. MitoQ's Black Friday Drip Campaign

MitoQ is a unique wellness brand that creates dietary supplements for everyone from athletes to senior citizens.

The brand uses drip campaigns to promote its products and offers. Last Black Friday, it sent out an email series to advertise its sales discount.

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In the first email, MitoQ announces its upcoming Black Friday sale. It also encourages customers to sign up on its website for early access.

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MitoQ further sends more emails throughout the duration of the sale, motivating customers to visit its website.

6. Sprout Social's Webinar Drip Campaign

Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management tool that caters to all businesses, from enterprises to SMBs. It holds regular webinars, discussions, and live sessions to educate customers on how to use social media for marketing.

Here's how Sprout Social marketed one of its webinars using an email drip campaign.

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The first email explains the webinar in detail and includes a link for easy registration.

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The second email acts as a reminder for the webinar. I find that this is a smart move because some leads who are interested in the event might have missed the previous email.

7. Netflix's Anniversary Drip Campaign

Netflix, the global streaming giant, is also known for its great marketing. The company crafts witty emails that always brighten up my inbox whenever they pop up. Netflix recently celebrated its 26th anniversary with a sitewide discount on all its merchandise.

Here's what its email campaign looked like.

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The first email announced the official start of the sale - a whopping 26% discount for all Netflix fans.

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Then, Netflix sent out a series of emails reminding people to purchase their favorite goodies.

The final email included the exact time the sale would end, urging people to quickly grab the items they needed before the time elapsed.

8. Nomad's Testimonial Drip Campaign

Nomad, a high-speed internet brand, kicked off a unique drip campaign called "Testimonial Tuesday." The brand shares reviews and testimonials from customers every Tuesday, straight to subscribers' inboxes.

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The first email in this campaign shares a testimonial from Sarah, a customer who's happy with the brand's services.

Here's what the rest of the campaign looks like.

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I love this drip sequence for two reasons:

• It's a great way to build trust and increase customer retention.
• It's also a good way to promote the brand, encouraging prospects to sign up.

9. Sephora's Membership Drip Campaign

Sephora, a leading beauty brand in the U.S., has its own loyalty program called Beauty Insider. Members enjoy perks such as extra discounts and redeemable points.

The brand promotes its membership program through drip email campaigns like.

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Sephora's strategy to promote its exclusive membership program during sales discounts encourages more people to join the community.

Create Email Drip Campaigns That Convert Leads

Email drip campaigns might look difficult since you'll need to craft several emails. But I speak from experience when I say that the right strategy and tools make it much easier to run successful campaigns.

To simplify the process for fellow marketers, I've shared some of the best email drip campaign examples that delivered excellent results. By following best practices and expert advice, you'll create a campaign that truly converts.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Topics:Sales Automation

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