How To Create Drip Campaign Emails That Get Opened And Read

A lot of your subscribers follow different blogs. So don’t be surprised if they forget about your blog by the end of the month.

With tons of content on the web, I bet some of your subscribers only visit your site once a month, or once every few months, or maybe even never.

When faced with this dilemma, how do you keep your blog in your subscribers’ radar? How do you make sure that they keep coming back for more?

If you answered “write more interesting blog posts in the hopes that my subscribers will miraculously discover my content”, then you don’t exactly have the right idea.

These days, if you want subscribers to be informed and updated, try a simple email. No, we’re not talking about just any email. Think drip campaign emails that are meant to nurture your subscribers for a period of time.

Say, WHAAAT?

For the uninitiated, “drip campaigns” are a series of emails that contain marketing information which are meant to acquire customers. These emails are sequenced and sent over a period of time.

If you’ve ever seen a series of promotional emails hanging out in your inbox, then chances are they’te part of a drip email campaign.

Why Should You Start A Drip Campaign For Your Blog?

If you want your subscribers to remember your blog, then drip campaigns are the way to go. A good drip campaign can improve conversions, increase CTRs (click-through rates), and drive a lot of traffic to your site.

In fact, when KANA software used drip campaigns to nurture their leads, Pardot found that its site visits from drip emails lasted an average of 3:02 compared with a 1:56 average time visit for their usual traffic. In addition, submission rates increased on their landing pages (34.19 vs 2.63).

The point is that if you’re not creating a drip campaign, then you’re missing out on A LOT.

So, how do you get started?

Today’s blog post will focus on how to create your own drip campaigns.

How To Create A Drip email Campaign

1. Set your objectives.

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This is a really important step. If you don’t know the objectives of your campaign, then how will you assess if your campaign succeeds or fails? How can you measure your progress? How can you determine if your campaign is making a change?

One thing you should do when determining your objectives is to keep your purpose in mind.

Ask yourself:

• What is the point of this campaign?
• What do I want my readers to do as a result of my email campaign?
• How will these emails impact my readers?
• How will I get my readers to act?

From the start, you need to know the answers to these questions so that you can formulate objectives that are on-point.

After that, choose the type of drip campaign that will match with your campaign’s objectives. In the effort of saving time, I’ll refer you to the following guides:

• 11 Must-Try Lead Nurturing Campaigns
• 7 Steal-Worthy Drip Campaign Examples (And Why They Work)

2. Determine your drip sequence.

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When you create an email campaign, you don’t expect your campaign to start and end with one email. After all, you don’t expect subscribers to become paying customers overnight. In reality, you need to convince them that your content or product is worth it after a few more emails.

But, what would you talk about in the first, second, third, or fourth email?

How should you arrange these emails?

The first thing that you need to remember is that these emails serve as a path. The purpose of these emails is to get your subscribers to act. Whether it’s buying your product or reading your tips, the bottom line is that you want your readers to take action.

Let’s say your drip campaign is to encourage your subscribers to take a course. Take a look at this drip sequence of marketer Neil Patel for his Advanced Marketing Program:

• Email 1: Monique: BREAKING NEWS
• Email 2: Join in on my weekly marketing calls (Urgent: Closing today)
• Email 3: 4 hours left… final reminder

Since the objective of the campaign is to get readers to join before the deadline, Neil Patel sends emails regularly to ensure that his subscribers are well-aware.

The bottom line is that you need to create a sequence that will encourage your customers to take action.

3. Write an irresistible subject line.

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The subject line is one of the most important elements of an email. After all, if you don’t get readers immediately hooked, what are the chances that they will click your email? How will your email marketing campaign compete with the dozens of other emails that they normally receive? How will you make a good impression?

The answer:

An irresistible subject line.

The first step towards an ideal subject line is authenticity. If you’re not sure where to start, then begin by addressing customers by their names. This will add a personal touch. Here are some good examples from the emails I’ve received from Neil Patel:

• Monique: ONE DAY ONLY
• Monique, Thank you for everything!

How would you feel seeing these subject lines? I bet you’d feel a little touched since these emails feel like they’re made just for you.

Some subject lines don’t stand out because they’re personal; instead, they’re smart and witty. After all, everyone loves a good laugh. Check out some of these examples:

• Baby Bump: “Yes, I’m Pregnant. You Can Stop Staring at My Belly Now.”
• Groupon: “Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)

These subject lines will surely grab your attention.

So, what’s the moral of the story?

You should write subject lines that can make your readers stop and take an interest in your email.

4. Write a compelling message.

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Now it’s time to start with the most challenging part: Writing the email.

To make sure your emails get read, it’s important to keep them short and sweet.

In fact, according to Boomerang, emails with a 50% response rate have an estimated number of 50 to 125 words and a subject line of 3 to 4 words. Not surprisingly, since your subscribers don’t have the time to read long emails, it’s important to construct an email that they can understand with skimming.

Try to use words that matter. Talk about:

• What makes your content special?
• Why should your subscribers read your content?
• How will your content make their life better?

Make sure that you use a conversational tone.

Let them know you’re providing a solution.

But don’t forget to come up with a creative and compelling copy.

Here’s an example of a compelling email from the weekly Sunday Inspiration Emails of The Muse.

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The copy “THE BEST OF THE WEB” is short, but it reveals a lot about the content of the email. In addition, the words “Work Hard” and “Live Smart” let readers know that their recommended articles are either advice for work or for life.  

5. Include a killer CTA.

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The end goal of every email is to get readers to click THE BUTTON.

And by “the button”, we mean the Call-To-Action (CTA) button.

So, how do you get your readers to act on your CTA?

The first step is to use action-oriented words. Since CTAs are supposed to get your subscribers to act, then you need to use language that can get them to act at that moment.

Here are some examples:

• Subscribe Now!
• Buy
• Visit The Website

The second step is to make sure that it’s noticeable. This doesn’t mean that your CTA should be big, bold, and red. CTAs can be any size and any color.

But it can’t be ignored.

If your readers can see the CTA once they open the email, then it’s good.

Here’s an example of a killer CTA by SitePoint. The CTA isn’t that big, bold, or red, but it’s hard to miss.

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Plan Your Drip Campaign

Now that you know what it takes to create a drip campaign, it’s time to start planning your own campaign.

Don’t worry if the process feels a little bit overwhelming. Just master the basics and you’ll get better with time and effort.

Overall, write emails that you would want to read. Be interesting, and be creative.

So, what’s the drip campaign that you want to create? Let us know by commenting down below!

Here are some more email marketing posts to check out:

• Why Are Your E-mail Subscribers Inactive? 12 Solutions (with Templates)
• Top 7 Content Upgrade Ideas To Get Targeted Email Subscribers
• 7 Email Subscription Box Placement Ideas That Are Proven To Work
• 6 Best Aweber Alternative For Email Marketing

And don’t forget to share this post!

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