Drip Campaign, Defined
A drip campaign is a series of pre-written emails sent automatically on a schedule or in response to what someone does. Emails "drip" out over days or weeks rather than arriving all at once.
The term overlaps with autoresponders, sequences and automations. In practice, a drip campaign usually means a longer, planned series with a specific goal, such as teaching a topic or moving a lead toward a purchase. See what is an autoresponder.
Time-Based vs Action-Based Drips
Emails send at set intervals after a starting point, such as day 1, day 3 and day 7 after signup. Simple and predictable.
Emails send when someone does something, such as clicking a link, buying a product or opening a specific email.
Most small businesses start with time-based drips, then add simple actions, such as tagging people who click a link and sending them a related follow-up.
Common Types of Drip Campaigns
| Type | Trigger | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Joining your list | Introduce you and deliver the lead magnet |
| Email course | Signing up for the course | Teach a topic over several days |
| Lead nurture | Downloading a resource or showing interest | Build trust and lead to a sale or call |
| Onboarding | Buying or signing up for a product | Help customers get value quickly |
| Post-purchase | Completing an order | Thank, support, ask for a review, suggest related items |
| Abandoned cart | Leaving items in a cart | Remind and encourage checkout |
| Re-engagement | Not opening for a set period | Win back interest or clean the list |
| Event | Registering for a webinar or event | Remind, prepare and follow up |
See welcome email sequence, abandoned cart emails and re-engagement email campaign for detailed guides.
Example: A Five-Day Email Course
Here's a simple drip for a bookkeeper teaching small business owners:
- Day 0: Welcome and the first lesson: "The three records every business should keep."
- Day 1: Lesson two: "How to separate business and personal spending."
- Day 2: Lesson three: "A simple monthly bookkeeping routine."
- Day 3: Lesson four: "Deadlines to put in your calendar."
- Day 4: Lesson five plus an invitation: "Want us to handle it? Book a free call."
Each email teaches one thing, links to one resource and ends with a short preview of tomorrow's lesson.
How to Build a Drip Campaign
- Pick one goal, such as booking calls or selling a product.
- Define the trigger: who enters the campaign and when.
- Outline the emails. Three to seven is typical. Give each one job.
- Set the timing. Daily for courses; every two to four days for nurture.
- Write the emails, keeping them short and focused.
- Add tags or exits, such as removing buyers from sales emails.
- Test, launch and review results after a few weeks.
Drip Campaign Best Practices
- Match frequency to the promise. An email course can be daily; a nurture series shouldn't be.
- Remove people who convert. Nobody wants a sales email for something they just bought.
- Keep content evergreen so the campaign stays accurate for months.
- Give readers control with a clear unsubscribe and, ideally, preferences.
- Review regularly for outdated links and offers.
Building Drips in AWeber
AWeber's automations support time-based sequences with waits between emails, plus tags that can start or branch campaigns. The free plan includes one automation, Lite includes three and Plus includes unlimited automations.
See AWeber automation and AWeber tags and segments.
Build a welcome series or email course with AWeber's automations, starting on the free plan.
Drip Campaign FAQs
What is a drip campaign in email marketing?
A series of pre-written emails sent automatically over time or in response to subscriber actions.
How many emails should a drip campaign have?
Three to seven is typical. Use as few as you need to reach your goal.
How often should drip emails be sent?
Daily for short courses, every two to four days for most nurture sequences.
Is a drip campaign the same as an autoresponder?
They overlap. A drip campaign usually means a longer planned series with one goal.