The inbound marketing methodology of attracting, converting, closing and delighting new customers is an ever-growing necessity for business owners. As online marketing tactics become more wide-spread, and tools are available, inbound marketing is easier than ever to bring into an organization.
Once systems are in place, inbound marketing can save a lot of time and a lot of money. Using blogging, SEO, and marketing offers, businesses can draw new prospect in, then drip campaigns triggered through email marketing can convert these new leads into sales. Drip campaigns are a set of electronic marketing mailings that are automatically sent out on a preset schedule. This allow for a consistent and ongoing presence with clients and potential consumers. The reference to the ‘drip’ refers to the process of sending out an e-mail and following up in various forms in order to continue the process and keep people engaged.
Targeted Drip Campaigns
This type of campaign is a very effective way to attract new business. Content is more specific and is geared towards a certain demographic of people or segment of a list. Content may be written differently for a vendor than a customer; for a young consumer versus a middle aged demographic; for someone interested in yoga rather than weight lifting. Try to gather as much information upon subscription as you can, so you can tailor a targeted drip campaign to a specific audience.
You can also gain a lot of information by paying attention to the replies from your emails and how many clicks you get on your website. This can help you target your drip campaigns even further. For example, if a person replies back to you and you find out something personal like the fact that they are in their 40’s and have a child going off to college. You might be able to tailor some of your content to reflect on saving for college, having an empty nest, etc. Then include your personal business information into those topics.
Scheduling Drip Campaigns
A pre-set schedule sets out when content will be released. You want to send out information when it is most beneficial. There might be times of the year or even times of the day that a drip campaign would be more effective for each group. Think about when people will begin to prepare for the holidays. This is a good time to start putting out holiday content. Towards the end of summer, back to school content is very useful and so on. Younger groups of people tend to be on their e-mail or on the Internet later in the day while older demographics rise and shine much earlier. You can even tailor the time you send things out based on this information.
Keep Information Ready
Drip campaigns are a great way to keep leads on hand for when you need an idea or two. As responses come in you can save those leads away and then turn back to them when you need to. You can even use your leads to get people interested ahead of time before you release information later on down the line. Getting people hooked is a good way to draw their interest in.
Drip campaigns are actually a very simple tool to use for marketing purposes but taking drip campaigns to the next level can make for an even more successful marketing practice. It is always best to pay close attention to the people you are targeting and instead of just trying to have an online presence, you may want to try and appeal at a higher level to certain groups. Marketing is ineffective if it falls upon deaf ears.
Here are more inbound marketing tips for your drip campaigns:
- Set a goal. Is it to be educational about your company or industry? Sell more products? Position yourself as a thought leader? Or to simply help build relationships?
- Be thoughtful. Email marketing can be spammy – but not when you send content that is timely, relevant and helpful. Be thoughtful of your subscriber.
- Provide value. Value comes in many forms. It could be a information about a community event, industry news or even something light and fun to entertain them for the day.
- Personalize. As you gather information about your subscribers you’ll be able to provide a more personal experience. For example, if you sell greeting cards ask for birthdays and anniversaries up front, then set up drip campaigns around that information.
- Get the timing right. Think through your drip sequence. If you’re triggering a lead nurturing campaign perhaps your sequence would be a Welcome email, two days later an About Us email, four days later a Product Feature email and a week later a Product Offer. Drip campaigns will be different based on your objectives.
- CTA’s. Emails should always include a call-to-action. Effective CTA’s include marketing offers, discounts, and perks. They also include things like Follow Us, Contact Us or using a branded hashtag on their social channels.
Email marketing continues to provide one of the highest ROI’s of digital marketing tactics. The key to success is to stand out with personalized, timely, and relevant content.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Inbound Marketing Tips – Taking Drip Campaigns To The Next Level
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