How to Create an Email Drip Campaign for B2B [+ Best Practices]

Despite the prevalence of digital marketing, email marketing continues to be one of the most efficient ways to engage potential B2B customers. Nevertheless, with a great deal of competition in the inbox, it can be challenging to capture your audience’s attention and maintain their interest. That’s where email drip campaigns come in. A drip campaign is a series of pre-written emails that are sent automatically to subscribers at specific intervals. 

The goal is to nurture leads and guide them through the sales funnel. In this blog, we will explore the step-by-step process of creating a successful email drip campaign for B2B, from setting goals and defining the target audience to crafting compelling content and measuring the results. So, whether you are a seasoned marketer or a beginner, join me as we dive into the world of email drip campaigns for B2B.

Types of email drip campaigns

On-boarding campaigns

An onboarding drip email campaign is a specific type of email sequence that is designed to welcome new subscribers or customers and guide them through the early stages of their journey with your product or service. The goal is to help them get started and become successful, while also building a relationship with them and increasing their loyalty.

Engagement Campaign

An engagement drip email campaign is designed to keep your subscribers or customers engaged with your brand over time. The goal is to build a relationship with them, encourage interaction and feedback, and increase their loyalty to your brand.

Retargeting campaigns

A retargeting drip email campaign is a sequence of emails created to reignite the interest of subscribers or customers who have engaged with your brand previously but have not taken a desired action, like purchasing a product, completing a form, or booking a service. The objective is to draw them back to your website or landing page and motivate them to take the desired action.

Segmentation campaign

A segmentation drip email campaign refers to a sequence of emails created to target particular segments of your audience with personalized messages. By segmenting your audience according to factors such as behavior, interests, and demographics, you can develop more customized and relevant email campaigns that have a higher chance of engaging and converting them.

Post demo campaign

A post-demo drip email campaign is a series of emails designed to follow up with potential customers after they have watched a product demo. The goal is to keep them engaged, answer any questions or concerns they may have, and encourage them to take the next step in the sales funnel.

Why should you do a drip campaign?

Email marketing has been a reliable method for reaching potential B2B customers. However, it can be challenging to catch their attention due to the high volume of competing businesses. This is where drip campaigns can make a difference.

Drip campaigns are a powerful tool for B2B marketers because they allow you to nurture leads and guide potential customers through the sales funnel with a series of pre-written emails that are sent automatically at specific intervals. Here are some of the key benefits of using drip campaigns in your B2B marketing strategy:

Improved Engagement

Drip campaigns are designed to keep your audience engaged over time by providing them with targeted and relevant content that addresses their needs and interests. By delivering value to your subscribers over time, you can build trust and credibility with your brand, and keep your business top-of-mind when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Increased Conversion Rates

Drip campaigns can be highly effective at moving potential customers through the sales funnel, from initial awareness to final purchase. By delivering a series of messages that are designed to educate, inform, and persuade, you can encourage subscribers to take the next step in the buying process and ultimately convert them into paying customers.

Cost-Effective

Compared to other marketing tactics, drip campaigns can be very cost-effective because they are automated and require minimal ongoing effort once set up. This makes them an ideal solution for small and medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to invest in more complex marketing campaigns.

Personalization

With drip campaigns, you can segment your audience and tailor your messages to their specific interests and needs. This level of personalization can be highly effective at engaging subscribers and increasing the chances of conversion.

How do Drip Campaigns Work?

Identify your goal

Before you start creating a drip campaign for your B2B marketing strategy, it’s essential to identify your goals. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you create a more focused and effective campaign that delivers results. Here are some key goals to consider when planning your B2B drip campaign:

Lead generation

If your goal is to generate leads for your business, your drip campaign should focus on providing value to your target audience and encouraging them to take action. You can use a series of emails to educate prospects about your products or services, offer free resources or trials, and promote gated content that requires them to fill out a form to access.

Lead nurturing

Once you’ve generated leads, it’s important to nurture them over time to build trust and credibility with your brand. Your drip campaign can include educational content, case studies, customer success stories, and other materials that help your prospects understand the value of your products or services and move them closer to making a purchase.

Sales conversion

If your goal is to convert leads into paying customers, your drip campaign should be focused on providing persuasive content that addresses their objections and encourages them to take the next step in the sales funnel. You can use targeted offers, product demos, free trials, and other tactics to move prospects toward a purchase.

Customer retention

Drip campaigns can also be used to keep existing customers engaged and informed about new products, features, or updates. By providing ongoing value to your customers, you can increase their loyalty to your brand and encourage repeat business.

Re-engagement

If you have a list of subscribers or customers who haven’t engaged with your brand in a while, a re-engagement drip campaign can help you bring them back into the fold. You can use targeted offers, personalized messaging, and other tactics to rekindle their interest and encourage them to engage with your brand once again.

Choose an automation tool

Email drip campaigns are a powerful tool for B2B marketers looking to nurture leads and drive sales. But managing a drip campaign manually can be time-consuming and error-prone, which is why many marketers turn to automation tools to streamline the process. In this blog, we’ll explore some key factors to consider when choosing an automation tool for your B2B email drip campaign.

Integration with your existing tech stack

When choosing an automation tool, it’s important to consider how well it integrates with your existing tech stack. Look for a tool that can easily connect with your CRM, email marketing platform and any other tools you use to manage your sales and marketing efforts. This will ensure that your drip campaign runs smoothly and seamlessly alongside your other marketing activities.

Automation capabilities

The whole point of using an automation tool is to save time and increase efficiency, so it’s important to choose a tool that has robust automation capabilities. Look for a tool that allows you to set up triggers, rules, and workflows that automate the delivery of your drip campaign messages based on user behavior or other criteria.

Personalization features

One of the key benefits of email drip campaigns is the ability to personalize your messages based on user behavior, preferences, and interests. Look for a tool that allows you to easily segment your audience and tailor your messages accordingly. This will help ensure that your messages are more relevant and engaging to your subscribers, which can ultimately lead to higher conversion rates.

Analytics and reporting

To measure the success of your drip campaign and make improvements over time, you’ll need access to detailed analytics and reporting. Look for a tool that provides robust reporting features, including metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and more. This will allow you to track the performance of your campaign and make data-driven decisions to improve its effectiveness.

Customer support

Finally, when choosing an automation tool for your B2B email drip campaign, it’s important to consider the level of customer support that the tool provider offers. Look for a provider that offers comprehensive customer support, including online documentation, email support, and phone support. This will ensure that you can get the help you need quickly and easily if you encounter any issues or have questions about how to use the tool effectively.

Determine how to segment the drip campaign

Email drip campaigns are a powerful tool for B2B marketers looking to nurture leads and drive sales. But to make your drip campaign effective, you need to ensure that your messages are targeted to the right audience. In this blog, we’ll explore some key steps you can take to determine your customer segments for your B2B email drip campaign.

Conduct market research

The first step in determining your customer segments is to conduct market research. This can include analyzing your existing customer data, surveying your target audience, and researching industry trends and insights. By understanding the needs, preferences, and behaviors of your target audience, you can better tailor your messages to their specific interests and pain points.

Segment based on demographics

One of the most common ways to segment your audience is based on demographics such as age, gender, location, industry, job title, and company size. This can help you create targeted messages that are relevant to specific groups of customers. For example, you might create a drip campaign specifically for small business owners, or one for IT professionals in the healthcare industry.

Segment based on behavior

Another important way to segment your audience is based on their behavior. This can include their engagement with your website, their past purchase history, and their interactions with your email campaigns. By understanding how your customers have interacted with your brand in the past, you can create more personalized messages that are tailored to their specific needs and interests.

Use predictive analytics

Predictive analytics can help you identify patterns and trends in customer behavior, allowing you to predict which customers are most likely to take certain actions in the future. For example, you might use predictive analytics to identify customers who are most likely to make a purchase, and then create a drip campaign specifically designed to convert those leads into customers.

Test and refine your segments

Finally, it’s important to continually test and refine your customer segments to ensure that your messages are as effective as possible. This might include conducting A/B tests to compare the performance of different messages or segments or analyzing your campaign data to identify areas for improvement.

Decide on the number of touchpoints

Deciding on the number of touchpoints for your B2B email drip campaign is an important consideration to ensure that you effectively nurture your leads and ultimately drive conversions. Too few touchpoints may not give your audience enough exposure to your brand and offerings, while too many touchpoints can result in fatigue and disengagement. In this blog, we’ll explore some key factors to consider when deciding on the number of touchpoints for your B2B email drip campaign.

Consider your goals

The first step in deciding on the number of touchpoints is to consider your campaign goals. Are you looking to simply introduce your brand to new leads, or are you trying to drive a specific action, such as a purchase or a demo request? The more complex your goal, the more touchpoints you may need to achieve it.

Look at industry benchmarks

It’s also helpful to look at industry benchmarks to get a sense of how many touchpoints are typically needed to achieve specific goals. For example, some studies suggest that it takes an average of 7-13 touchpoints to generate a sales lead, while others suggest that 5-7 touchpoints are sufficient for lead nurturing.

Consider your audience’s behavior

Your audience’s behavior can also be a key factor in determining the number of touchpoints needed. If your audience is highly engaged and actively seeking out information about your product or service, you may be able to achieve your goals with fewer touchpoints. On the other hand, if your audience is less familiar with your brand or has a longer sales cycle, you may need more touchpoints to build trust and establish a relationship.

To make an informed decision, it’s essential to use data when determining the optimal number of touchpoints. You can analyze engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to see how your audience is responding to your messages. A/B testing can also be conducted to compare the performance of different numbers of touchpoints and help you refine your strategy.

Create personalized content

Creating personalized content is an important aspect of any successful B2B email drip campaign. Personalized content helps to increase engagement, build trust, and ultimately drive conversions by showing your audience that you understand their needs and are invested in their success. We’ll explore some key steps you can take to create personalized content for your B2B email drip campaign.

Use customer data

The first step in creating personalized content is to use customer data to understand your audience’s interests, pain points, and needs. This can include data such as their job title, industry, company size, and past interactions with your brand. By using this data, you can create messages that are tailored to their specific needs and interests.

Segment your audience

Once you have collected customer data, you can segment your audience based on their characteristics and behaviors. This allows you to create more targeted messages that are relevant to specific groups of customers. For example, you might create a drip campaign specifically for C-level executives in the healthcare industry, or one for marketing professionals in the technology industry.

Use dynamic content

Dynamic content allows you to create messages that automatically change based on the recipient’s characteristics or behaviors. For example, you might use dynamic content to show different product recommendations based on the recipient’s industry or job title. This helps to create a more personalized experience for your audience and increases the likelihood that they will engage with your messages.

Customize subject lines and preview text

In addition to customizing the content of your messages, it’s also important to customize the subject lines and preview text. This helps to catch your audience’s attention and entice them to open your email. You can use personalization tokens to include the recipient’s name or company in the subject line or use dynamic content to show different subject lines based on the recipient’s characteristics or behaviors.

Test and refine your content

Finally, it’s important to continually test and refine your personalized content to ensure that it is as effective as possible. This might include conducting A/B tests to compare the performance of different messages or segments or analyzing your campaign data to identify areas for improvement.

Know when to take contacts out of the campaign

It’s important to know when to take contacts out of your B2B email drip campaign to avoid frustrating or alienating your audience. Here are some key factors to consider when determining when to remove a contact from your email drip campaign:

Unsubscribes: If a contact unsubscribes from your email list, it’s important to immediately remove them from your drip campaign to avoid sending them any further messages.

Bounces: If an email bounces repeatedly, it may indicate that the email address is no longer valid. In this case, it’s best to remove the contact from your campaign until you can confirm their email address.

Lack of engagement: If a contact consistently fails to engage with your emails, such as by not opening or clicking on them, it may indicate that they are no longer interested in your brand or offerings. In this case, it may be best to remove them from your campaign to avoid further annoying or alienating them.

Changes in job title or company: If a contact changes their job title or company, it may impact their interest in your brand or offerings. In this case, it’s important to update their information in your database and consider whether they still fit the target audience for your email drip campaign.

The optimal number of touchpoints reached: If a contact has reached the optimal number of touchpoints for your campaign and still hasn’t engaged with your brand or offerings, it may be time to remove them from the campaign and focus on other leads.

Best Practices

Short and informative content

When it comes to creating content for B2B email drip campaigns, it’s important to keep it short and informative. B2B audiences are often busy professionals who receive numerous emails every day, so it’s crucial to grab their attention quickly and deliver valuable information in a concise format.

Short and informative content helps to:

Increase engagement: By delivering valuable information in a short and concise format, you’re more likely to grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged with your brand.

Save time: Busy professionals don’t have time to read lengthy emails, so short and informative content allows them to quickly understand the value proposition of your brand or offerings.

Improve deliverability: Email providers often prioritize emails with short and concise content, as they are more likely to be read and engaged with by recipients.

When creating content for your B2B email drip campaign, keep these tips in mind:

Use a clear and concise subject line: The subject line should be short and descriptive, conveying the main message of the email.

Get to the point quickly: Use the first sentence or two of your email to clearly state the purpose and value proposition of your brand or offerings.

Use bullet points and subheadings: These help to break up the content and make it easier to read and understand.

Focus on benefits, not features: Instead of focusing on the features of your products or services, focus on the benefits they provide to your audience.

Include CTAs

Including CTAs (Calls to Action) in your B2B email drip campaigns is essential for encouraging your audience to take action and move further down the sales funnel. A well-crafted CTA can help to drive conversions, whether it’s to download a resource, schedule a demo, or make a purchase.

Here are some tips for including CTAs in your B2B email drip campaign:

Make it clear and concise: Use language that clearly communicates the action you want your audience to take, such as “Download now” or “Schedule a call.”

Use contrasting colors and formatting: Make your CTA stand out by using a contrasting color or bold font. Consider using buttons instead of text links.

Include it in multiple places: Don’t limit your CTA to just the bottom of the email – include it in multiple places throughout the email, such as in the header or body.

Test and optimize: Test different CTAs and monitor their performance to determine which ones are most effective. Continuously optimize your CTAs to improve their performance over time.

Decide when to send the emails

Determining the ideal timing for sending emails in your B2B email drip campaign is a critical factor that can affect the success of your campaign. To decide on the best timing, it’s essential to take into account various factors such as the time zone, industry, and work schedule of your target audience.

Generally, it’s recommended to send B2B emails during weekdays and working hours, as this is when your audience is most likely to be at their desk and able to engage with your content. However, it’s important to test different send times and monitor engagement metrics to determine what works best for your specific audience.

Track open rates, click-through rates, and click-to-open rates

Tracking open rates, click-through rates, and click-to-open rates is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of your B2B email drip campaign. Open rates indicate how many recipients opened your email, while click-through rates show how many clicked on a link within your email. 

Click-to-open rates measure the percentage of people who clicked on a link after opening the email. By monitoring these metrics, you can identify which emails and CTAs are most effective, and adjust your strategy accordingly. It’s important to continuously track and analyze your metrics throughout your campaign to optimize your approach and increase engagement with your audience.

Get feedback and iterate

Getting feedback and iterating your B2B email drip campaign is critical to improving its effectiveness over time. After your campaign has ended, reach out to your audience to gather their feedback and insights. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make changes to your campaign accordingly. 

Analyze your campaign metrics and identify any patterns or trends that can inform your strategy for future campaigns. Continuously testing and iterating your campaign can help you to optimize your approach and improve engagement with your audience. By taking a data-driven approach and incorporating feedback, you can create more effective B2B email drip campaigns that drive conversions and build stronger customer relationships.