Remember the good old days when you’d periodically reach out to prospective customers in hopes of getting them on board? Or just wearing ’em down until they cried “Uncle!”?
Even if you don’t remember – or weren’t around for – those good old days, what I’m talking about here is today’s Drip Marketing or a Drip Campaign.
No, it’s not a form of water torture.
Actually, the term drip marketing stems from the process of “drip irrigation:” scheduled small watering of crops so as to yield positive end results. (In Texas, that’s akin to scheduled use of a “soaker hose.”)
Think before you drip.
Don’t turn on the faucet without fully answering these four vital questions:
1. What is the ultimate goal of this campaign?
Start with your desired end result and work backwards from there.
2. What exactly is your message?
We all have great ideas, but have you thoroughly written out what you want to say? Be disciplined here (see #1). Remember: no focused content messaging = no happy dance at the end.
3. How well do you know your audience?
I’m not talking about whether Joe Prospect (not his real name) likes ketchup on his fries or not. This is about segmenting your messages to be 100% relevant to the folks receiving them. Pitching down parkas to people in Florida? Day-glo flip-flops to women in Alaska? C’mon, you know this stuff – apply it to your own efforts.
4. Do you have a tight, well-thought out design and layout?
Hey…we’re an advertising agency! I wouldn’t be worth my weight in business cards if I didn’t bring this up. Seriously, is your piece pleasant to look at and easy to read? Is the subject line quickly communicated? Is the copy clever, interesting and unique? Have you clearly conveyed the call to action? Does the whole shebang accurately represent your brand?
If you can’t definitively answer everything in 1-4 above, you’re not ready to crank up your drip effort(s). Think it through long and hard before committing serious time and resources on a half-baked plan.
And if you need some help putting it all together in a cohesive, results-driven drip effort, we’re only a phone call away.
