What Is a Drip Campaign?
A drip campaign is a series of pre-written messages — usually emails — sent automatically on a schedule or triggered by a user's actions. Drips keep leads engaged over time with minimal manual effort, commonly used for onboarding, nurturing and re-engagement.
Key takeaways
- A drip sends a pre-set sequence of messages on a schedule or trigger.
- It's a common form of automated lead nurturing.
- Trigger-based drips (by behavior) outperform purely time-based ones.
Time-based vs triggered drips
A time-based drip sends messages on a fixed schedule (day 1, day 3, day 7). A triggered drip responds to behavior (downloaded a guide, abandoned a cart). Triggered drips are more relevant because they react to what the lead actually does.
Common uses
- Onboarding new signups
- Nurturing not-yet-ready leads
- Re-engaging dormant contacts
Frequently asked questions
What is a drip campaign?
An automated series of pre-written messages sent on a schedule or triggered by user actions, used to engage leads over time.
What's the difference between a drip campaign and lead nurturing?
A drip is a specific automated message sequence; nurturing is the broader strategy of moving leads to readiness, often using behavior-triggered drips.
How long should a drip campaign be?
Long enough to achieve its goal without fatiguing the recipient — onboarding drips are short and focused, nurturing drips can run longer with spaced, relevant touches.
Related service: Build drip campaigns in HubSpot