What is a drip campaign, and does a small service business need one?
A drip campaign is usually a short series of emails or texts sent on a schedule after someone does something, such as asking for a quote or booking a first job. A small service business rarely needs more than a few: a quote follow-up, a welcome for new customers and a seasonal reminder. Each should stop when the person replies or asks to stop, and texts go only with the person's consent.
In plain words
You write the messages once, choose what starts the series and how far apart the messages go, and the system sends them. A person can still step in at any point, and should as soon as the customer replies.
Three a service business might use
| Series | Starts when | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Quote follow-up | A quote goes out | A check-in after a few days, an answer to a common question, then a last note |
| New-customer welcome | A first job is booked | What to expect, who to contact, how to book next time |
| Seasonal reminder | A service is usually due again | A short reminder with one way to book |
When a drip campaign hurts
- It keeps sending after the customer replied, booked or said no. Every series needs a stop that a reply or a person can trigger; the related answer on what you can automate covers that trap.
- Too many messages, too close together.
- Messages that read as if no person wrote them, or that repeat the same offer.
- It goes to people who never asked to hear from you. Google's sender guidelines say not to send messages to people who did not sign up, and suggest periodically sending messages to confirm that recipients want to stay subscribed.
The email rules apply to every message
The Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says the law covers all commercial email, not only bulk email, so each commercial message in a series needs what the law asks of any marketing email, including a clear way to opt out. The related answer on email marketing lists the guide's main requirements.
Some messages in a series may be transactional, such as a confirmation of a job already booked; the guide says the law views those categories narrowly, and the related answer on adding customers to your email list explains the difference. Texts in a series need the person's consent; the related answer on text message marketing covers it. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Do you need one?
Often, a simple version is enough: a reminder to follow up and a few saved messages you send by hand can do much of the same work, and the related answer on following up with leads that go quiet covers the timing. Automate a series when the same message goes out the same way every time. Record the inquiries it brings with the source channel email, or campaign if the message carries a tagged link, and follow each to won, lost or still open.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, "CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business" (August 2023, edited January 2024)
- Google, "Email sender guidelines" (Gmail Help)
Related answers
- How should you follow up with a lead that goes quiet?
- How can I automate my lead generation process?
- Can you add customers to your email list without asking them first?
- Is text message marketing worth it for a service business, and what consent does it need?
- Is email marketing worth it for a small service business?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.