When someone registers, finishes a course, RSVPs to an event, or buys their first subscription, there's a short window when a well-timed email can make all the difference, such as a welcome, a next step, or a nudge towards the parts of your community they'd actually enjoy.
The trouble is that these moments happen constantly, at all hours, for every member on their own timeline. Following up on each one by hand doesn't scale, so most of them go unanswered.
Email Drip Campaigns solve that problem.
They're automated email sequences that trigger off what a member does, then reach out at the right moments on their own, without you lifting a finger.
What is a drip campaign?
A drip campaign is a series of emails sent automatically over time, triggered by a member's action. Instead of one-off bulk mailouts, each member moves through the sequence on their own schedule, receiving each email at an interval you set.
Say someone registers. You might send:
Right away, a warm welcome and a pointer to your getting-started guide
Two days later, an introduction to your busiest areas and how to follow them
One week later, a nudge to introduce themselves and earn their first badge
Every member gets the same thoughtful onboarding, whether they joined at 9am on a Monday or 3am on a Saturday.
Triggered by what members actually do
Campaigns begin when a member takes an action you choose, powered by the same robust and flexible system behind Achievements.
There are many triggers, for example, you can start a campaign when someone:
Registers and completes their profile
RSVPs to an event
Completes a course
Purchases a subscription
Joins a club
Checks into your event
...and plenty more
Reach exactly the right people
Not every email suits every member. Each campaign includes member filters, so you can target properly by group, join date, activity, purchases, subscriptions, and more.
We've also rebuilt the filter interface to make putting an audience together simpler and cleaner than before.
Want to sanity-check your targeting? A built-in Check Member tool tells you straight away whether a specific member matches your campaign criteria.
Know what's working
Every campaign comes with its own statistics, showing how many members have started, how many are in progress, and how many have finished the sequence.
Each email also carries its own unsubscribe link. So if members drop off, you can see exactly which email prompted them to leave.
Given how complicated email deliverability can be, there is also a tool you can use to check specific members to ensure they are included in the reach parameters and have allowed automated emails.
Chain campaigns together
Campaigns don't have to stand alone. When a member finishes one, that completion can trigger the next, allowing you to build tailored follow-ups for different types of members.
Onboard everyone with a welcome series, then route your subscribers, club members, and course students down their own paths from there.
Ideas to get you started
There are hundreds of ways to put drip campaigns to work, and the best ones usually come from knowing your own community. To get you started, here are a few we think are worth a look.
Welcome series, helping new members find their feet in their first week.
Onboarding guides to walk members through your community's features over several days.
Re-engagement, winning back members who have gone quiet.
Event follow-up, keeping the conversation going after someone checks in.
Course completion, congratulating learners and pointing them to their next step.
Getting started
Email Drip Campaigns are available now on selected Invision Community Cloud packages.
We'd love to hear how you plan to use drip campaigns in your own community. Let us know in the comments.
Available on selected Invision Community Cloud packages.
