What Is a Drip Campaign? (And How to Set One Up)
A drip campaign is a series of automated emails sent over time to nurture leads into customers. Here's how they work and when to use them.
2 min read · Updated 2026-04-15
Short answer
A drip campaign is a sequence of pre-written emails sent automatically on a schedule — for example, Day 1, Day 3, Day 7 after someone subscribes. They nurture leads, onboard new customers, or re-engage inactive contacts without any manual work.
How drip campaigns work
- Someone takes an action (subscribes, downloads a guide, signs up for a trial)
- They enter a sequence you built in advance
- Emails send automatically at the intervals you set
- They receive relevant content at the right time, moving them toward a purchase
Examples of drip campaigns
Welcome series (most common)
- Day 0: Welcome email, set expectations
- Day 2: Your best content or quick win
- Day 5: Social proof (customer story or testimonials)
- Day 7: Soft sell / invite to buy
Trial onboarding (SaaS)
- Day 1: How to get started
- Day 3: Key feature highlight
- Day 6: "Have you tried X?"
- Day 13: Upgrade prompt before trial ends
Post-purchase
- Immediately: Order confirmation
- Day 3: How to get the most out of your purchase
- Day 14: Ask for a review
- Day 30: Related product recommendation
Lead nurture
- Week 1: Problem-awareness content
- Week 2: Solution exploration
- Week 3: Why your solution
- Week 4: Offer / consultation invite
How to build a drip campaign
- Choose your trigger — signup form, product purchase, link click, tag applied
- Write the emails — keep each email focused on one topic/one CTA
- Set the timing — don't send too fast (feels spammy) or too slow (they forget you)
- Set up automation in your email tool
Tools that support drip campaigns:
- MailerLite (free plan supports automation)
- Mailchimp (automation on paid plans)
- Klaviyo (best for eCommerce drips)
- ConvertKit (great for creators and course sellers)
How long should a drip campaign be?
Depends on your sales cycle:
- Simple product: 5–7 emails over 2 weeks
- High-ticket service: 8–12 emails over 4–6 weeks
- SaaS trial: 6–10 emails over trial length