Drip campaigns are the heart of email marketing. It follows a simple “if-then” logic. For example, if prospects subscribe to a newsletter, then, they get a welcome email.
It’s used to keep brands top-of-mind, provide value, and nurture prospects. Once set up, you rarely have to lift a finger. That’s where it gets tricky. Setting up drip campaigns can be complex.
A drip campaign flowchart simplifies the entire process. You create a visual representation of how an automated email sequence plays out. So, how do you make one?
The Basics of Drip Campaign Flowcharts
Flowcharts are a visual representation of steps from the start of a process until the end. Drip campaigns are simply a series of automated steps that start after triggers, like the following:
- Prospects subscribing to a newsletter
- Customers buying products from your store
- Leads downloading gated content in exchange for an email
- Site visitors inquiring about your services via chatbots
- Leads not replying to a cold email after x number of days
Think of the flowchart as the customer journey. It starts when they meet the criteria for a trigger, and leads go through the processes of your flowchart until they reach the end.
But before creating your flowcharts, here are the basic symbols you should know about:
Here’s what the symbols mean in the context of a drip campaign:
- Oval (Start/End): Start of drip campaign (signing up for a newsletter/unsubscribing)
- Rectangle (Process): Sending a welcome email
- Diamond (Decision): Did the user open the welcome email?
- Arrow (Flow): Connects each step and shows the path the user takes
- Parallelogram (Input/Output): User subscription preferences/analytics
Why Should You Make a Drip Campaign Flowchart?
Creating flowcharts gives you a template for drip campaigns, sales cadences, and email automation sequences. But the benefits don’t stop there, drip campaign flowcharts also provide:
Clarity and Organization
Flowcharts provide a visual overview of how campaigns are going to play out. You get to brainstorm with your team and understand each step of the customer journey from the initial trigger to the final steps.
Segmentation and Personalization
Let’s say you have two prospects, A and B. Prospect A clicked on a link on your cold email multiple times. Meanwhile, prospect B hasn’t even opened the email.
With a flowchart, you get to visualize what paths A and B take.
Prospect A could be added to another drip campaign that focuses on nurturing leads for cross-selling. Prospect B could be added to a re-engagement campaign.
Improved Collaboration Between Marketing and Sales
A shared visual framework is essential for cohesive sales operations between marketing and sales. Having a flowchart establishes clear roles for each step of the customer journey.
Flowcharts make reporting easier. Decision-makers can get faster feedback, teammates can see the flow and provide feedback, and entire departments can make adjustments in real time.
Better Data-Driven Decisions
Sales leaders and managers must have predefined key performance indicators (KPIs) for email marketing campaigns. Flowcharts can make use of these KPIs for lead scoring and goal setting.
Criteria include metrics like opens, clicks, or conversion rates. Each point in the drip campaign can be assigned a lead score. This helps sales teams focus on quality, sales-ready leads.
Scalability and Iteration
A well-structured flowchart serves as a template for all future drip campaigns. You can adapt it for different email campaigns, products, or lead segments.
Since flowcharts and data go hand-in-hand, you can use email marketing CRMs and leverage lead data to iterate on top-performing campaigns.
How to Create Drip Campaign Flowcharts
The easiest way to create drip campaign flowcharts is by using tools like Lucid Chart. We’ll be using it for our examples later on. In the meantime, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating holistic drip campaign flowcharts for all your email marketing needs:
Step1: Identify The Type of Email Campaign You Want to Run
Remember, flowcharts are a visual representation of a series of steps. Different email campaigns will have different processes, metrics, and goals. Identifying what type of email campaign you’re doing lets you plan out the logic behind the flowchart, streamlining the process.
Step 2: Outline Key Stages of Your Campaign
Break down your flowchart into key stages of the campaign you want to do. Different campaigns have different key stages. However, most campaigns include the following key stages:
- Awareness: Initial emails meant to introduce your brand, product, or service
- Engagement: Emails meant to bring value, educate prospects, or provide free tools
- Decisions: Emails optimized for CTAs that move the needle for the customer journey
Step 3: Determine Triggers, Actions, and Processes
The fundamentals of every flowchart consist of triggers, actions, and processes. Triggers are what start the drip campaign. Actions trigger steps within your campaign. Processes are what you do based on the actions of leads in your campaign. Here are some examples:
- Triggers: Newsletter subscriptions, buying products, inquiring via chatbots
- Actions: Prospect opens an email, clicks on a link, or replies
- Processes: Follow-up if no reply, remove leads from email lists, or add lead to campaign
Step 4: Map Out Content for Each Stage
Plan the copy for each email at each stage. Try A/B testing multiple email elements, like, subject lines, messages, and CTAs. Content should move prospects toward your goal.
Don’t forget to personalize, especially for cold emails. Personalization significantly improves open, reply, and conversion rates. Tools like Instantly can automate personalization at scale.
Step 5: Choose a Flowchart Tool and Start Building
There are several tools you can use for creating drip campaign flowcharts. In our examples below, we’ll be using Lucid Chart. It’s free, intuitive, and offers all the fundamental features needed for creating holistic drip campaign flowcharts.
Basic Cold Email Drip Campaign Flowchart Example
Drip campaigns for cold emails are straightforward. You send a cold email and if leads don’t reply, you send a follow-up after a couple of days. Here’s an example of what that looks like.
This cold email drip campaign flowchart says that after sending the first cold email, you should check if a lead replies. If there’s no reply and less than 3 follow-ups are sent, send a follow-up.
When the lead replies, check if it’s positive. Negative replies or opt-outs mean removing that lead from your email list. If the reply is positive, schedule a demo or discovery call.
But this cold drip sequence exists in a vacuum. The reality is there are several factors to consider. So, how can this be improved? You utilize lead data, lead engagement, and KPIs.
Advanced Cold Email Drip Campaign Flowchart
The best cold email campaigns are dynamic and data-driven. Leveraging cold email CRMs lets you use essential lead data and activity to find sales-qualified leads. You won’t just be creating a drip campaign flowchart for prospects, but also your sales team.
This cold email drip campaign flowchart accounts for lead engagement, multiple cold email variations, and A/B testing. It’s a more holistic approach to your typical cold drip campaign.
How Instantly Brings Cold Drip Campaign Flowchart to Life
Instantly.ai is a cold email tool that understands the logic behind winning campaigns. That’s why we integrated all the tools needed to bring any cold drip campaign flowchart to life.
Setting Up Automated Sequences and Email Variations
Log in to your Instantly dashboard. Go to the Campaigns tab and click on Sequences. On the left side, you’ll see “Steps.” You can add as many steps as you want.
These steps will include your initial cold email and follow-ups. You can also click on the “Add Variant” button on each step to A/B test elements of that email, such as subject lines, personalized first lines, and CTAs.
Adjust Options for Scheduling and A/B Testing
If you go to the Options tab, you can see settings for A/B testing optimizations, sending patterns, and deliverability features (auto-stop emails, provider matching, opt-out links).
Enabling A/B testing optimization lets Instantly find the best-performing email variations in a sequence. When found, Instantly will only send that email to the rest of your leads.
Leverage Salesflow to Find Hot Leads
Most cold email drip campaigns automate follow-ups if leads don’t reply. After 3 or 4 follow-ups with no reply, these leads are removed from the campaign.
But even without replying, leads can still be interested in your offer. With Instantly CRM, you can use Salesflow to find Hot Leads that fit your criteria.
For example, you can use Salesflow and set a condition if leads open an email more than 3 times in the last seven days. Any lead in your drip campaign that meets the criteria can be categorized as a “Hot Lead.” That signals sales reps to focus on these Hot Leads.
Key Takeaways
Drip campaign flowcharts create a roadmap for all email marketing efforts. They improve collaboration between sales and marketing, promote data-driven decision-making, and offer scalability for future drip campaigns.
If you need a tool that integrates drip campaign flowchart fundamentals into its core features, Instantly.ai is an absolute must-try! Get started today!
