How to plot a drip email campaign from scratch

Executive overview

Most marketers stall on drip campaigns not because they lack tools, but because they don't know what to put in them. The fix is to start by identifying the campaign type, then reverse-engineer from the outcome you want.

Build around three principles: set clear delivery expectations, use results-in-advance thinking, and give every email a narrative thread that pulls readers to the next one.

The campaign falls apart when you skip the "what type" question — everything else follows from it.

Campaign types and purpose

• Define the campaign type first: lead nurture, welcome, onboarding, abandoned cart, renewal, course, unsubscribe sequence
• Each type has a different goal — know what action you want the reader to take by the end
• Build credibility and trust throughout; education-based content beats pure sales messages

Results-in-advance planning

• Identify the ultimate outcome the reader wants (e.g. become a paying user)
• Reverse-engineer from that outcome: what steps must they take to get there?
• Map each email to one of those steps — move the reader forward with every send
• Set and honour delivery expectations upfront (seven-day course = seven days)

Spacing sends with the Fibonacci sequence

• Use the Fibonacci numbers (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8…) to space sends, especially early in a campaign
• Day 0: welcome or orientation email; Day 1: first content email
• Add a second Day 1 email a few hours later — a short, personal note asking if they received the first
• The reply-prompt email improves deliverability by triggering opens and responses

Story continuity and cliffhangers

• People respond to narrative: beginning, middle, end — not a string of disconnected broadcasts
• Give the campaign a clear arc that reflects the reader's journey
• End each email with a cliffhanger or explicit preview of the next one
• A reason to look forward to the next email is as important as the content of the current one