Drip email campaigns are automated sequences designed to nurture leads and encourage them to take action—such as booking an appointment. One common campaign is the "New Lead" sequence, which follows up with leads who have claimed an offer but haven't scheduled an appointment yet.
How Start and Stop Triggers Work
1. Start Trigger
- A scheduled process (cron job) runs every 10 minutes to check for leads that match the campaign conditions (e.g., leads who have claimed an offer but have not booked an appointment).
- When a lead qualifies, they receive the first email within 10-20 minutes.
- At that moment, all future follow-up emails are also scheduled.
2. Follow-Up Email Sequence Example
The campaign typically follows this schedule:
- Day 0 (Immediate) – Subject: Thank You for Claiming! Schedule Your Appointment Today
- Sent as soon as the lead enters the campaign.
- Day 3 – Subject: Reminder – Don’t Miss Out on Your Offer!
- A gentle reminder to book an appointment.
- Day 6 – Subject: Still Interested? Secure Your Spot Now
- A follow-up to re-engage the lead.
- Day 10 – Subject: Limited Time – Your Offer Won’t Last Forever!
- Creates urgency.
- Day 14 – Subject: Last Chance! Book Now Before It’s Gone
- The final attempt to convert the lead.
3. Stop Trigger (Prevention of Unnecessary Emails)
Why Use "Number of Bookings > 0" Instead of "Booking in Future = YES"?
Currently, the system may continue sending emails even after a lead has booked an appointment if they don’t have a future booking at the exact moment the system checks for follow-ups.
Example Scenario:
- A lead enters the campaign and gets the first email.
- They book an appointment 1 day later for tomorrow.
- They visit and complete the appointment 2 days after receiving the first email.
- On Day 3, when the system checks for the stop condition:
- "Booking in Future = YES" → ❌ Not met (since the appointment is already completed).
- "Number of Bookings > 0" → ✅ Met (since they have already booked once).
Result:
- If using "Booking in Future = YES", the Day 3 email will still be sent, which may be unnecessary.
- If using "Number of Bookings > 0", the email sequence stops once the lead has booked at least once, preventing redundant reminders.
Key Takeaways
- The system schedules emails upfront but checks the stop trigger right before sending each follow-up.
- Using "Number of Bookings > 0" ensures leads are removed from the campaign once they’ve booked, preventing unnecessary emails.