Drip campaigns are all the rage for a reason, as they are a great way to save time, boost revenue and connect with your audience in a new and effective way. However, we’ve all gotten that one email that makes us click “unsubscribe.” Sometimes, the messaging can be too much, and you can end up losing a lot of potential interest. If you are looking for the best way to balance your upcoming drip campaign messaging and avoid losing subscribers, follow these steps.

It’s all about structure

Structure and timing are essential to developing a successful drip campaign, as you want to give your audience space but also add a sense of urgency. For example, avoid sending emails too close together and consider a one- to two-week gap between emails. If you are communicating about a specific event or promotion, compress the timeline for a short-term promotion. It’s important to pause or release subscribers from the drip once they click your call to action or donate because you don’t want to continue pitching them after they’ve completed your ask.

The ratio

Your drip campaign should not only promote but also educate your users. The campaign should be about 80% education and 20% promotion to keep your audience engaged. When educating, provide immediate value and share any necessary information like blog posts, media stories, guides and more. When it is time to promote, keep it short and sweet and only introduce benefits, discounts and more once you’ve established a relationship with your user.

Follow the framework

DRIP stands for differentiate, reinforce, inform and persuade, and it is important to keep all of these in mind when developing your next campaign. You want to set your brand apart from the other campaigns a user could be receiving and reinforce why your information is worth taking the time to read. Remember, this could be your only time to educate your audience or even a potential donor, so be sure to include any necessary data to prove your point. Finally, end with a clear, direct call to action to see your drip campaign to the finish line.