Many dealerships have at one time or another, had automated email campaigns set up for generating sales. It makes sense with the "new consumer" dominating the industry. Attention spans are shrinking and the new generations are forcing dealerships to create a uniqueness to their brand, all in the hopes of keeping the dealership at the forefront of the mind of the consumer. But exactly what is an automated "drip" campaign? This type of marketing automation includes a series of content, sent usually through email, typically on a set schedule. This type of messaging can be prepared based on different criteria levels as well; position in the sales cycle, vehicle/model most interested in, geographical location, etc. The most complex part of this is knowing how to create effective drip campaigns so they don’t appear as a spam email. This can be done, most importantly, through the use of a CRM.

Why use a drip campaign? Very simple, retention. All dealerships want the consumer to read and/or click on the links sent, as well as to respond to these marketing emails. However, there are numerous advantages to implementing a drip campaign.

• A dealership can maintain the attention of the buyer. We all know sales cycles vary depending on the customer, but with continuous contact (not over-saturating) the dealership and its sales department stay front and center.
• There are not 25 hours in a workday, and marketing is time consuming. With a drip campaign the time is used wisely with intuitive and automated follow up. Which allows sales personnel more time to close more deals.
• An eventual increase in sales is the largest attraction. It's a simple equation; more contacts means a higher yield of engagement, a higher engagement yield leads to more sales closed. 

There are plenty of different scenario's in which a drip campaign would be useful for a dealership as well, all of which have the same end goal; to drive more sales into the showroom. Having said this, there are still two main reasons for an automated campaign; Top of Mind & Lease/Loan Maturities. Not every client will buy on the spot, and staying top of mind is key. Drip campaigns are perfect for those individuals who do extensive research and draw out the sales process, but who you don’t want to be forgotten. It also exposes people to your store’s brand over a scheduled timeframe, and helps to build an appreciation for the uniqueness of the dealership. The same could be said for Lease and/or Loan Maturity. It's nearly impossible to catch every loan or lease ahead of its expiration, but with scheduled drip emails an initial reminder can be set up, along with an array of other reminders, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Through the use of the dealership's CRM, drip campaigns allow the dealership to take one very important aspect OUT of the situation; human error. Whether you like it or not, sales personnel will miss opportunities and send poor emails. However, with a well designed and integrated automated drip campaign, it's nearly impossible to miss the mark.