Definition

A drip campaign is a set of emails sent automatically on a fixed timer after a trigger. Day one, day three, day seven: the schedule is decided in advance and runs the same way for everyone who enters it.

The term is older than nurture sequence and the two overlap a lot. The difference most people draw is that a drip is driven by time alone, while a nurture sequence may change based on what the person does, such as skipping ahead when they book a call. A drip campaign is not a newsletter, since each person starts at the beginning on their own date, and it is not a one-off broadcast.

A B2B example: a company offering a free trial of its invoicing tool sends a drip of four emails over ten days. Each one shows a feature in the order new users usually need it, regardless of whether the person has opened the earlier ones.

Why it matters for B2B email

Drips are the simplest automation a B2B team can set up, which makes them a good first step. They guarantee that every new trial, lead or signup hears the same core story without anyone remembering to send it. The limit is that they ignore behavior, so they work best for short, predictable journeys.

Go deeper: Newsletter vs. nurture sequence vs. lifecycle email.

Related terms

Nurture sequence A nurture sequence is a planned series of emails that moves one group of people toward one specific next step.
Lifecycle email A lifecycle email is an email sent because of where a person is in their relationship with your company.
Welcome sequence A welcome sequence is the short series of emails a person gets right after they join your list.

Part of the B2B email marketing glossary. Last updated 2026-10-08.