If your inbox is full of marketing fluff, you already know what you don’t want to send. This guide is for B2B marketers, founders, and growth folks who want to build a drip email campaign that actually converts—using Airship, not just any generic tool. We’ll cover real steps, what to skip, and how to keep things focused so you don’t waste time (or goodwill).
Why Drip Campaigns Matter in B2B (and Where They Go Wrong)
Drip campaigns: automated emails, sent on a schedule, usually to nurture leads. In B2B, they’re gold—when done right. But most drip campaigns fail because they:
- Talk at people, not to them.
- Send too many emails, too fast.
- Sound like they’re written by a robot or a committee.
Your job isn’t to show off all your features or bombard people. It’s to build trust and give real value, one email at a time.
Step 1: Get the Basics Right in Airship
Before you even log into Airship, know your goals.
- Who’s this for? (Be specific. “SaaS founders” is better than “businesspeople.”)
- What’s the one thing you want them to do by the end? (Book a call? Start a trial?)
- How will you measure success? (Opens are easy; replies or meetings booked matter more.)
Once you’re clear on that, set up your Airship account:
- Make sure you have permissions to send email campaigns.
- Set up proper DNS records for your sending domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). If you skip this, your emails are headed for spam.
- Import your contact list—clean it first. Remove anyone who hasn’t engaged in the past year.
Pro tip: Never buy a list. Ever. It’ll tank your sender reputation and get you blocked.
Step 2: Map Your Journey Before You Write a Word
A good drip campaign is a story, not a sales pitch.
- Sketch out 3-5 emails, max. Nobody wants a 12-part saga.
- Each email should have one purpose: teach, solve, or invite.
- Decide on timing. For B2B, 3-4 days apart is usually safe. Daily is too much, once a week is too slow.
Example flow:
- Welcome: Set expectations, offer something useful (not a demo pitch).
- Problem/Solution: Show you get their pain, hint at how you help.
- Value/Proof: Share a case study or testimonial.
- Call-to-Action: Clear next step (book a call, download something, etc.).
Don’t get cute with complicated branching logic unless you really need it. For 90% of B2B funnels, linear is fine.
Step 3: Build Out Your Campaign in Airship
Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds.
1. Create a New Automation
- In Airship, go to the “Automations” or “Journeys” section.
- Choose “Email” as your channel.
- Pick “Drip” or “Sequence” (naming may change, but you’re looking for scheduled emails sent based on triggers).
2. Set Your Trigger
- Most B2B drips start when someone fills out a form, downloads a resource, or gets added to a list.
- Choose the trigger that fits your flow. Don’t overthink it.
3. Add Your Emails
- Write your emails outside of Airship first. Google Docs works fine.
- Keep them short. Aim for 75-150 words.
- Paste them into Airship, and set the delays (e.g., “Send 2 days after previous”).
4. Use Personalization—But Don’t Fake It
- First name is fine. Company name if you have it.
- Don’t overdo merge tags or try to guess things you don’t know. It’s obvious.
5. Test Your Flow
- Send every email to yourself first.
- Check for broken links, weird formatting, and awkward sentences.
- Make sure the timing works—add test users and watch the flow.
Pro tip: Preview on mobile, too. Half your recipients will check there.
Step 4: Set Up Tracking That Actually Matters
Vanity metrics (opens, clicks) are easy, but don’t get stuck there. Here’s what to track:
- Replies (if you’re looking for conversations)
- Booked meetings or demos
- Sign-ups or trials
- Unsubscribes (a spike here means you’re annoying people)
In Airship, set up UTM tags for links so you can follow the trail in Google Analytics or your CRM.
Ignore: Open rates are unreliable. Thanks Apple Mail Privacy Protection.
Step 5: Keep It Simple—But Iterate
Launch it. Watch results for a week or two. Don’t tweak after the first day—give people time to go through the flow.
After you have some data:
- Drop emails that nobody opens or clicks.
- Rewrite anything that gets a lot of unsubscribes or angry replies.
- Test a different call to action if nobody bites.
Don’t try to optimize for perfect. Most improvements come from clarity, not cleverness.
What Works (and What to Skip)
Worth your time:
- One clear CTA per email.
- Useful resources (checklists, short guides, not 40-page eBooks).
- Real stories—short customer quotes beat vague claims.
- Plain subject lines. “Quick question about [specific thing]” > “Unlock Your Growth Potential!”
Waste of time:
- Fancy HTML templates—plain text gets more replies.
- Over-personalization. It’s obvious when you’re faking it.
- Hype and buzzwords.
- More than 5 emails in a sequence (unless you have evidence it works).
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Sending to the wrong list: Always double-check your segment before launching.
- Too much, too soon: Don’t email every day. Give people room to breathe.
- Not allowing easy opt-out: Make your unsubscribe link obvious. Don’t try to hide it.
- Forgetting compliance: If you’re in the EU or emailing EU citizens, follow GDPR.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Overthink It
The best drip campaigns are simple, honest, and respectful of people’s time. If you’re stuck, start with three emails, keep your message clear, and focus on what your reader actually cares about. Iterate as you go—nobody gets it perfect the first time.
Just remember: if you wouldn’t want to get your own drip campaign, don’t send it.