Orange County Advertiser welcomes Guest Blogger Michele Butler. She is the Owner of All About You Marketing, a company that specializes in marketing and promotional items for the real estate industry

You’ve likely heard (or used) the term “drip marketing,” but do you know the rationale behind employing it as a marketing campaign strategy? Taking a deeper look into its meaning may not only give you a better understanding of why drip marketing is effective, but also how it can help you successfully market your business.

The phrase “drip marketing” comes from drip irrigation, which is a gardening method that saves resources (water and fertilizer) by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants through a network of valves and pipes. Similarly, drip marketing is a tactic in which an advertiser slowly markets him or herself to prospective clients over a period of time, ultimately cultivating a relationship without “flooding” the prospect with what may be perceived as an overload of useless information.

Below are some interesting statistics which form the theory behind drip marketing:

• It is believed that 3 to 30 repetitions are required for any message to take hold in the human consciousness, and 6 – 7 contacts are required to turn a prospect into a customer.

• The “Law of 29” asserts that an average prospect won’t turn into a client until they’ve viewed a message 29 times.

• Multi-touch marketing suggests that you market to or “touch” your prospects at least 5 – 12 times a year in order to be successful in converting them to clients.

• An IBM study found that sending regular, personalized mailings to clients and prospects averages a 48% increase in repeat sales.

While these estimates vary in range, one thing is resoundingly clear: an advertiser is unlikely to be successful with just one try. Converting prospects to clients takes work, but it is far more attainable with drip marketing.

Here are some simple steps to get you started:

1. Forecast: Plan, plan, plan! Identify your target market, schedule, budget, etc… then go for it!

2. Follow Through: Be persistent, and also objective. Make sure to give the campaign adequate time to succeed. Between 7 and 12 months is probably a good trial period to judge a program’s success.

3. Flavor: Be consistent in your branding, but don’t be afraid to vary the look, feel, and information included in your materials.

4. Figure: Track and measure how well your campaign does, as this is the most powerful way to evaluate its effectiveness.

Michele Butler is the Owner of All About You Marketing, a company that specializes in marketing and promotional items for the real estate industry. For more information or to contact her, she can be reached at: 714-960-9878 ext. 2, Michele@AAYMarketing.com, www.AAYMarketing.com