Did you have a chance to attend our recent webinar, “Tips and Tricks for Killer Drip Campaigns”? We received more questions than we had time to answer in the allotted time, so our presenters, Wyatt Berry, Recruiting and Compliance Strategist, and Brad Hackett, Director of Operations, VOE+, answered them below in this Q&A-style blog post.
If you couldn’t join the live webinar, don’t worry – you can watch it on-demand anytime!
Question: How can drip campaigns be used to address compliance and safety concerns?
Answer: For drip campaigns, you’re going to want to utilize messaging that is going to be consistent, so it can get a little bit intricate when it comes to compliance-related items, as (we’re sure you all know) compliance and regulations can change frequently. In DriverReach, we have functionality that lets you structure triggers and timing around compliance, but it really comes down to setting up criteria correctly —whether that be expiration dates or entry/exit criteria. Either way, you’ll probably want to incorporate something other than drip campaigns to handle this sensitive kind of messaging.
Question: Can drip campaigns be used to help navigate communicating with drivers speaking other languages
Answer: At DriverReach, we’ve seen some carriers translate their messages depending on their audience. It should be noted that if you’re a driver in the United States, there is an expectation of basic English literacy and understanding to operate a vehicle, and motor carriers are required to screen for that level of understanding. But, depending on the population you are targeting and the messaging you intend to use, it may be appropriate to translate your text or emails to increase understanding, convey inclusive recruiting, or simply express authenticity.
Question: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when creating a drip campaign?
Answer: You want to be thinking of the driver at the end of that message and all the other messages they’re getting. Standing out is hard, but personalizing those messages to that driver helps to stand out (name, location, etc.) and will look better to the driver than just saying something like, “we have a regional position available.” Making sure your messages are targeted and feel authentic should always be top of mind.
Question: I’m new to DriverReach. Are drip campaigns something the platform has as a feature?
Answer: Yes, it’s part of our premium tier. Our subscription model follows Basic (electronic), Advanced (go paperless), and then Premium is designed to help you automate processes. But if you are a Basic or Advanced tier, you can contact us to upgrade or access that functionality. Check it out now!
Question: What is the best practice for email subject lines for drip campaigns?
Answer: You want to get creative and not cliche. HIRING NOW or DRIVERS WANTED$$$$ isn’t going to cut it (or may appear as spam, which you definitely don’t want), so if you can break through the noise with personalization, emojis or friendly language, you’ll be able to figure out what your audience responds to.
Also, keep in mind what you’ll want the reader to do when they open your message. Have a CTA (call to action) in mind to help you craft a great subject line. A good way to do this is with a question, such as “when can we talk?” where the action you want to be taken is to reach out to schedule time.
Question: How can I integrate my drip campaigns into my other recruiting efforts like job fairs or online job postings?
Answer: We have the ability in DriverReach to use SMS as a way to get the conversation started, which is particularly great for job fairs. You may have already seen this tactic used in other industries like hospitality or fast food, where they display a message like “We’re hiring! Text HIRE to 555-555-555” on signage. This is a great example of using SMS as a way to integrate drip campaigns, as a text message can be used as a “kickoff” point. The driver texts, receives a link to apply, and then enters a stage (where your drip campaign is ready and waiting to automate the next steps in the conversation.)
Question: How can I measure the success of my drip campaigns? Are there benchmarks I should aim for?
Answer: Keep an eye on your reporting and double-check your lead sources. What’s working? What’s not working? Ensure you’re segmenting your reporting by lead kind, like re-engaged applicants, new leads, etc. Keep a wide eye on what you have running and what your goals are, and make adjustments over time.
If you’re new to drip campaigns and have been tracking things more manually, this is a great time to establish your current contact rate as a baseline. Once you begin utilizing drip campaigns, you’ll be better able to see your overall contact rate go up or down over time. From there, you can set reasonable goals and expectations for new campaigns.
Question: What are some considerations for segmenting my audience so I know I’m sending the right message to the right driver?
Answer: Stage automations is a good start, even if your current employment offerings or needs aren’t a match with some applicants. By making “buckets” of preferences to segment out what you know of an applicant, you can help shape up your targeting and prepare you to act immediately when things change. For example, “no current interest - hometime” and “no current interest- pay”, experience by years, preferred equipment, etc. By setting up these buckets ahead of time, you’ll be ready to send when, say, you can offer a position with better hometime or have a tempting signing bonus.
You can also segment users out by the stage of application they’re in, whether it be partial application, full application, hired, previously employed at your company, positions, locations, regions, or (as you see above) lost leads that weren’t the right fit at the right time. It all depends on what your overall recruiting goals are and what you know of your applicant populations. Yes, it’s more work upfront to set up these buckets, but it will help you drill down to better success for your hiring.
Question: Yahoo seems to send all our system emails to spam :(. Is there any way to combat that?
Answer: Make sure your domain is authenticated to ensure that your email sender is legit. Also, watch out for spammy language, phrases, or icons that are known to trigger spam filters.
Question: How can drip campaigns help create a more positive experience for my driver leads?
Answer: As a recruiter, either yourself or your team, you only have so much bandwidth. So, you want to make sure your tech is helping you get back time in your day to focus on those relationships with applicants and drivers. When you have a recruiting system down to a handful of tried-and-true points, you’re in a good position to try automation. Imagine where a drip campaign can handle the routine messages or touchpoints that were previously handled by recruiters and start building!
Any time you can give back to a recruiter is time they have to make a human connection with leads, applicants, and current drivers.
Looking for more tips for optimizing drip campaigns? Sign up to receive our new eBook, Drip Campaign Tips to Make Driver Recruiting Easier!
