Re-engagement Campaigns
Bring quiet contacts and past customers back with a short email campaign, and stop emailing the people who don't respond so your list stays healthy.
Re-engagement campaigns reach out to contacts who have gone quiet, along with past customers who haven't bought in a while. The goal is to bring back the people who are still interested and clear out the ones who aren't, so the rest of your email program reaches people who actually want it.
It starts with deciding what "unengaged" and "lapsed customer" mean for your business, like no opens or clicks in six months. Unengaged contacts get a short series of two or three emails: a friendly check-in, your best offer or resource, and a last chance to stay subscribed. Past customers get a win-back version with a reason to come back.
Anyone who doesn't respond is removed from your marketing emails. That protects your deliverability and, on many email platforms, lowers what you pay. Both campaigns are added to your campaign map so nobody ends up in a re-engagement email and a nurture at the same time.
Signs you need this
- A big part of your list hasn't opened an email in months
- Open rates keep dropping
- Past customers never hear from you after their last purchase
- You're paying for contacts who never engage
- You have a new offer worth reintroducing to people who went quiet
End results
- Clear definitions of unengaged contacts and lapsed customers for your business
- A two or three email re-engagement sequence, with a clear rule for removing people who don't respond
- A win-back version for past customers
- Both campaigns added to your campaign map with no overlap
- Monthly reporting on how many contacts re-engage and how many are removed from marketing emails
Common questions
When does a contact count as unengaged?
It depends on how often you send, but no opens or clicks in about six months is a common starting point. If you only email quarterly, you might give people a little longer.
What should a re-engagement email say?
Keep it short and honest. Check in, remind them what they signed up for, offer something useful and give them an easy way to stay or go.
What happens to people who don't respond?
They stop getting marketing emails. You keep the contact record, but they're left off future sends unless they re-engage on their own.
Won't removing people shrink my list?
Yes, and that's a good thing. A smaller list of people who open and click helps your emails reach the inbox and gives you more accurate reporting.
How is a win-back campaign different?
A win-back campaign is for past customers rather than prospects. It focuses on what's new, what's changed since they last bought or a reason to come back, instead of reminding them why they subscribed.
