Re-engagement Campaigns: Turning Inactive Subscribers Back Into Action

So you’ve got a great list and you’re very happy with your open rates approaching 40 per cent. Your readers are highly engaged: opening, responding and buying products as a direct result of your email campaigns.But what about the other 60% of your list? They’ve obviously signed-up because they have shown interest in your business and products, but they haven’t been active for 12 months. So what’s their story?

It’s time to introduce a re-engagement campaign, also known as a win-back program or a reactivation program.

Think of it as a gentle nudge to wake up an old friend. By making an effort to reconnect, your inactive subscribers will feel the love and hopefully re-engage with your communications.

Not only do you get to re-build the relationship with your inactive customers, you get to clean your list in the process. And a clean list means fewer spam traps and a better reputation for your domain name.  So you win on two fronts.

Don’t forget that converting inactive subscribers to active can take time. So don’t immediately delete those who fail to reply. Have a regular ongoing re-engagement program in place with several different approaches, including different subject lines and headings. Mix up the content and offer free trial and ‘save $$$’ offers.

Remember that re-engagement programs shouldn’t be employed as stand-alone campaigns. They should be on-going to help maintain a clean list and boost your campaign response levels.

And let’s face it, that’s the aim of the game when it comes to email marketing.

Good luck!