Eager to bring your subscriber list back to life? Here are 6 examples of reengagement emails

“Quality over quantity”.

 “More doesn’t mean better”.

Folk wisdom that’s applicable to every business, and more specifically, to every subscriber list.

Because there’s no point in having an endless list of subscribers if most of them don’t even engage or open your emails.

What should you do then? Delete all inactive users from the list?

Well, not without a final battle for their “affection”.

If they subscribed, they must have been interested in your brand at some point, so we’re going to try to reconnect to get them to:

• Generate a renewed bond.
• Interact with our content.
• Buy from us again (if they’re old customers).
• Become customers (if they’re still subscribers and nothing else).

Ready to re-hook those subscribers?

Then stay tuned because today we’re going to give you 6 examples of reengagement emails to revive any of your subscribers, no matter how inactive they’ve been.

Let’s bring that list back to life. 😉

👉 What reengagement is – and why it matters

Before you even start writing, you’ll need to know what reengagement is all about, right?

First things first – here’s a definition of “engagement”:

By “engagement”, we’re referring to the bond between our brand and our community. It’s usually measured by the interaction triggered by the content we publish.

In other words, more engagement means:

• More visibility (as our content will be shared more frequently).
• Better user experience.
• More user loyalty (and brand loyalty as well).

And all that adds up to nothing other than… more sales!

✅ 1. What do we mean by “reengagement”, then?

Well, as the name suggests, reengagement focuses on regaining the commitment of inactive users who are no longer interacting with out content.

It’s somewhat similar to friendships.

Say you have a friend who you haven’t spoken to in a while. If you don’t do anything about it, you’ll most likely lose their friendship. However, if you text them asking how they’ve been, you may be able to give the relationship a fresh start.

Reengagement is the same, but applied to the field of digital marketing.

It’s about trying to recover potential or old customers by reminding them we’re still there for them.

✅ 2. But why is this so important?

Let’s go back to the previous analogy.

 “Reviving” a friendship with an old friend takes less effort than making new ones, as this entails going out, talking to strangers, and getting to know someone new.

Well, it’s the same with clients. Getting former customers to buy from you again takes less effort than finding new ones.

That’s why it’s so important to put some attention on engagement. The more interaction you have with your customers, the more present you’ll be in their lives overall, and the more they’ll buy from you.

👉 Reengagement emails: the what, the who, and the when

So far, we’ve spoken about reengagement in its broader sense, but now we’re going to shift our attention to reengagement emails, which are:

The emails we send to reach out to inactive users in our database.

When is it best to send these emails?

That’s a good question.

And the answer depends on how often you publish new content. As a general rule, activation or reengagement emails are typically sent after 30 or 60 days of inactivity.

This also serves to answer the next question: who should we send these emails to?

To inactive users, as you may have guessed. But in order to know who they are, you should segment them and create a list that takes into account:

• How long they’ve been inactive: As we said earlier, 30-60 days without opening your emails (or without clicking when they read them) is a good reference.
• Previous customers, regardless of inactivity: If this is the case, the activation email could vary. One idea is to send them a reminder of the products they bought and suggest related products they might like.

So what’s next?

Getting on with those emails, but here’s a post on how to write to sell (copywriting, that is) and two tutorials on how to write a welcome email and an abandoned cart email.

👉 6 examples of reengagement emails + an extra tip

Email marketing is an excellent way to strengthen the bond with your community and recover inactive users.

These emails are your last chance to reconnect with an inactive subscriber and show them everything you’ve got. That’s why we’ve brought you some tips and ideas that will help you create the very best reengagement emails.

Let’s have a look!

✅ 1. Offer a tempting discount

Discounts are one of the most widely used strategies to recover inactive users. Honestly, who doesn’t like a bargain?

The following example comes from a fitness brand, but the point is clear and the idea can easily be applied to any e‑commerce.

The first thing you see after opening the email is a free workout session. That’s enough to get your attention, isn’t it?

Right below, they say: “We haven’t seen you in a while”. They want you back, so they give you a 3‑day pass.

Discounts can work for you the same way.

Here’s an interesting and related tip.

In general, percentage discounts usually don’t work as well as “€5 off for every €50 spent” type promotions. In this case, it’s the same as applying a 10% discount, but the message is much more effectively when we’re being told exactly how much we’re saving.

Our brains just like the simplicity and easy math.

However, this also depends on the cost of your products, among other factors. The best way to know what works and what doesn’t is – as always – to run tests and measure the results.

✅ 2. Let them know their membership’s about to end and remind them of all the advantages they could potentially lose

We most want something when we’re told we’re about to lose it.

Let your inactive subscribers know you’re going to take them off your list, but make sure they understand what they’ll missing out on. It’s a subtle way of asking, “Do you really want to miss these opportunities?”

Check out what they say at Framebridge to their inactive users:

 “Is this the end? We’re taking the hint: you aren’t interested in easy, affordable custom framing. That’s okay”.

They tell you their value proposition (that which only they can offer); then, they warn you that they’re going to take you off their list and that you need to take action to continue as an active subscriber.

Something to think about, right?

It’s also a good way to make sure your list only contains genuinely interested users.

✅ 3. Mind the subject line: make it snappy and gripping

This is quite possibly the most challenging part since you’re trying to grab the attention of users already in the habit of ignoring your emails.

So you’ll need to work on the subject line.

Go for brief messages capable of connecting emotionally with users. The old, “We miss you” and “we want you back” still work nowadays.

For example, Duolingo urges you to open their emails with a simple “You made Duo sad”.

When we open it, we find a devastated Duo (their cute pet owl) because of how long it’s been since you last logged in to learn languages. How can you resist going back in?

✅ 4. Ask if there’s something you can improve

This kind of email is good both for breaking the ice and better understanding your users.

At the same time, you’re showing that you care and want to offer them quality content to the best of your potential. That is, you’re humanizing your brand.

Surveys are always a good way, but you can also ask them directly and encourage them to share their thoughts.

At Blind Barber they’ve found a fun way by asking, “Was it something we said?”

And they go on to ask if there’s anything they can do better and what kind of content you’d like to see in future emails. Finally, they insert a call to action asking you to come back.

✅ 5. Make your emails more personal to reach your users more effectively

We said above that you need to segment your list.

This allows you to offer users more personalized content. Remember, the more personal, the more impact it’ll have on your customers – and the better results you’ll get.

It’s easier with old customers because you already know their interests well.

Birchbox uses information about the “beauty profile” users once filled out according to their interests. In doing so, they “lure” subscribers into packs and custom products with an added wow factor.

✅ 6. Remind them what they’re missing out on and recover sales

Above we saw how to show subscribers what they’ll miss out on if their membership expires. In this case, we’re focusing more specifically on abandoned carts,

At Sugerbearhair, they’ve found a nice way to remind you that you’ve left a product in your cart.

If on top of reminding users to carry on shopping, you can make them smile, odds are they’ll end up buying from you.

✅ Extra tip: work on your CTAs

Did you notice the pattern?

All the previous sample emails had a big CTA (call to action) at the end. “Complete checkout”, “Come back”, “Keep me on the list”, etc.

It’s important for the CTA to be:

• Easy to spot.
• Easy to understand.
• Aimed at a specific action – and the best way to do this is to include a verb in the imperative or in the first person from your user’s point of view (i.e., “I want to…”).

Here’s all there is to know about CTAs and how to optimize them to increase your sales.

👉 Recover your users and bring back that “spark”

You’re all set! Now you have everything you need to turn those drifting subscribers into brand ambassadors.

You just need roll up your sleeves to start composing your reengagement emails putting into practice all the inspiring tips and examples we’ve given you.

Don’t forget to try different models, run A/B tests, and stick to the ones that give you the best results.

Breathe some new life into the relationships with your subscribers and gain some customers along the way! 😉