You have spent a lot of time, effort, and money to attract customers. However, with some of them, over time, the connection was lost. They stop using the service, do not click on links from your emails, or do not open them at all. You can consider this as an inevitable situation in working with clients by e-mail. On the other hand, you can try to return them. Especially since this is a very valuable audience – they already have an idea about you; have already used your services. Re-engagement is not a new technique. It is actively used by many projects from job search sites to online games.

Sometimes clients go to sleep mode and it is hard to understand why. If the client did not unsubscribe, then you are still interesting to him, but in your letters, something is missing, some small details. It is possible that the client is waiting for him to be offered something worthwhile and important or he is just too lazy to unsubscribe 🙂 Our task is for you to get a second chance with your customers. To do this, it is important to set up the correct re-engagement letters that will return the client to your emails.

4 main reasons subscribers disengage from your emails

Before we look at how you can craft the perfect re-engagement campaign, it’s important to understand the reasons behind subscriber disengagement.

1. Change of email address.

One reason your engagement rates may drop is due to some subscribers changing their email address. This could be a result of anything from moving on to a new job or closing the domain associated with their email address.

2. Failure to use data to capture their attention.

The digital age has empowered marketers with a superpower: data. With this superpower, marketers are able to speak to their subscribers on a more personal level. And your customers expect this personalization in the emails you send them.

Failure to do so may quickly disengage your audience.

3. Emails provide little or no value.

When your subscribers signed up to your list, they did so with one expectation: receiving valuable content. Once you stop providing your subscribers with the value they expect, your engagement rates may decrease.

That’s why you’ll want to invest time and money in creating content that resonates with your audience.

4. Sending too many emails.

The average person is said to receive 121 emails a day. That means your subscribers choose which emails they will open in their crowded inbox. In order to make yours one of them, keep them engaged by not sending emails too frequently.

By treating your emails like a good TV series, your subscribers will eagerly await the next installment of your email series.

Sending too often, on the other hand, may lead to your emails quickly losing their novelty. And that is a great recipe for disengagement.

Having seen the most common reasons for subscriber disengagement, let’s look at how you can re-engage your subscribers by crafting irresistible re-engagement emails. After all, the success of your email marketing is dependent on an engaged audience.

1. Take personalization to another level.

Re-engagement emails are easier to personalize than your other emails. This is because you have a ton of data to work with.

The first step is to use your subscriber’s first name in the subject line. That should definitely pique their interest and lead to an open. But an open is only half the battle won as far as re-engaging your dormant subscriber is concerned.

The next step is to use their purchase history or behavior in the body of the email. This will show that you care about them as an individual and not just an email address you can exploit. People need to know that they mean something, and that’s what email personalization allows you to do.

2. Craft captivating email copy.

Business emails don’t have to be boring. And that’s especially true for re-engagement emails.

When creating the copy of your email, make sure to keep it as interesting and captivating as possible. One great way to do that is to inject a bit of personality into your emails. Another great way is to make the email about your customer, not your product. Everyone loves being the center of attention, even in emails.

Another route to take is that of storytelling. Instead of blatantly calling your customer out for not engaging with your previous emails, use a story to draw them into your email and re-ignite their interest in your brand.

One thing to remember when crafting copy for your re-engagement emails is to keep it short and sweet. When re-engaging your subscribers, brevity is always best. Your email copy should be short enough to scan and get the gist of it all easily.

3. Ask why they have disengaged.

One of the greatest elements of re-engagement emails is “the ask.” Ask your dormant subscribers for the reason they have stopped opening your emails. Not only should you ask for the cause of their disengagement, but also offer to work it out to the best of your ability.

Understanding why one subscriber has stopped engaging with your emails can help you can tweak your email marketing strategy to prevent other subscribers from disengaging.

4. Reiterate the benefits of being on your list.

Sometimes subscribers stop opening your emails because they forget what’s in it for them. The cause for this is usually when you send too many promotional emails and less value-based ones.

Remind your subscriber, in as few words as possible, what they will benefit from opening your emails and engaging with your brand. Remember, the average office worker gets an average of 121 emails, they don’t have the time to look for what your email has to offer.

If there’s one thing that moves people to action, it’s the fear of missing something. Let your subscriber know what they are missing out by not engaging with your emails, and you’ll be closer to winning them back.

5. Give them an offer they can’t refuse.

If an irresistible offer got your subscriber to sign up, then an offer they can’t refuse will definitely pique their interest.

In order to captivate your reader, make sure:

• The offer is relevant
• You highlight the offer in the subject line
• Your offer is exclusive to them

Let your subscriber know you miss them and you’re extending a “peace offering” to bring them back on board. This will show the customer you value them and you are willing to lose out in order to win them back.

Most of them won’t be able to resist your offer and start engaging with your emails again. That’s if you let them know that there will be many more offers in future emails.

A point to note is that, in the long run, it’s not the offer that will keep your subscriber engaged forever. You’ll have to meet their content needs for them to be fully engaged.

6. Have a crystal clear call-to-action.

Speaking of offers, it’s important that your subscriber know exactly how to engage with your email. This means crafting a call-to-action button that is prominent. Not only should the button (or link) be prominent, but the text itself should be so clear and concise.

This will eliminate any chances of confusion and increases the probability of more subscribers engaging with your email.

7. Let them know the risk of being removed.

The offer, great an idea as it may be, may not work for all your disengaged subscribers. That’s why your email must also alert your subscriber that failure to take action will result in them being removed from your list. Put properly, and this may entice your subscriber to re-engage with your emails.

8. Include a relevant and captivating image.

When it comes to re-engagement emails, a powerful image can make the difference between a dormant subscriber returning or completely unsubscribing.

Images, used properly, can tug at the emotions and influence your subscribers to respond to your email. Take the email below for example.