The Science And Art Of Customer Win-Back Email

Blue Waves Dave
5 min readOct 21, 2021

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Looking for tips on how to craft the perfect customer win-back email? You’re in the right place!

Some people start to lose faith in their email marketing efforts if they are not getting results. But there’s a chance that customers are not completely lost. With a change in the approach l, you can get good results.

There’s a way to reach out to once-loyal fans and sell your stuff. You just have to use customer win-back emails.

Let’s talk about what makes a perfect win-back email. We’ll discuss headlines, copy, and other details.

Let’s get into it.

What Exactly Is A Customer Win-Back Email?

Have you ever subscribed to an email and then became inactive after a while? Well, we’ve all been there. But what do the good marketers do? They get back to you with win-back emails.

You see, time is very important here. People who have been inactive for a while can be lost quickly. Some people will tell you to wait for six months once you start your strategy. But if you start implementing it quickly, it may or may not bring results faster. It depends on the industry you are in. For example, Gourmet food customers might be approached earlier than the garden tool buyers.

What Makes A Good Win-Back Email?

How long did it take you to build your email list? 6 months? A year? Or several years? The point is that it requires a lot of time and effort. So to get the best return on your time and effort, adopt a good win-back email strategy. That way, you will wake up the subscribers who have gone quite.

It’s not the end of the road. Make sure that you have a solid win-back email strategy that includes these components:

  • Reach out and remind subscribers that you exist.
  • Write a title that’s irresistible.
  • Each line of copy should have a purpose.
  • It would be great if it has a discount or coupon. That will incentivize them to buy.
  • Survey emails can help you find out where you went wrong.
  • And finally, goodbye emails.

Now, let’s talk about some of the types of win-back emails you can send.

The Survey Email

“Hey, what’s going on?” Sometimes, you just have to write something like that. 2-page sales letters might not work. Just a few lines that ask a few questions are enough.

This email can be a form that asks them about your business. Also, it should get them to re-engage. These emails can save you from getting unsubscriptions.

Have data that tells why customers are unsubscribing. It will help you make business decisions about how to handle it.

This email by SeeSo is a good example.

Here is a little breakdown of that email:

  • It kept the humorous personality of the brand.
  • The message is short and sweet.
  • The call to action is clear.
  • The visuals are on-brand and support the message of the text.

The Reminder Email

Did you notice that your favorite YouTubers reminds you to subscribe to their channel multiple times in a video? Well, they know that people forget about stuff even during a single video. This has a lot of to with how busy we are and how short our attention spans are. That’s why they get their viewers back on board.

The same goes for emails. New things come up. People get to new stuff and start following new trends. But it’s nothing personal. They are just busy. But as a smart marketer, it’s your job to get them back on board.

Automation can help you with that. Target these customers using automation after 3–6 months of inactivity.

Sometimes, telling them you are still here is enough. And other times, offering a discount may help.

Take a look at this email by the language app, Busuu:

Here’s a little breakdown of this email:

  • Clearly, they are offering discounts to win the customer back.
  • There’s also the factor of fear of missing out.
  • The visual chosen reinforces that message well.

The End Of The Line

Sometimes, you’ll face a situation where above emails are not enough. You have tried everything but nothing is getting the results. It maybe the time to move on.

However, this final email can gain some benefits as well. For example, you can write an email that sincerely wishes the customer well, and then offers them another option. For example, they can subscribe to a list with less frequent emails. If the high frequency of emails was an issue, sending this email might be worth a shot.

If they still don’t respond back after this email, cull them from your list. These types of subscribers have a few disadvantages, for example:

  • Emails getting to spam folder.
  • The service provider blocks the email completely.
  • Your sender reputation ranking might be damaged.

For more on factors that affect your deliverability and how to navigate them, read this guide: Spam Marketing And Five Ways to Avoid It!

Wrap Up

There you have it: The science and art of the customer win-back email. I’ve talked about the components of a smart win-back strategy. I’ve also discussed a few types of emails to send, and when to walk away.

It’s up to you now: Apply these lessons. And let me know if you have any questions about this strategy in the comments below!

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