Introducing the Re-engagement Email
A re-engagement email campaign is an important digital marketing strategy and one that our team here at SmartMail loves to execute!
Designed to reconnect with inactive, disengaged and formerly interested customers, it allows you to revive interest in your eCommerce platform. The well put together re-engagement email can effectively motivate customers who have stopped interacting with your brand to get back in touch, resume browsing or simply start engaging again.
The Role of a Re-Engagement Email Campaign
1. Reactivate
The main goal, in many ways, of a re-engagement email is to bring customers back to your brand and business after they have not been actively engaged after some time. These emails need to be personalized, relevant and targeted to reignite interest and effectively motivate re-engagement.
The goal is always completion of the required Call To Action (CTA). This could be anything from completing a purchase in an abandoned online cart to visiting the website, or even just re-subscribing to a monthly newsletter.
2. Rebuild
The second purpose of a re-engagement campaign is no less important but can be more difficult to measure: It’s the building of strong customer relationships. Re-engagement emails allow brands to continue nurturing their already existing customer relationships which can prove far more economical than trying to market to new customers.
Well-crafted emails can prove to customers that they are more than just “transactions” for your brand and can offer an opportunity for them to provide feedback, resolve any concerns or issues, or ask any questions that may have previously prevented them from re-engaging with your brand.
As you can see from the below re-engagement email example from Rockport, the email uses friendly but direct language and offers an exclusive discount to motivate re-engagement. It lets the customer know that “a lot has happened” recently and that there may be products of interest to them if they re-“start shopping now”.
The Benefits of Re-Engagement Email Campaigns
There are many benefits to rolling out a re-engagement email campaign, including:
1. Cost Effectiveness
Acquiring new customers is always more expensive than re-engaging repeat, past customers. The initial connection and appeal has been established, which allows for more effective (economically and engagement-wise) communication.
2. Increase ROI
Acquiring new customers is always more expensive than re-engaging repeat, past customers. The initial connection and aThe Return on Investment (ROI) for your customer acquisition is far higher with a re-engagement email campaign as your customer lifetime value increases. The more engaged they remain, the more value your customer offers your business.appeal has been established, which allows for more effective (economically and engagement-wise) communication.
3. More Sales
The crux of the matter is that more engaged customers lead to more sales and more revenue for your business. The greater the loyalty of your customer base, the more financial stability and sustainability your brand is going to enjoy.
4. Good Customer Service
Building strong, positive relationships with customers through a re-engagement campaign puts your company in a great market position. Good customer service is all about connecting and increasing trust, loyalty and interest.
5. Continuous Improvement
Re-engagement campaigns allow you to improve the way you interact and interest customers, incorporating feedback and drilling into the valuable insights offered by customers who were once interested but have since re-engaged.
Key Elements of a Successful Re-Engagement Email Campaign
1. Segmenting and Identifying Inactive Customers
Targeting emails to segmented groups of your customer base is critical for the successful re-engagement campaign.
Take the below example: This sort of email would only be effective to a demographic looking to lose weight in a sustainable, healthy, and effective way. Use criteria such as purchase history, website visits and email open rates to help segment your inactive customer audience.
2. Compelling Subject Lines and Personalization
Attention-grabbing subject lines and effective personalization will help tailor your email content to appeal to your chosen recipients.
The below example uses tailored information to great effect by pointing out personal potential savings for the particular disengaged customer receiving the email.
3. Reinforcing Value and Benefits
Remember your disengaged customer was once, by definition, engaged.
So highlight your original value proposition and the main benefits of your products or services to help reignite the interest that brought you to them in the first place. Friendly phrases like “let’s stay friends” (see below) only add to that reinforcement of value and brand.
4. Creating Engaging and Persuasive Content
The re-engagement email ultimately lives or dies as a result of its content. Make sure your copy is persuasive and the visual design engaging, showcasing your offering, new product or exclusive saving front and center. Social proof, such as testimonials, can also be very impactful here.
The below re-engagement email campaign example from Duolingo highlights how minimal, striking design can be hugely impactful in reigniting interest.
5. Call-to-Action and Clear Next Steps
Always outline the clear next step you want your re-engaged customer to take. A strong Call To Action ensures that customers know what you want them to do, are encouraged to act and can actually help to drive success in your re-engagement campaign.
The below email example very clearly encourages recipients to book their ticket as soon as possible. It’s clear, understandable and simple.
6. Timing and Frequency
Timing is everything! Consider your business’s customer behavior and purchase cycle. Follow up emails sent too quickly or frequently can have the opposite effect to your desired goal.
The example below from Felix Gray highlights how effective a holiday-themed or season re-engagement email can be. Taking the opportunity to utilize seasonal timing can be a great avenue to subtly re-engage customers.
Extra Effective Re-Engagement Email Examples To Inspire You
Example #1: RedBubble
From the striking and bold colours to the discount code – ITSMINE – everything about this re-engagement email from RedBubble works to softly reignite interest effectively.
Example #2: Bonobos
This brave re-engagement email from Bonobos cuts straight to the point. It uses compelling and attention-grabbing copy to check how engaged previous customers or subscribers are. For the right audience, this approach can be hugely effective.
Example #3: Yes
This re-engagement email focuses on highlighting the value proposition to disengaged past clients. While it may not be as visually compelling or easy to scan as other examples, it works well to evoke interest and emotion, and crafts an effective argument for re-engagement.
Example #4: Office
The below re-engagement campaign is swinging for the fences by phrasing their content in a way that opens the door to feedback from their customers. Apart from effectively capturing the interest of no-longer-engaged customers, it is also very effective in building relationships by showing that the Office team cares about their customers and wants to do right by them.
Need more re-engagement email inspo? Contact SmartMail today!
The SmartMail team specialize in end-to-end email marketing, including the critically important re-engagement email.
If you’d like to find out how our services can offer you hassle-free yet effective ways to re-engage your customers, contact us today! We even offer a completely free email audit with no obligation to get you started.
