How To Create Reactivation Emails That Retain Subscribers How To Create Reactivation Emails that Retain Subscribers.
– In the digital marketing world, retention can become just as important as acquisition. Sometimes businesses experience seasonal shifts in engagement which result in lower subscriber numbers. An effective way to avoid this problem is by crafting thoughtful reactivation emails that entice lost subscribers back into your lists. But how can you ensure your emails do what you need them to? We walk you through how to build effective reactivation emails so that you can recapture your lost subscribers and get better engagement metrics.
1. Understand Your Audience
Don’t just write a line before you learn who your readers are. A deep look into your subscriber database could help shed light on some of these. Segmenting your audience by engagement, buying history, and other behavior patterns will allow you to differentiate between your dropped subscribers.
For instance, a subscriber who likes to buy workout clothes will probably love advice about how to do something new or what health advice to look out for, while the subscriber who wants eBooks would likely enjoy learning about something new or something to learn. With insights on your subscriber’s past actions and engagements, you can tailor your messages around the core of their interests, making them incredibly easy to re-engage with.
2. Create Compelling Subject Lines
This subscriber reactivation process starts with a catchy subject line. Of all the emails in the inbox, it is this subject line that makes the first impression, and probably determines whether you read or ignore the email.
If you want maximum impact, use short but teased subject lines that provide value or reward. Be action words-personalised, if possible-but at least imbued with some sort of urgency that motivates the readers to act. It’s just like an engaging subject line accumulates over the entire email experience, so give yourself a little more time to make one that people can’t seem to shake off.
3. Personalize Your Message
Personalisation, in that sense, is the cornerstone of any successful marketing piece, much more so than calling a subscriber by name. A true individualized email will address the individual with something that speaks directly to their previous actions, interests and habits.
You can even take the data you have gotten in previous interactions and tailor your products accordingly. If, for instance, you discover that a non-responder opened emails regularly with technology-related news, then you know to provide that person with a tailored mix of the latest gadget or best-selling technology books. Of course, the more pertinent your content is to the reader, the more chances you have of reinducing their interest and getting them to engage again.
4. Offer Value
Finally, you’ll need to highlight value in your emails to recoup lost subscribers. Creating an offer that appeals to them will significantly enhance the results of your reactivation strategy. Whether this is a sweet deal, exclusive content, or an exclusive offer, make sure it’s completely clear what they will gain from a return visit to your brand.
Highlight special offers or features, and make subscribers feel special; show them that you value them, and this will definitely make them re-subscribe, likely generating long term customer retention.
5. Review and Optimize Timing
Time really makes a difference in the response your readers get to your reactivation emails. You should always try different days and times to find out when your subscribers will respond. Tools that monitor open rates can give you recommendations about how to best send emails.
You can also try drip campaigns, which slowly increase the amount of value or urgency that is added to subsequent emails if initial contact does not result in an action. It can gently re-engage your audience without putting them to sleep.
6. Craft Compelling Content
Your email subject line should be interesting and short. Start with a welcoming note, telling the subscriber that you missed them or appreciate their loss. With eye-catching imagery and compelling CTA buttons, it’s easier to lead people back to where you want them to go.
Here, it is important that you maintain your brand voice throughout the process. Make sure that it matches the personality your subscribers already know in order to deliver a seamless experience.
7. Solicit Feedback
Why subscribers inevitably unsubscribe is never something you can intuitively grasp. Actively asking for feedback will give you great insight into what went well and what didn’t. If you send your reactivation email with a link to a survey it will not only facilitate the giving of feedback but will show your readers that you take their feedback seriously.
You’ll be able to not only get information about their tastes but it will also spark renewed interest in your brand. If subscribers think you care about their opinion, they’ll probably go ahead and try your brand again.
8. Measure and Iterate
Lastly, monitoring how well your reactivation email campaigns are performing is essential for ongoing refinement. You need to focus on the key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Check this data and see how effective you are, and improve your process accordingly.
By taking advantage of your metrics, you can adjust future campaigns to be more strategically targeted at your audience.
Conclusion
Reactivation emails are a powerful way to resurrect brand awareness and bring back lost subscribers. Once you know your audience, re-target them, and clearly convey value, you’ll be able to send engaging emails that will prompt people to return to your content. Monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns on a regular basis so that you can keep up with how reactivations work and what’s relevant. Over time, these methods not only keep subscribers — they help establish a deeper, richer relationship with your audience.
