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10 Re-Engagement Email Examples to Win Back Customers (+ Subject Lines)

10 May
2024
10 Re-Engagement Email Examples to Win Back Customers (+ Subject Lines)

No matter how hard you try, your email list will always, always, always encounter two things: 

  1. People who unsubscribe, and
  2. People who stop opening your emails, even when they don’t unsubscribe from your list 

The first one can feel like a bit of a shin kick to the ego, but the second means that not all hope is lost.

Like a charming salesperson who won't take 'no' for an answer, re-engagement emails are the key to bringing those wandering customers back to your store.

Let's get into some re-engagement email strategies and examples to get you fuel your next campaign.

10 Re-Engagement Email Examples

1. Limited Time Offers

Adidas email
Source

What we love about this email

Adidas leverages the limited-time offer strategy in this email with bold copy and clear date specifications, highlighting the sale's fleeting nature. Crafting a compelling sense of urgency, the email prompts swift action from customers. Additionally, Adidas provides multiple CTA buttons directing to various product categories, offering customers diverse options. Furthermore, the email follows through by spotlighting specific products and their corresponding deals.

Subject Lines 

  1. Huge Savings Ending Tonight
  2. Time's a-Tickin'! Last Chance to Get 30% Off
  3. Today Only: 25% Off + Free Shipping Sitewid

//[inject:ad-personalized-email]

2. Discounts and Coupon Code

glow recipe email

What we love about this email

You gotta give it to the email marketer over at Glow Recipe. They get right to the point by mentioning the contact hasn't opened any emails in a while. 
That could be a good wake-up call to the email subscribers who didn't even realize they had been inactive. This email has a sort of one-two punch tactic because it offers both a discount and photos of products they recommend they try. For your own emails, personalized recommendations work best. But if all else fails, you can recommend your best-selling products since, well, they’re bestsellers for a reason. 

Subject Lines 

  1. Happy Anniversary! Here's a gift for being so great 
  2. We couldn't do it without you! (gift inside)
  3. This is just for you {FNAME}

3. Tell them you miss them

Brooklinen email

What we love about this email

We really enjoyed their “we miss you” email for how balanced it is. While you don't see it here, this email uses We Miss You as the subject line. 

The main copy tells a small story, “We miss you. Let’s make up. So we took a little break. No big deal. Let’s put it behind us.”

Notice the sentences are short without the tone feeling blunt or insincere. Words carry feelings and the whole “Let’s make up” part of the email does add kindness. (Not to mention the puppy… ‘cause who doesn’t light up when they see a puppy. )

Finally, they added some much-needed personalized recommendations based on the user's previous browsing and purchase history. 

Considering personalized recommendations can increase ROI by 300+ percent, using it in a reactivation email is fantastic to see. 

Subject Lines 

  1. We miss you! 
  2. Here's a discount, 'cause we want you back 
  3. Haven't seen you in awhile (open for 40% off)

4.  Questionnaires

Bellroy email
Source

What we love about this email

When it comes to fitting your customer's needs and wants, this strategy from Bellroy is an excellent way to do so. Instead of beating around the bush, Bellroy takes a more direct approach by asking their audience what their exact needs are with an interactive quiz. This is a great way to spark engagement and get personalized while also educating the audience on products and their functionality to ensure they find the best option.

Subject Lines 

  1. Want to get more for your money? Use this 50% discount.
  2. Don’t deny yourself the best customer service on the internet. 
  3. The X is the perfect product to fix all your problems.

5. Add-In a Touch of Humor

Misguided email

What we love about this email

A bit of humor never hurts, especially when it's your brand voice. Missguided does this well while keeping their offer and email design simple, short, and sweet. 

They call out it's been a while since their customer has been around, and they want to make things work out by offering them a discount on their next purchase. The humor is lighthearted, which plays into their fun brand voice.

In the end, there’s also the option to connect via social media. 

So if someone doesn't jump right back into a purchase, there’s still the increased chance of staying in their social feed — which does play its part in marketing.

Subject Lines 

  1. Hello? Is there anyone online?
  2. You know you want to swipe right on us.
  3. This email wants you to open it. Go on, you know you’re tempted.

6. Keep it Simple, Like Super Simple

reengagement-email-example

What we love about this email

It's easy to get stuck in the weeds of email design when what really matters is getting to the point. Nordstrom emails are usually image-heavy, but this email in their welcome back campaign, comes down to eight words and a simple photo.  That's about all there is to it. You don't need to overthink the design of every email in the sequence. You can do like you see here and keep it polite and straightforward with an easy CTA.

Subject Lines 

  1. Still interested in us? Get in touch!
  2. Get 20% off on your next order - no strings attached.
  3. Just an email to remind you of our new range.

7. Share Exclusive Offers and Incentives

reengagement-email-example

What we love about this email

This email from Kate Spade is straightforward and creative in it's approach to get people to come back. Instead of offering a discount, they list reasons why someone should come check out the online store. Each point lists something of some benefit to the reader. The CTA is simple, but there's not much to distract from it. Giving customers a good reason to come back, you remind them of your value and keep them coming back again.

Subject Lines 

  1. Five reasons to shop on [site name] again.
  2. Get a free product worth X when you spend X this month on site.
  3. Save X this month online at [site name].

8. Send product recommendations

It’s unlikely that even your most loyal customers will know every single product you sell on your site. To help re-engage customers or potential customers to your site, product recommendations are worthwhile to share over email.

Source

Segmenting your email subscribers based on their previous purchases can help to make targeted recommendations and incentivize them to make another order. For new customers, any data collected when subscribing, might be helpful in recommending appropriate products.

What we love about this email

Delivering personalized product suggestions with a touch of creativity, Something Navy's recommendation email hits the mark in acknowledging each shopper's unique preferences. However, it's crucial to validate that the recommended products align authentically with the customer's recent engagement or purchases to maintain effectiveness in driving engagement.

Subject Lines 

  1. We love your purchase of X. Check these similar products out!
  2. Have you tried the latest trending product on [site name]?
  3. Five new products to try since you bought X.

9. Use special occasions or holidays

Taking a note of your leads or customer’s birthdays, anniversaries and any other special occasions are great when it comes to re-engagement through emails. You can also take advantage of seasonal holidays to re-engage with customers whether that be Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.

Outdoor Voices email
Source

What we love about this email

Outdoor Voices employs a unique and effective tactic for re-engaging customers through a personalized email sent on their half-birthday, complete with an exclusive discount code. The simplicity and clarity of the email's design and copy grabs the audience's attention, offering a special experience for customers. By seamlessly integrating a call-to-action prompting customers to explore new arrivals, Outdoor Voices piques curiosity and fosters a sense of appreciation among customers.

Subject Lines 

  1. Find the perfect gift for your loved one this festive season
  2. Five easter gifts that aren’t chocolate
  3. Become the best big brother/sister with these birthday gift ideas.

10. Reward them for their loyalty

It’s always important to reward loyalty for those customers who been buying from your site for a long period of time. Offering discounts, freebies and other rewards is a great way to re-engage with existing customers who are easily swayed to purchase more.

Native Email
Source

What we love about this email

Native's email cleverly taps into customer psychology by offering rewards that make them feel like part of an exclusive club—gaining the coveted 'cucumber connoisseur status.' By granting early access to sales, they further enhance this feeling of exclusivity. The email then dives deeper into the benefits of their rewards program, showcasing the perks customers enjoy with every purchase, including clear demonstrations of the savings gained through points. Finally, a compelling call-to-action button encourages immediate shopping, complemented by links to specific products for added convenience.

Subject Lines 

  1. Thanks for being a loyal customer. Here’s a free gift from us!
  2. Celebrate a year of knowing each other with 50% off your next order.
  3. Get a free product with your next order as a thank you for sticking with us.

How to Create a Re-engagement Email Campaign Sequence

So far, we’ve covered email and subject line examples for your reactivation email campaigns. 

But that’s just the end result stuff. 

This section will show you both what your sequence could be made up of and a bit of the technical side of building out your re-engagement automation. 

Re-engagement Email Campaign Workflow 

If a contact has been inactive for 12 months, segment them into your “Inactive Subscribers” and trigger the following workflow:

  • Email 1: “We Miss You!” + Here’s a discount. This starts the conversation.  
  • Wait 3 days 
  • Email 2: Benefits + Social proof. Your brand has a lot of value, so talk about it. Do purchases help support worthy causes? Talk about it here. Do you do something unique that no one else does? Talk about it. Try including some testimonies or other user-generated content here. 
  • Wait 5 days 
  • Email 3: Second discount offer/ discount reminder. People get sidetracked, so remind them that you care and give them that discount one more time. Try using product recommendations here. 
  • Wait 5 days
  • Email 4: Goodbye for now. If nothing gets them engaging with your content, then this email is where you tell them you’ll be removing them from the list unless they click the CTA to stay on. 

//[inject:ad-ebook-funnels]

Every marketing strategy should have a plan in place for retention and reactivation. It doesn’t have to be exactly like this since you should customize the emails to your brand’s needs.

A re-engagement email sequence is one essential part of the puzzle and can help you nab the sales you could have missed otherwise. 

Ready to start automating? Take Sendlane for a spin, free for 60 days and start waking up those sleepy customers! 

Re-engagement email FAQs

How can I get started sending re-engagement emails?
What needs to be included in a re-engagement email?
How often should you send re-engagement emails?

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