Email Marketing: How to Re-engage Inactive Subscribers

Regardless of content popularity, every email list will inevitably lose subscribers. A high churn rate will indicate a problem; a lower rate may suggest prospects lose interest in the general niche or are inundated with emails. Many prospects won't unsubscribe but will simply stop opening messages or clicking the links inside.

While they appear to be lost, it is possible to re-engage some of these inactive subscribers and gradually increase their interest in your messages. In many cases, this can be done using simple techniques, making it less expensive and easier than finding new leads. Here are some of the best methods for re-engaging subscribers.

Segment Your List

First, you will need to divide your list into active and inactive accounts. The latter should include subscribers who don't open emails, as well as those who do open messages but have low click-through rates. If you send weekly messages, an inactive account might show no engagement for three months. However, if you email less often, low engagement for six months or more could be considered inactive. Segment inactive accounts into a new list of people who don't receive your standard messages.

Ask Subscribers to Assess Frequency Options

Being fairly direct can help to engage unfocused subscribers who still want to receive your messages. Ask if they want to remain subscribed, offer several mailing frequency options, or even ask them to re-subscribe. This type of message can help break the monotonous cycle of emails, showing that you still value your subscribers. As with all re-engagement attempts, writing an eye-catching title is essential for subscribers who quickly scan their inbox each day.

Ask for Feedback

Not everyone wants to give their feedback, but a certain percentage of your subscribers will appreciate the opportunity to have their say. It is easy to set up a survey with most email providers so you can start to understand the main reasons people lose engagement. A good survey will be concise and not have leading questions. Another option is to give your direct email address, offering the personal touch that might have been lost.

Offer a Gift

Subscribers can get overwhelmed with promotions and product launch campaigns, so a gift can help break the cycle. Offer something of value, such as a quality report, a short course, or a video series. Gifts are often used as sales tools, so make it clear that the gift is unrelated to a product launch.

Host a Webinar

Hosting a webinar is a proven way to boost engagement, add value, and establish trust with your email subscribers. During a webinar, viewers can interact with you and gain knowledge on a specific topic. To ensure success, pick a timely and relevant topic for your target audience and address a problem or question they may have. Promote the webinar to your email list and follow up with attendees afterward with a thank you message, a replay link, a feedback survey, and a relevant offer or call to action.

Make One Last Attempt

There will inevitably come a time when your attempts at re-engagement have failed. A certain percentage of your list will not open your messages or click any links within them. As a final attempt, letting people know they are being unsubscribed can prompt some to take action. A clear message saying you are unsubscribing inactive accounts gives a clear choice to anyone still aware of your messages.

Clean Up Your List

After running your re-engagement campaign for a certain period (such as 30 days) and tracking your results, you need to clean up your list and remove those subscribers who did not respond or take action. This will help you maintain a healthy and engaged email list that delivers better results for your business.

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons why subscribers lose interest. Still, it is always possible to re-engage a portion of them. If a prospect was previously interested in your emails, it might be possible to spark their interest again, reminding them why they became engaged. Segmenting your list makes targeting selected groups extremely easy, so you can test messages you might not send to your primary list. An engaged email list may be one of the most lucrative assets in your business. It is worth dedicating time to subscribers who might be a single message away from re-engagement.