Rejection is never easy to accept, especially when it comes to email marketing. Every now and then email subscribers disengage, leaving email marketers wondering why this occurred and what precautions are necessary to avoid unsubscribes in the future. The good news? Customer disengagement happens in even the best of businesses. What’s important to remember with such relationships, is that if they have not unsubscribed, it is not too late to bring them back. There are proven methods for not only returning customers to the fold, but that also help to foster a brand-loyalty that may not have existed before.
Segmenting customers into different categories based on their preferences and/or prior purchases will help you determine the best types of emails to send them. There are no cookie-cutter explanations why customers do not make purchases. Collecting personal data will help clarify why they unsubscribe from your emails and stop future transactions. Used correctly, this information serves to win them back.
The main goal of your emails is to re-engage subscriber relationships. It is important not to over-sell by being too aggressive with those who have already left. The phrase “treat others the way you wish to be treated” definitely applies when you are attempting to win customers back. Not only is it unprofessional to send emails to those who have chosen to unsubscribe, it is not legal. Making customers feel missed is a valuable asset to promoting their return. Subject lines that are relatable and personal will gain attention. If an email makes you smile, you almost certainly will continue reading and checking future campaigns.
Stand-out email promotions are a smart way to make customers feel special. Win-back offers should be personalized based on past purchases and can actually serve as appreciation for their business. One way to enhance such promotions is to include a discount not usually offered. However, while the incentive does not always have to be a discount, it is important that it be creative. Just like a memorable experience in a restaurant will bring you back to the table, a positive experience with a business will lead to reoccurring purchases and loyalty.
Bring customers back with email marketing!
Personalized Subject Line Examples:
(First Name), you are missed!
We miss you (First Name)!
Customers will occasionally like to express their reasons for no longer making purchases. It is important to give them that opportunity by providing comment boxes or online surveys to enable them to express their frustration or dissatisfaction. These tactics may be combined with an email campaign.
Now to the positives of existing customers! They have already signed up for your emails and/or made purchases and have provided the information you may wish to have. This saves you the steps of collecting data including name, address and/or phone number. Another positive of existing relationships is that you have (hopefully) already built a trust level that requires less effort to win them over.
Another helpful tool when trying to win back customers is to remind them of the many “perks” of your business. People want to know what they will get from subscribing and remaining with your service. Subscribers often are bored when they continually receive the same emails. Be creative. Use social media to find out what people want and use that feedback to create fresh newsletters and promotional offers.
Not every attempt to win back customers will be successful. It is important to remember that with any form of marketing, it is all about trial and error. If your business has dealt with negative customer experiences in the past, be selective when contacting those individuals. Sending to the wrong lists may result in an increase of spam complaints and could damage your company’s reputation.
As with all email marketing campaigns, testing different methods will continue to improve results. Creating the correct win-back program for your email marketing customers is vital for increased revenue and overall company success.
