Reactivation letters

What are reactivation emails?
Why are reactivation newsletters needed?
When to start a reactivation campaign?
What to write in a reactivation email?
Strategies and recommendations

What are reactivation emails?

Reactivation emails (or reactivation emails) are special messages intended for subscribers who have not opened your emails or taken expected actions for a long time, usually three to six months or more. These emails can be standalone or part of a series of messages. The main goal of reactivation emails is to regain subscribers' attention and rekindle their interest in your content or offerings.

Reactivation newsletters differ from standard ones in that they focus on a single task: to understand if subscribers are ready to continue interacting with your company. Most often, such emails are short and contain a simple but sincere request to return, sometimes with a proposal for special promotions or new items. For example, companies like Lingualeo remind their subscribers of the importance of regular language learning.

Why are reactivation newsletters needed?

Reactivating a "sleeping" email subscriber base is a more straightforward and cost-effective solution than attracting new customers. Subscribers who once showed interest in your brand are already familiar with it and may have simply forgotten about it. It is only important to remind them of your presence through a reactivation email to regain their attention.

There are various reasons a subscriber may become "inactive": the content did not meet expectations, the inbox is overflowing, or the subscription was taken for a bonus. Reactivation email newsletters help clean the database of inactive addresses and provide the opportunity to:

Save budget: sending to active addresses reduces the cost of email campaigns.
Increase revenue: by bringing back old customers, you can reactivate their purchases.
Maintain reputation: a low open rate can lead to emails being marked as spam, which negatively affects the domain.

Regular reactivation will help maintain subscriber interest and timely remove uninterested recipients.

When to start a reactivation campaign?

Before launching the reactivation of the database, it is necessary to determine which subscribers are considered "inactive." Do not rely solely on the duration of silence; consider the specifics of your business. For example, an online clothing store might start worrying after one or two months of inactivity, while a travel agency may allow for a longer silence period.

The frequency of your newsletters is also important: if you send 2-3 emails a week, then a lack of activity for a month is a signal to start reactivation. It is best to initiate reactivation immediately after noticing a drop in open rates. Automating the process allows you to track subscriber behavior and send them reactivation emails as needed.

What to write in a reactivation email?

The key to successful reactivation is the content of the email. Here are some ideas for content:

Surveys: use surveys to find out what content interests subscribers.
Discounts: offer special discounts on your products or services to grab attention.
Alternative communication channels: give subscribers the option to choose another way to receive information, such as through messengers.
Personalized messages: segment subscribers and send different versions of emails to find out which offers work best.

It is important not only what to say but also how to do it. Try to use an attractive and memorable style to "wake up" subscribers' interest.

Strategies and recommendations

Regular reactivation of subscribers helps maintain the activity of your database. Do not wait until the number of inactive contacts becomes critical. Remove addresses that did not respond to reactivation emails to improve overall newsletter metrics and reduce communication costs.