Top 5 win back email examples: Your ultimate guide to re-engage customers

Contents of article

Did you know that attracting a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing one? Focusing on maintaining and re-engaging your current customers is not only more cost-effective but also significantly beneficial for long-term growth.

One effective way to re-engage and win back your customers is through email marketing. In this guide, we'll explore five effective win back email examples that'll help you reconnect with your customers and drive them back to your business.

What are win back emails?

Win back emails are a crucial component of email marketing campaigns designed to re-engage customers who have lost interest in your products or services. Targeted at inactive or lapsed customers, these emails aim to encourage them to return and make a purchase.

An effective win back email campaign can significantly boost customer retention and improve your bottom line. By re engaging inactive customers, you can increase sales and foster long-term loyalty.

Why are win back emails important?

Win back emails are important because they give you a chance to reconnect with customers who have previously shown interest in your business but have since become inactive. These customers already know about your brand and may just need a gentle reminder or incentive to make a purchase again.

Research indicates that 45% of subscribers who get a win back email will open future emails from your brand, a rate much higher than typical promotional emails. Using win back emails can reduce customer acquisition costs and strengthen relationships with existing customers. Plus, these emails can help gather valuable feedback from inactive customers and identify any issues that caused them to leave.

How do win back emails work?

Win-back emails operate on the principle of reminding customers of the value they once found in your brand. They leverage personalization, timing, and compelling offers to capture attention and prompt action.

Key elements include:

• Personalization: Tailoring the email to the customer's preferences and past interactions.

• Compelling offers: Providing incentives like discounts or exclusive deals.

• Emotional appeal: Tapping into the customer's feelings and memories associated with your brand.

• Clear call-to-action (CTA): Directing the customer towards a specific action, such as making a purchase or visiting your website.

When to send a win back email?

The timing of your win back email is crucial for re-engaging customers. Sending it too soon might seem pushy, while sending it too late could mean the customer has lost interest. The ideal time to send a win back email is when you notice a significant drop in customer activity, like not making a purchase for an extended period or unsubscribing from your emails.

Additionally, you can also send a win back email after implementing changes or improvements to your products or services.

Here are some best practices:

• Activity-based timing: Send a win back email after a specific period of inactivity like three, six or 12 months.

• Special occasion timing: Leverage special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries to send win back emails and reconnect with your audience.

• Product-based timing: Send win back emails after launching new products or making significant updates to existing ones. Keep customers informed and interested.

• Seasonal timing: Use seasonal events, holidays, or anniversaries as opportunities to send win back emails and re-engage customers.

• Behavioral triggers: Monitor customer behavior and send win-back emails when customers show signs of disengagement, such as abandoned carts or unclicked promotional emails.

5 examples of effective win back emails

Now that we've covered the basics of win back emails let's dive into five compelling examples that can inspire your next email campaign.

1: The personalized offer

A personalized offer shows your customers that you understand their preferences and value their unique relationship with your brand.

• Objective: Re-engage customers with personalized discounts or special offers.

• Target audience: Inactive customers who previously made purchases.

• Timing: Trigger emails after a set period of inactivity, such as six months.

• Content strategy: Personalize the message with the customer’s name and reference their past purchases. Offer customized discounts on products they’ve previously shown interest in.

Why this win back email template works

1. Personalizes the message: By directly addressing the customer and acknowledging their absence, it creates a personalized touch that makes the recipient feel valued and missed.

   
   

2. Offers an incentive: The exclusive 20% discount provides a tangible incentive for the customer to make a purchase, increasing the likelihood of re-engagement.

   
   

3. Includes a clear call to action: By providing a discount code and clear instructions on how to use it, the email makes it easy for the customer to take immediate action.

   
   

4. Seeks feedback: Asking for feedback on why the customer hasn't visited recently shows that the brand cares about the customer's experience and is committed to improvement.

   
   

5. Expresses appreciation: Thanking the customer for their past purchases and labeling them as valued reinforces a positive relationship and builds loyalty.

   
   

6. Professional tone and structure: The email maintains a professional yet friendly tone, making it approachable and easy to read, which is crucial for customer engagement.

2: The limited-time discount

Creating a sense of urgency is an effective way to prompt action from customers. By offering a limited-time discount, you can encourage them to take advantage of the offer before it expires.

• Objective: Encourage immediate action with a limited-time offer.

• Target audience: Inactive customers who haven't engaged in several months.

• Timing: Triggered by specific behaviors or after a set period of inactivity.

• Content strategy: Emphasize the urgency with a time-sensitive offer, highlighting its limited availability.

Why this win back email template works

1. Creates a sense of urgency: By emphasizing that the offer is only available for 24 hours, it creates a sense of urgency and encourages customers to act quickly.

   
   

2. Provides a significant discount: A discount of 30% is an attractive deal that can catch the customer's attention and motivate them to make a purchase.

   
   

3. Uses friendly, persuasive language: The email uses friendly language, such as "we miss you" and "treat yourself," which creates a personal connection with the recipient and makes the offer more appealing.

   
   

4. Reminds the customer of past interactions: By mentioning that the customer hasn't visited the online store in some time, it reminds them of their previous engagement with the brand and encourages re-engagement.

   
   

5. Promotes new products: Mentioning new products can pique the customer's interest and provide an additional incentive to make a purchase.

   
   

6. Clear call to action: The email provides clear instructions for using the discount code, making it easy for the customer to take immediate action.

3: Highlighting new products or features

Sometimes, a lack of customer engagement may be due to a lack of awareness about new products or features. In this case, showcasing what's new and exciting can rekindle their interest in your brand.

• Goal: To introduce new products or features and encourage customers to revisit the brand.

• Target audience: Customers who have not interacted in several months or those who have shown interest in certain products.

• Timing: After launching new products or features.

• Content strategy: Highlight the latest additions and their benefits, along with a CTA to explore further.

Subject: Check Out What's New at [Your Brand] - Get 10% Off Your First Purchase

Hi [Customer's Name],

We're thrilled to share some exciting news – our latest product launch is here, and we know you'll love it! From chic fashion pieces to cutting-edge home essentials, there's truly something for everyone.

To sweeten the deal, we're offering an exclusive 10% discount on your first purchase of any new product. Just enter the code [DISCOUNT CODE] at checkout.

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to explore what’s new at [Your Company].

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Why this win back email template works

1. Creates interest: By highlighting the latest additions, the email brings attention to products that the customer may not have been aware of.

   
   

2. Provides a discount: The offer of 10% off on the customer's first purchase of new products provides an incentive to explore and make a purchase.

   
   

3. Uses persuasive language: The email uses phrases like "exciting news" and "something for everyone," which creates curiosity and encourages the recipient to explore further.

   
   

4. Encourages re-engagement: By inviting customers to revisit, it reminds them of their previous interaction with the brand and encourages them to engage again.

   
   

5. Includes a clear CTA: The email provides a clear call to action by providing a discount code and mentioning how to use it, making it easy for customers to take immediate action.

4: Using emotional appeal

For customers who may have become disconnected from your brand, an emotional appeal can remind them of the positive feelings they once associated with your products or services.

• Goal: To elicit emotional responses and reconnect with customers.

• Target audience: Customers who have not interacted in several months or those who have shown interest in certain products.

• Timing: After implementing improvements or changes to products or services.

• Content strategy: Use storytelling and emotional language to evoke positive memories and encourage re-engagement.

Why this win back email template works

1. Taps into customer's emotions: The email evokes positive memories and emotions associated with the brand, which can reignite the customer's interest.

   
   

2. Highlights product improvements: By mentioning significant improvements, it shows the brand's commitment to delivering a better experience for its customers.

   
   

3. Uses personalization: Addressing the recipient as a valued customer and inviting them to be a part of the brand's journey creates a personal connection.

   
   

4. Offers an incentive: The discount of 15% provides an additional incentive for the customer to reconnect and experience the new and improved products.

   
   

5. Expresses appreciation: Thanking the customer for their past loyalty and acknowledging their role in the brand's growth can make them feel valued and appreciated.

5: The re-engagement campaign

Sometimes, a single email may not be enough to re-engage customers. In this case, a series of emails can be sent as part of a re-engagement campaign.

• Goal: To gradually reconnect with customers through a series of emails.

• Target audience: Customers who have not interacted in several months or those who have shown interest in certain products.

• Timing: Over a defined period, such as a month-long campaign.

• Content strategy: Use a series of emails with different offers, content, or approaches to re-engage customers.

Why this win back email template works

1. Uses emotional appeal: By expressing appreciation and highlighting the special connection with customers, it elicits emotional responses and reminds them of their relationship with the brand.

   
   

2. Offers an incentive: The 10% discount provides a tangible incentive for the customer to make a purchase and re-engage with the brand.

   
   

3. Provides a clear CTA: The email provides clear instructions on how to use the discount code, making it easy for customers to take immediate action.

   
   

4. Promotes future content: By mentioning future content such as exclusive offers and sneak peeks, it creates anticipation and encourages the customer to stay connected with the brand.

   
   

5. Uses a series of emails: A series of emails can boost re-engagement by offering different deals and keeping the brand top-of-mind. It's crucial to balance personalization and promotions in these emails to keep them engaging without being overwhelming or spammy.

Using Exclaimer as an effective win back tool

In addition to creating engaging re-engagement emails, using email signature management software from Exclaimer can also be a valuable win back tool.

Exclaimer allows businesses to create professional and personalized email signatures that are automatically added to all outgoing emails. This can be useful for re-engagement because it:

• Reminds customers of your brand and their positive experiences with you every time they receive an email from you.

• Allows for targeted messaging by creating different signatures for different customer segments, such as inactive customers or those who have shown interest in certain products.

• Provides a direct link to your website or social media pages, making it easy for customers to revisit your brand and engage with you.

• Offers the option to include dynamic content, such as promotional banners or upcoming events, to further encourage re-engagement.

• Allows for easy tracking and measurement of the success of your re-engagement efforts through metrics such as click-through rates on signature links.

By integrating professional and personalized signatures into your win back email campaigns, you can reinforce your brand identity and provide additional value with every message.

Ready to transform your email communications?

Experience the power of professional, personalized email signatures with Exclaimer. Request a personalized demo to discover its full potential, or explore at your own pace with our interactive product tour.