How to Craft Irresistible Customer Win-Back Emails

Have you ever bought a product online, for example, weight loss tablets, and months after purchasing the product, you get an email introducing another weight loss product? This is called a win-back marketing email.

You can expect to start getting win-back emails after you've made a purchase, engaged with the company through emails, and visited the website before going completely dormant or inactive.

A win-back email is automated and is set up within your email marketing platform with the main aim of reaching out to customers who are no longer engaging with your company. These are customers who have spent money with you, which means that, if your product is good, chances are they will spend money with you again.

When Are Win-Back Emails Applicable?

Win-back emails are aimed at customers who are inactive. But what exactly do we mean by "inactive?" It is a broad term, making it difficult to pinpoint where it starts and ends.

Let's look at some scenarios to illustrate when it's appropriate to send win-back emails:

Scenario 1:

Jack's Online Tools believes inactive customers are those who haven't engaged with the company in any way for six months. Many e-commerce companies define "inactive" as no activity for six months. This is different for every company and also depends on the type of products you sell and the industry you are in.

Scenario 2:

Annabel's Leather Shoes is coming out with a new line of gorgeous winter shoes. Since winter is approaching fast and they are changing their featured products, Annabel's decides to send win-back emails to all clients who have been inactive for four months or longer.

Scenario 3

Heath's Health Foods notices that it has stock that is not selling—and the sell-by date is looming. After organizing their Shopify products, the team decides to discount this stock considerably and use product bundles to attract customers. Since it is such a good deal, they send win-back emails to all clients that have been inactive—even for years.

How to Write Compelling Customer Win-Back Emails

If you want to win back your inactive clients, you will need to create win-back emails that stop them dead in their tracks.

Here are ten suggestions on how to create compelling content to catch attention like never before:

1. Write a subject line that will catch them like a deer in the headlights. This is not easy to do, but you'll get the hang of it after a while. Analytics will be able to tell you which subject lines are more effective. This will help you craft better subject lines whenever you send emails.
2. Keep it simple. Get straight to the point: no fluff, no jargon, and no fancy lingo. Only include straightforward details that can be absorbed in a matter of seconds.
3. Let them know you are still open for business. It is good practice to remind your clients that you are still there, you are still selling great products, and you are missing their contributions!
4. Offer them better-than-incredible discounts. Everyone loves a good deal. Don't underestimate the power of a special offer. Plus, many Shopify apps for special discounts make adding discounts to your products very simple.
5. Remind your customer why you are successfully still in business. Explain to your customers how you and your products can add value to their lives. If they can't see it, you need to tell them about it!
6. Tell them what they are missing out on. You can also tell them what they are going to lose if they don't buy your products and become an active customer again.
7. Add a call-to-action. Give customers something to do and make it engaging. It needs to stimulate their purchasing frame of mind and motivate them to shop.
8. Ask for feedback. It's always good to find out what your clients think of your products and services. Feedback generates essential leads that you can use to win your clients over.
9. Send a series of emails. If your customers enjoy your first email, they will likely read all the emails in the series. So make sure the first one is a showstopper.
10. Offer them a last chance. This can signify their last chance to take advantage of a special deal, their last chance to buy a particular product at a specific price, or their last chance to have their say. You get the idea!

The Importance of Sending Win-Back Emails

There's a lot of research suggesting that it costs a business owner a lot less to retain a customer than to acquire new ones. Win-back emails should form part of your retention strategy so that you don't lose inactive customers unnecessarily—ultimately increasing your customer lifetime value.

Like after-purchase email campaigns, win-back emails don't cost much—if anything. But they can successfully draw back customers who, in turn, can give your bottom line an extra boost. It is a golden opportunity, fresh for the taking. Don't let it pass you by.