Let’s talk about something every business with an email list deals with: subscribers who disappear into the void. You know the ones—at some point, they were interested enough to sign up, maybe even made a purchase. And then? Crickets.
It’s frustrating, but it’s also totally normal. On average, email lists shrink by about 25% each year due to inactivity. That’s a lot of potential revenue slipping through the cracks. But here’s the good news: many of those “lost” customers aren’t really lost. They just need a little nudge to come back. And that’s where a great winback strategy comes in.
In this post, we’re diving into a smart, strategic, and (most importantly) effective way to re-engage inactive subscribers—without resorting to desperate, spammy tactics. We’ll cover:
✅ How to identify inactive subscribers
✅ Why they stopped engaging in the first place
✅ The best email strategies to win them back
✅ When to cut your losses and clean your list
Ready? Let’s bring those subscribers back to life.
Step 1: Identify Your Inactive Subscribers (Hint: It’s Not the Same for Every Business)
Before you start crafting the perfect winback email, you need to figure out who you’re targeting. Inactivity looks different for different types of businesses.
For example:
- A food delivery service might consider someone inactive after two months of no orders.
- A luxury watch brand might expect customers to buy only once a year, so an inactive period might be much longer.
- A newsletter that sends emails once a week might flag subscribers as inactive if they haven’t opened in six months. But if you email monthly, that window changes.
So, how do you determine when someone has gone cold? Look at:
✅ Your typical customer buying cycle. How often do customers usually make a purchase?
✅ Your email frequency. If you email daily, someone who hasn’t opened in two weeks might be inactive. If you email monthly, that timeline extends.
✅ General industry benchmarks. Look at your open rates compared to industry standards and identify when engagement dips.
A good rule of thumb? If a subscriber hasn’t opened your last 5–6 emails, they’re worth investigating.
Step 2: Figure Out Why They Stopped Engaging
People don’t just stop opening emails for no reason. Something changed. Maybe you changed—your content, frequency, or tone. Maybe they changed—their interests, needs, or priorities. Either way, your job is to figure out what’s going on so you can adjust accordingly.
Common reasons subscribers go inactive:
- Email overload. They’re getting too many emails (from you or others) and yours just aren’t making the cut.
- Lack of relevance. The content isn’t aligned with their interests anymore.
- Too salesy. Every email is a pitch, and they’ve tuned out.
- They only signed up for a one-time deal. Some people just wanted that initial discount or freebie.
- Inbox clutter. They meant to engage, but your emails got lost in the flood.
Knowing the reason helps you craft a winback strategy that actually works.
Step 3: Re-Engage Them (Without Sounding Desperate)
Here’s where the fun begins. You need to reach out in a way that grabs attention, adds value, and reminds them why they signed up in the first place. Below are a few tried-and-true winback email ideas.
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Ask Them What Happened (Survey Emails)
A simple, one-question survey can give you powerful insights. Try something like:
“Hey [First Name], we noticed you haven’t opened our emails in a while. Are we still a good fit? Let us know what you’d love to see from us!”
Even if they don’t reply, just seeing the email might remind them why they subscribed in the first place.
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Make Them Feel Special
Who doesn’t love a little VIP treatment? A personalized email from the CEO or a birthday surprise can work wonders.
Example:
“We miss you, [First Name]! As one of our VIP subscribers, we have a special offer just for you.”
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Remind Them What They’re Missing
Give them a recap of what’s new since they last engaged. Have you launched new products? Improved services? Won awards? Tell them!
“A lot has happened since you last heard from us! Here’s what you’ve been missing…”
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Offer a Sweet Deal
Discounts still work—especially if they feel exclusive. Just don’t overdo it.
“We’d love to see you back. Here’s 20% off—just for you.”
Make it time-sensitive for extra urgency.
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Use Humor and Personality
Sometimes, people just need a good laugh.
“Is it something we said? We promise we’ve changed. Give us another shot?”
A lighthearted tone can be refreshing in a sea of corporate emails.
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Change Up the Timing
If you usually send emails during busy hours, try sending at a different time. Maybe they’re more likely to open an email on Sunday morning than Monday at noon.
Step 4: Know When to Let Go (And WHY It’s a Good Thing)
Some subscribers just aren’t coming back. And that’s okay.
Keeping inactive subscribers on your list does more harm than good. Low engagement rates can hurt your sender reputation, making it more likely that your emails will end up in spam for everyone—including your most engaged subscribers.
So, if someone doesn’t respond to your winback emails, remove them. Most email service providers (like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ConvertKit) make it easy to automate this process.
How to automate list cleanup:
- Segment inactive subscribers (e.g., those who haven’t engaged in 6 months).
- Send a final re-engagement email (e.g., “Still want to hear from us?”).
- Remove non-responders from your main list or move them to a low-frequency segment.
Trimming your list may feel scary, but it keeps your email marketing healthy and effective.
Final Thoughts
Winning back lost customers doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about understanding why people disengage and giving them a compelling reason to come back.
To recap:
✅ Identify inactive subscribers based on your business needs.
✅ Figure out why they stopped engaging.
✅ Send thoughtful, engaging, and personalized winback emails.
✅ Let go of the ones who aren’t interested anymore.
Email marketing isn’t about numbers—it’s about people. And with the right strategy, you can turn those “lost” subscribers into loyal customers once again.
Take your first step today and sign up to our newsletter.
