Re-engagement Template
Win back inactive contacts with a re-engagement flow
Re-engagement Template
Over time, some subscribers stop opening and clicking your emails. These inactive contacts hurt your deliverability metrics and waste sending resources. The Re-engagement template helps you win back inactive subscribers with a targeted campaign, and gracefully remove those who are truly disengaged.
What the template includes
- Trigger: Contact matches a segment (e.g., "no opens in 90 days").
- Send email: "We miss you" email with a compelling reason to re-engage.
- Delay: Wait 5 days.
- Condition: Did the contact open or click the previous email?
- Yes branch: Tag contact as "re-engaged" — they stay on your list.
- No branch: Send a "Last chance" email with a final offer or incentive.
- Delay: Wait 5 days.
- Condition: Did the contact engage with the last-chance email?
- Yes branch: Tag as "re-engaged."
- No branch: Tag as "sunset" for removal from active sending.
Setting up the trigger
The re-engagement automation works best with a segment-based trigger. Create a segment in Mailnaptic using engagement filters:
- email_not_opened — Contact has not opened any email in X days.
- last_active_days with
greater_than— Contact's last activity was more than X days ago.
A typical starting point is contacts who have not opened an email in 90 days. Adjust based on your sending frequency — if you send daily, 60 days of inactivity is already significant.
Customizing the emails
Email 1: We miss you
This email should feel personal and offer clear value. Effective approaches include:
- Highlighting what the subscriber has missed (new features, popular content).
- Offering a discount or exclusive content.
- Asking a simple question to prompt a reply or click.
- Using a subject line that stands out, such as "It's been a while..." or "We have something for you."
Email 2: Last chance
Be direct. Let the subscriber know this is their last email unless they take action. Include a clear "Stay subscribed" button and mention that they will be removed if they do not respond. This honesty builds trust and can prompt action.
After the automation
Contacts tagged as "sunset" should be removed from your regular sending segments. You can either:
- Create a suppression segment that excludes anyone tagged "sunset" from campaigns.
- Periodically review the "sunset" tagged contacts and delete or archive them.
Best practices
- Run re-engagement automations regularly rather than waiting until your list is heavily decayed.
- Do not be afraid to remove unresponsive contacts — a smaller, engaged list performs better than a large, inactive one.
- Monitor the re-engagement rate to gauge how many contacts you can win back.
- Consider testing different incentives (discounts, free content, exclusive access) to see what works best.
The re-engagement template protects your sender reputation by proactively identifying and handling inactive contacts before they become a deliverability problem.