Best Tips on How to Wake Up Inactive Email Subscribers
Most of your subscribers receive a whopping number of emails each day. You need to put in a lot of effort and stay creative to earn their attention and keep them engaged. Unfortunately, with so much competition for attention, it’s just getting harder by the day.
At some point, a certain amount of your subscribers will lose interest and stop engaging with your email marketing campaigns. And while for some marketers it may seem like a huge disaster, others think it’s not a big deal. But in fact, sending emails to inactive customers could hurt your deliverability. Each time the recipient doesn’t engage with your messages, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) dings your sending reputation. Chances of your emails for the entire subscriber base being delivered to the spam folder increase.
The best practice to avoid this is to promote only relevant content and clean up your subscriber list regularly. However, we all know that it’s harder to acquire a new follower than it is to keep an existing one. So before you give up, try to re-engage “dead” email subscribers first.
Below are the top five strategies to keep in mind when re-engaging your audience:
#1 Create an eye-catching subject line
People often scan their inboxes by sender and subject line before deciding which email they should open and which one delete without reading. Perhaps, you think that good subject lines are not your strong suit, but let me tell you that you don’t have to be the number one copywriter in the world to create headlines that get your emails opened and read. All you need to do is to follow these simple tips and learn a few essential formulas to structure your subject lines.
Here is a short checklist for creating a compelling subject line:
- You are not using ALL CAPS in your subject line;
- There are no exclamation points;
- It is straightforward but not boring;
- You are not giving any false promises in your headline;
- It is focused on your reader, not you;
- There are no spammy words such as “free,” “winner,” “click below,” “cheap,” “urgent,” “guaranteed,” etc.;
- You keep it from five to a maximum of ten words;
- There are no spelling errors.
Still not sure you can come up with a catchy subject line?
Use the R-O-T formula, where R stands for results, O – objection, and T – time. Keep in mind that you can also switch it up like T-R-O or R-T-O.
Here’s how it all works in practice:
Results: Master copywriting
Time: in a week
Objective: with no previous experience.
Subject line: Master Copywriting In a Week With No Previous Experience.
Use numbers: Because people are naturally drawn to numbers, they are more likely to open emails with numerical lists. For example, “5 Steps to Becoming a Freelance Writer.”
Here’s a final tip: Whenever it’s possible, try to make people feel special. For example, “For our beloved customers only,” “Private invitation,” “Here’s a gift for you, Andy.”
#2 Add a GIF in the beginning
Animated images can be excellent storytellers. And a well-matched GIF can convey almost any idea in a much better way than a long text would normally do.
Let’s take a quick look at numbers. An email campaign with a well-designed animation piece can generate a better click rate (42,6%), fantastic conversion (103%), and improve a company’s revenue by 109%. See how powerful a small image can be?
But keep in mind that just like any other tool, animations in re-engagement emails should be applicable and reasonable. While a food brand is likely to incorporate GIFs with Friends’ Joey Tribbiani, who is one of the most passionate food lovers, it’s hard to imagine a cancer treatment drug manufacturer opting for funny GIFs in their marketing pieces.
#3 Write short but interesting texts
If your subscribers haven’t engaged with your brand for a long time, then the chances they will want to read your long-winded email campaigns are pretty slim.
So sometimes, less is more. To keep your copy short, don’t cover more than one topic or offer at a time. You have to love short paragraphs and even stand-alone statements. Also, consider using images and infographics to reinforce your message. Visuals often take the recipient less time to understand the idea and can convey more information at a glance.
#4 Use a call to action at the end
Creating an effective call to action (CTA) is something every marketer must master. And when you’re working on a copy, the aim of which is to re-engage with subscribers, the action you request is even more critical. For example, in the image below, you can see a giant red button. This is a really nice example with an engaging call to action because even those recipients who didn’t read the email copy will be tempted to push it.
Perhaps, you could melt your customers’ hearts with your wit and sense of humor just as Urban Outfitters did in their re-engagement email. Isn’t it awesome?
#5 Install a beautiful email signature
A catchy subject line, nice, captivating copy, and a clear call to action are must-haves for your re-engagement emails. But how does the perfect ending look like? Neither “best regards” nor “sincerely” can’t beat a professional email signature. The latter one in an easy and attractive way to remind the reader who you are before they make their decision.
Recently, I received an email from a company that asked me if it was time to say goodbye. I had to decide whether I wanted to be on their list or not. Since I get way too many emails each day, I couldn’t remember why I signed up for their newsletter in the first place. I simply wanted to go to their website and refresh my memory, but there was no easy way to do this. So I opted out.
Your email signature is a perfect place to put a link to your website and make it easy for subscribers to look you up before they decide to stay or leave. Also, using email signatures, you can provide other ways to connect with you (social media, skype, phone numbers).
How do you make your new email signature?
Although many email clients have an option to insert a signature, you won’t be able to create something really special and engaging. Fortunately, there are free email signature generators that are easy to use and can turn the entire process into nothing but fun.
Conclusion
Writing a good re-engagement email is always a delicate process. But I am sure you’ll do a great job, especially after you read this article, in which I provide you with our best tips on how to revitalize your relationship with subscribers.
All you need to do is:
- Create great subject lines;
- Convey meaning with a GIF instead of copy;
- Challenge yourself! Write short yet engaging texts;
- Give a final instruction to your reader at the end of your email (use a CTA);
- Use an informative, engaging, and action-oriented email signature.
Good luck!
Description: Re-engage your dormant audience by implementing these simple practices.
