The Secrets to Effective Re-Engagement Emails + 20 Examples

Ever had a friend suddenly stop replying to your messages, and you’re left wondering if they’ve moved to a remote island with no WiFi? That’s kind of what happens with inactive subscribers. But don’t worry—just like you’d send a friendly “Hey, are we still cool?” text, customer re-engagement emails can work wonders in bringing those lost connections back to life. In this guide, we’ll break down the secrets behind effective re-engagement emails, plus plenty of examples to spark your creativity.

What Is a Re-Engagement Email?

A re-engagement email is a targeted newsletter email sent to inactive or disengaged subscribers with the goal of reactivating their interest in your brand, product, or service. These emails typically include compelling subject lines, special offers, personalized content, or reminders about the value of staying connected.

And the reality is that this is an important and often normal part of the email customer journey—that is, sadly, not all subscribers stay engaged forever. And that’s where this step comes in so that you can entice them to come back for more.

Indeed, inactive subscribers don’t have to be lost customers. People get busy, inboxes get cluttered, and sometimes they just need a nudge to reconnect. More importantly, there are some really solid reasons for your business to get back in touch with these distancing subscribers through thoughtful email campaigns. 

Why Send Re-Engagement Emails?

There many reasons why sending customer re-engagement emails is an important part of your email marketing:

• Reduce Churn: Keeping customers engaged prevents them from leaving, which is more cost-effective than constantly acquiring new ones.
• Boost ROI: Re-engaging inactive subscribers can improve your email marketing campaign performance and overall revenue.
• Enhance Deliverability: Email providers prioritize active and engaged lists, improving your sender reputation.
• Gain Insights: Use email marketing metrics to track responses from re-engagement campaigns can provide valuable data on customer behavior.

7 Common Types of Re-Engagement Emails

Now that we’re all on the same page about the importance of sending re-engagement emails, it’s time to talk about the more strategic and nuanced side of things. With that in mind, here are the most common types of customer re-engagement emails that you’ll want to add to your email automation sequences.

1. “We Miss You” Emails

The “We miss you” email is a re-engagement campaign classic. It feels friendly, but not desperate; it appeals to emotions, but it isn’t sappy—and all wrapped in a subtle reminder to get back in touch. These emails often include just a friendly message, but they can also be paired with a special offer, or an invitation to check out new features.

You can’t really go wrong with a cute dog photo, so this “we miss you” email already has our heart. But we also love how this email appeals to someone out there “looking for a review,” making the reader feel like their input is valuable—and hopefully inspiring them to take action.

2. B2B Re-Engagement Emails

For B2B companies, re-engagement emails are a super important part of bringing back inactive leads, encouraging repeat purchases, or reminding customers of your value. This kind of email is going to be a bit (or a lot) less informal (so the “we miss you” text isn’t probably the right vibe), and instead often focuses on providing educational content, product updates, or exclusive offers.

We like how in this B2B re-engagement email, the recipient is clearly reminded that they’ve been missing out on special perks and faster finances, and they’re gently nudged to reconnect. 

3. Feedback Re-Engagement Emails

We all love to be asked our opinion, right? So if a subscriber has stopped engaging, asking for their feedback might very well get them to open your email and reply. Not only do these emails make customers feel heard and offer an opportunity to re-engage, but they give you a chance to gather important feedback to improve your business, service or product. Win, win and win.

Simple and appreciative, the below email makes clear that there will be just one question—and the sender follows through in the email message with gratitude. If someone hasn’t engaged in a while, this message is a good example of giving subscribers the warm and fuzzies in order to bring them back to buying some beer.

4. Recommendation Re-Engagement Emails

Sometimes customers get distracted or lose interest—this is business as usual. So pique their interest by sending personalized recommendations based on previous activity. By leveraging customer data—whether that’s past purchase behavior, email engagement, or otherwise—you can suggest relevant products, content, or services that speak to their needs and interests.

We love how Warby Parker’s re-engagement email is a blend of recommendation, special occasion, and intrigue. Aren’t you already wondering what your frame horoscope is?

5. Reminder Re-Engagement Emails

Sometimes people simply forget—that’s life! So a gentle reminder email about an expiring discount, an abandoned cart, or an incomplete profile can nudge customers back into action. We all need reminding sometimes.

The below reminder email effectively invites the reader to open with its simple “don’t forget” message, and just a touch of intrigue since the discount is unknown. Once opened, the message leans on a last-chance sense of urgency in order to hopefully seal the deal.

6. Reactivation Re-Engagement Emails

Reactivation emails focus on those customers that got far enough along in their journey to sign up for a trial or subscription, but somehow got distracted. Emails like these highlight what those customers might be missing out on and often include an incentive to return.

Nothing invites a little action like the threat of your data being hacked—gulp. Not only does the below reactivation email example motivate engagement, but it does a good job of tapping into the element of fear in order to generate interaction from the recipient.

7. Resubscribe Re-engagement Emails

You might be wondering if you can or should try to re-engage with customers who’ve chosen to unsubscribe from your list. While it may be tempting to send a resubscribe email, this is generally not recommended. Many email regulations, including GDPR and CASL, discourage sending emails to users who’ve explicitly opted out, and doing so can harm your sender reputation. 

So, instead of following up with another email, a more effective and compliant approach is to optimize your unsubscribe confirmation page. Use this page to:

• Remind users of the value they’re leaving behind.
• Highlight the benefits of staying subscribed, such as exclusive offers, helpful insights, or important updates they might miss.
• Provide options like adjusting email preferences instead of fully unsubscribing.

By making it easy for past subscribers to reconsider their decision, you create a frictionless path for re-engagement without violating email marketing best practices.

We love how the below resubscribe re-engagement example—which come in the form of an unsubscribe confirmation page rather than an email—playfully and easily gives subscribers the option to stay subscribed.

How to Write Re-Engagement Emails

When it comes to how to write a marketing email to re-engage, there are a handful of secret tactics you can use to get the most out of your messages. Let’s dissect the ways you can get more strategic with your re-engagement email writing.

1. Create a Sense of Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is a rather fail-safe tactic for capturing attention, and quickly. Limited-time offers, expiring discounts, or exclusive deals can push recipients to re-engage before it’s too late.

The below email from Sometimes Always playfully and successfully points out the product the customer was eyeing, while also injecting a sense of urgency given that the bottles are going fast. So if this customer was on the fence, they might well be enticed to re-engage given the prospect of missing out.

2. Offer a Special Discount

If you’re trying to re-engage subscribers, then it might be a good moment to shell out a steeper discount. If you usually offer 10%, then sweeten the deal with 15% off. Make sure it’s clear that the discount is an exclusive offer for coming back, making it all the more enticing to take action. 

Passing up on a discount is always a challenge, and that’s what Vegamour is counting on. In this email, they make it extra clear in the subject line that the discount is waiting and it’s time to re-engage. To the point, and effective. 

3. Use Personalization

We’re all drowning in content overload—AI-generated everything, overflowing inboxes, and an endless stream of messages. With so much noise, it’s easy to become numb to it all. As such, we’re craving a bit more personalization (just one of many current digital marketing trends). So consider using a subscriber’s name, past purchases, or browsing history to make the email feel more relevant and engaging, and not just another anonymous message in their inbox.

The following email from Iberia smartly appeals to the recipient directly by name in the subject line, and combines that with an exclusive offer and a touch of urgency. This mix of personalization and exclusivity has the power to re-engage the customer if previous messages haven’t done the trick.

4. Celebrate a Special Occasion

Special occasions, like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc, are a good excuse to send themed content that inspires email opens. And if you leverage the aforementioned personalization, you may wish to also offer a special discount to make re-engagement a bit more irresistible. 

It’s kind of hard to resist an old-fashioned astrology prediction. The below email example has a creative subject line that generates curiosity, and builds on that with the “shop cosmically” call to action. 

Below, Busuu uses the customer’s anniversary with the brand to offer a special discount. The nature of this not-every-day kind of discount can pique the recipient’s interest and get them to re-engage.

5. Reward Loyalty

These customers may have strayed, but perhaps once upon a time they were a loyal customer. Remind them of your gratitude and offer exclusive perks or VIP access so that they come back for more. 

For the Dr. Pepper lovers out there, this loyalty email re-engages with a curious and clever question in the subject line, and then reminds the reader to sign in to keep earning “Pepper Points.”

6. Incorporate Humor

Adding humor to your customer re-engagement emails can make your message more memorable and enjoyable. A lighthearted joke or playful tone can make your brand more relatable and increase the chances of a response.

The subject line and email below are laugh-out-loud silly. It employs email subject line best practices, with the injection of humor, a question, and intrigue. Then, from start to finish, it’s fresh and funny—and it’s hard to resist wanting more (emails or chocolate).

Lowercase and short, Bilt’s email subject line is so casual and silly that it would be hard not to open the email to find out more. And then the “hey, you good?” intro is ironic, laughable, and catchy—and hopefully just enough to get the reader to re-engage and complete their account.

7. Ask a Question

Engagement often starts with a simple question. Asking subscribers what they need, why they’ve been inactive, or what would bring them back makes them feel valued and encourages interaction.

Notice how TripAdvisor employs an ever so simple question in the subject line to grab the reader’s attention—after all, if they did go to Notteri, they’ll probably open the email to see what this is all about. From there, this email encourages more engagement by asking “would you go again?” and appealing to the reader’s desire to be helpful by providing their opinion for other travelers. Clever all around.

8. Send Updates & Valuable Information

If an email recipient hasn’t engaged in a while, it’s because other messages and brands in their inbox have taken priority. Get them re-interested by sending updates about new features, product improvements, or exclusive content that adds value.

In the below example, Hootsuite demonstrates the power of valuable content in action. So perhaps there’s a group of Hootsuite email recipients who haven’t opened their emails in a while, but when they see this interesting new trend report, they open the email, download the report, and, you guessed it, re-engage with Hootsuite. Mission accomplished.

The below “coming soon” update is a great email newsletter example that demonstrates how to build intrigue and momentum. Disengaged readers and customers are more likely to be curious about what’s coming soon, and then continue to stay connected because they want to find out more—and in this case, they may even sign up for SMS message updates, which is really a true re-engagement win.

When to Send Re-Engagement Emails

Timing matters when it comes to the ever-so-important re-engagement email. Sending them too soon can feel pushy, while waiting too long may result in losing the customer for good. But not all customer re-engagement emails follow the same rules, so here are some email marketing tips to keep in mind as you craft and schedule your messages:

• 30 to 60 Days of Inactivity: If a customer hasn’t interacted with your brand for a month or two, a friendly check-in email can remind them of what they’re missing.
• Before or After Subscription Expiry: If you offer a subscription-based service, sending a re-engagement email before a customer’s subscription expires, or a “we’re sorry to see you go, but here’s what you’re missing” message can prompt them to renew.
• After Abandoned Carts: Sending a reminder within 24 to 48 hours of cart abandonment can recover lost sales.
• During Seasonal or Special Promotions: Offering exclusive discounts during major sales events can be a great way to re-engage inactive customers.
• Before Removing from Your List: If all previous attempts have failed, a final “last chance” email before unsubscribing them can prompt re-engagement.

Getting the Most Out of Your Re-Engagement Emails

Re-engagement emails are like that friendly tap on the shoulder that says, “Hey, remember us? We still think you’re awesome.” Whether you’re using humor, a tempting discount, or a heartfelt “We miss you,” the key is to remind subscribers why they signed up or did business with you in the first place. So put these strategies into action, and turn those cold leads into warm, engaged subscribers and customers again. Because sometimes, all it takes is the right email at the right time to bring them back.