How to Engage Email Subscribers and Re-engage the Inactive Ones

Research shows that according to over half of online retailers, nearly 20% of their customers become active with initial marketing emails. Only less than 5% of those interviewed recorded over 60% customer engagement.

 

This just goes to show that a successful email campaign is an uphill task. With the right approach though, it’s possible to actively engage subscribers and even re-engage inactive ones on your email list.

 

How you ask?

 

Here are a few tried and tested ways marketing agency, Caffeinated Projects use in their business that you can implement too;

 

How to Engage Email Subscribers

 

Keeping your subscribers engaged starts with the very first welcome email that you send out. After a person has opted to join your email marketing, you only have one chance to rock their world or it’s ‘unsubscribe’ for your campaign. These emails have to tweak the customer’s interest and keep them opening subsequent posts.

 

Since the idea of successful email marketing is making conversions, every mail has to be well thought. From the subject line to the signing off or who the email is ‘from’, you need to observe best email practices. To start you off let's go through some of these;

Subject Line

 

This is what your subscribers read first; your words have to get their undivided attention. Here is a peek at what litmus has to say about successful subject lines.

 

• Avoid phrases like Remainder, Help, and %off. These phrases make you come out as needy or as the begging type. Same goes for explanation marks and full caps. Such emails stand a low chance of being open leave alone being read.
• Try and frame the subject line as a question. Most people are curious and a question will get them interested in ‘solving’, which they do by opening and actually reading through.
• Keep it short and to the point. Longer subject lines have a low open and click rate compared to short ones. Keep the words at a maximum of 50.

The Body

 

After getting the attention of your subscriber through the subject line, you need them to read the email and if possible take up your call to action. So the question is; what should your email contain?

 

• Involve your subscribers in surveys. The fact that their opinion matters is enough to keep most of them active in your campaigns.
• Break newsletters, call to action and surveys with surprise personal emails. An email with a personal touch helps to ‘humanize’ your company increasing chances of productive engagement.
• Send out periodical, informative and client-oriented content, this will set you apart from other marketers out there.

From Who

 

As a company grows it might not be possible for you to keep up with all subscribers. This is when you find yourself using generic email addresses and sending batches with ‘noreply’ addresses. Such emails are perceived as impersonal and don’t offer much leeway for subscribers to engage with you.

 

It pays to personally write to your customers and address their queries. If you can’t, then assign other staff to be signing off and replying to these emails.

How to Re-engage Inactive Email Subscribers

 

Studies have shown that just by increasing 5% of your customer’s retention rates your profits can increase by up to 95%. This is revenue stream that you can implement by re-engaging inactive email subscribers.

Understand Why They Became Inactive

 

Start by carrying out a survey to find out why subscribers are no longer responding to your emails. Finding out the reasons will come in handy in formulating a way forward. Possible answers to expect; signed for one time offer, bad experience, too many emails, change in circumstances and so on.

Run a Reactivation Campaign

 

You need to run a campaign aimed at dormant subscribers. Apart from observing best email practices as outlined above, you have to go a step further to make your campaign worthwhile. You can go with Facebook Audience to reach out, run online competitions that will reignite interest on your brand or offer coupons and special promotion codes.

View the Results

 

Compare re-engagement campaign performances. With this, it becomes easy to focus on the aspects of your campaign that have better ROI (return on investment).

Bottom Line

 

Engaging subscribers will take creativity on how you tailor your emails, a little bit of manipulation and resources. Re-activating inactive ones will require patience and a much targeted campaign. The process should also be quantifiable; this will help you in knowing when to cut the cord and trim your email listing to remain with profitable subscribers.