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Winback flows are a powerful tool for ecommerce brands looking to re-engage with inactive customers and increase revenue. The goal of a winback flow is to reach out to customers who have previously engaged with your brand, but have become inactive over time. These customers are valuable targets because they already have an existing relationship with your brand, making them more likely to return as active customers if properly re-engaged.
Before you create any sort of emails or automations, the key to creating a successful winback email flow is proper segmentation. Segmentation allows you categorize your subscribers so you can target them more effectively with emails & SMS messaging. To start, you should divide your contacts in two different unengaged segments for your winback flows:
Unengaged, Has Purchased
This segment is fairly straight to the point. Those contacts that have not engaged with your emails and/or website, but have purchased in the past. Typically, brands will set the engagement threshold to either 90-180 days. This will come down to factors like your product, your industry, typically buying cycle, etc.
Unengaged, Has NOT Purchased
Similarly to the first segment, this segment will follow the same criteria, but for those that have not purchased on the past. A common strategy that we see with a list like this is for it to be a bit shorter than a list that has purchased. If we see that the "Has Purchased" list is performing well after being touched at 180 days, perhaps setting the "Has NOT Purchased" list to 90 days can help move the needle for those who have never purchased before.
This will help you understand their buying behavior and what they might need to become active customers again. This will also help you determine what triggers you should set for your automation as well. As you can see in the example below, a client of ours segments previous buyers vs non-buyers with a 6-month engagement window.
We understand that in the fast-paced world of business, it can be tempting to fire off just one or two emails to your inactive customers in an attempt to win them back. However, it's important to keep in mind that a single email may not be enough to capture their attention, let alone entice them to take action.
The truth is, sending just one or two emails may even increase the risk of your communications being ignored or forgotten altogether. In order to maximize your chances of success, engagement, and revenue, we strongly recommend sending at least three emails in your win-back flow.
By sending a series of well-crafted emails, you'll have the opportunity to properly introduce your brand, offer valuable information and promotions, and build a relationship with your inactive customers. This can lead to increased engagement, sales, and customer loyalty over time.
It's important to remember that every customer is unique, with their own preferences and habits when it comes to engaging with brands. By sending a series of targeted emails, you'll be able to cater to these individual needs and preferences, and increase your chances of winning them back.
So take the time to craft a series of engaging and personalized emails, and let your brand's voice shine through. With a little effort and persistence, you can win back even the most disengaged customers, and turn them into loyal brand advocates for years to come.
The messaging in your win-back email flow should be straightforward and upfront. Your inactive customers may not even realize that they have not engaged with your brand in some time, so it is important to keep the copy in your subject lines, preview texts, and email body short, sweet, and to the point. This will help you create that "Oh Crap" moment when your customer sees your email, increasing the likelihood that they will take action and re-engage with your brand.
Win-back email flows are a powerful tool for ecommerce brands looking to re-engage with inactive customers and increase revenue. By properly segmenting your contacts, sending multiple emails, and being upfront in your messaging, you can create a win-back flow that is effective and drives results. If you're an email marketer, don't hesitate to add win-back email flows to your strategy, they can be the difference maker in driving engagement and sales.
