In a perfect world, all of our relationships would last a lifetime and never hit a rough patch. In our email marketing efforts, every subscriber would stay engaged 100% of the time, opening and interacting with every campaign we send. But we know that’s not the case. Relationships with your subscribers will wax and wane over time and identifying why is the first step to reconnecting with them if they’ve become disengaged.
Subscribers may disengage for various reasons ranging from a poor fit with your brand and story to simple email fatigue and everything in between. The data available to you through your email marketing platform will provide valuable insight into how the relationship has changed over time and where to begin patching things up.
If you want to rebuild a relationship, you have to spend the time to really get to know the other person. Before you attempt to reengage, refresh your understanding of your customers and see what really makes them tick. What problems are they trying to solve, why did they connect with you originally and what do they value most about you? Knowing what motivates them will be key in developing a plan for reengagement. If you feel you could do with a refresh in understanding your customer base this is also a great opportunity to review and develop up-to-date customer profiles.
When it comes to the reengagement tactics you’ll apply, will you be the big organisation just looking to boost sales? Or the brand who genuinely cares about it’s community and long term relationships. Sales promotions and offers can be great incentives but run the risk of being passed over. When it comes to reengagement it’s the way you go about it, not the offer itself that will ultimately cut through. Show that you care by using personalisation to reflect on past interactions and adopt language that warmly invites the reader to engage. If it’s an ongoing relationship you hope to rebuild, try to open a dialogue with subscribers and find out what you can do to help them.
With noble intentions and the right approach for your customer base, a reengagement campaign will certainly bring subscribers back into the fold, but be realistic about your expectations. You can only do so much before it becomes overbearing and there will almost certainly be a portion of your subscribers who simply aren’t interested. Know when to call it a day. Sometimes it’s better to let people go if they’re not engaging anymore. For the subscribers who respond positively, be sure to do everything in your power to keep them engaged into the future. Reengagement campaigns are really only as strong as your subsequent email marketing strategy, especially if you’re into building lifetime customer relationships.
Want to rebuild relationships with your subscriber database? Get in touch with us today.