Overview
Inactive contacts are a natural part of every email marketing program. Over time, subscribers may stop opening messages, stop purchasing, or fall out of regular communication. A thoughtful re-engagement strategy helps marketers determine which contacts are still valuable, which need a targeted win-back message, and which should be suppressed to protect sender reputation.
This guide translates the re-engagement concepts from the slide deck into a structured business document for general email marketers. It outlines how to define inactive audiences, segment them intelligently, choose the right campaign type, and measure results after each send.
1. Define What “Inactive” Means
Before launching any campaign, marketers should establish a clear definition of inactivity. The right definition depends on the business model, purchase cycle, and typical engagement patterns, but common indicators include the absence of email opens, lack of recent purchases or bookings, or a long period without being contacted.
- No email opens in the past 90 to 120 days.
- Previously inactive contacts who have not been sent an email in the past year.
- Customers, guests, or subscribers who have not purchased, booked, or otherwise converted in the past year.
- Contacts whose past behavior suggest they once had value but are no longer responding to regular campaigns.
2. Segment Inactive Contacts Before Sending
Segmentation is critical because not all inactive contacts carry the same level of opportunity or risk. Marketers should separate inactive audiences based on both engagement and commercial behavior so that each group receives an appropriate message strategy.
- Recently purchased but email-inactive: Contacts who have made a purchase or booking in the past year but have not been engaging with email. These contacts may still have strong brand value and could respond to relevant, personalized content.
- Lapsed purchasers and email-inactive contacts: Contacts who have not purchased or booked in the past year and have also stopped engaging with email. These contacts may require a stronger incentive or a clearer reason to return.
- Not recently contacted and not engaged: Contacts who have not been sent a message in the past year and have not shown engagement. These should be approached cautiously to reduce deliverability risk.
- Deliverability-safe contacts: Exclude contacts with excessive soft bounces, such as those with a defined number of soft bounces, to reduce the likelihood of failed delivery or reputation issues.
3. There are two primary approaches marketers can use to re-engage inactive contacts: a win-back flow and a re-engagement email. Both can be effective, but they serve different purposes and should be used with different audiences.
Win-Back Flow
A win-back flow is best suited for contacts with a clear history of value, such as past guests, customers, or buyers who have not returned recently. This approach typically uses a sequence of messages designed to remind contacts of the brand, highlight relevant value, and encourage a new booking, purchase, or conversion.
- Contacts who previously stayed at a property or made a purchase but have not done so in the past year.
- Contacts who have not opened an email or have not been sent an email in the past year but have a prior purchase, stay, or booking history.
- High-value dormant contacts who may respond better to a planned journey than to a single standalone message.
Single Re-Engagement Email
A single re-engagement email is appropriate for contacts who have not been engaging with regular campaigns. This email should be used infrequently and sent carefully, especially when targeting audiences that have not interacted for a long period of time. A one-year inactivity threshold is a useful starting point for many programs.
The message should give recipients a clear reason to respond, such as a special offer, useful content, or a simple option to confirm that they still want to receive emails. The goal is not only to drive immediate engagement, but also to identify which contacts still want to hear from the brand.
4. Execute Carefully to Protect Deliverability
Re-engagement campaigns can improve list quality, but they can also create risk if sent too aggressively. Inactive audiences are more likely to bounce, complain, or include problematic addresses. For that reason, marketers should start with smaller sends, monitor performance closely, and gradually expand only when results are healthy.
- Start with a small, carefully selected audience before increasing send volume.
- Coordinate re-engagement sends with broader campaign planning to avoid sudden spikes in volume.
- Avoid repeatedly emailing contacts who do not respond to re-engagement efforts.
- Use suppression rules to remove contacts who continue to show no interest.
- Review campaign results after every send before expanding to additional segments.
5. Re-Engagement Email Ideas
Effective re-engagement emails should be simple, relevant, and easy to act on. The best message will depend on the relationship the contact previously had with the brand, but the following ideas can help marketers create campaigns that feel intentional rather than generic.
- “We miss you” message: A friendly reminder that invites the contact back with a clear call to action.
- Exclusive return offer: A limited-time discount, loyalty incentive, or special package designed for lapsed customers.
- Preference confirmation: A message asking recipients whether they still want to receive emails and allowing them to update their preferences.
- New value story: A message that highlights what has changed since the contact last engaged, such as new products, services, destinations, features, or benefits.
- Final check-in: A polite last-touch email that gives contacts one more opportunity to stay subscribed before being suppressed from future marketing.
6. Measure Results and Adjust
After each re-engagement is sent, marketers should review both performance and deliverability indicators. A successful campaign is not measured only by opens or clicks; it should also improve list quality and reduce future risk.
- Open and click engagement from previously inactive contacts.
- Conversions, bookings, purchases, or other meaningful business outcomes.
- Spam complaints and unsubscribe activity.
- Bounces, especially repeated soft bounces or hard bounces.
- Spam trap hits or other reputation signals.
- Segment-level results that indicate which groups are worth additional investment.
Conclusion
Re-engagement is most effective when it is deliberate, segmented, and measured. By identifying inactive contacts, separating them by value and risk, and using the right campaign approach, email marketers can recover meaningful relationships while maintaining healthy deliverability. The goal is not to keep every contact on the list forever; it is to focus future marketing on people who still want to hear from the brand.
