Optimizing customer communication: creating better reactivation emails
Miguel Nicolás
22/04/2025
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We continue optimizing customer communication. This time we will do it by creating better reactivation emails.
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We have set out to give you all the possible guidelines to maximize communication with your customers via email. To do that, we have already talked to you about promotions or newsletters.Today it is the turn of a type of email that is worth its weight in gold: reactivation emails.We know it is hard to acquire a customer, so we had better be able to foster more repeat purchases to make that effort and those resources worthwhile.So I hope you are ready. Let´s start.
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The importance of good reactivation emails
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Reactivation emails may seem simple, but they play a key role: reconnecting with those who stopped interacting with your brand. And for that, it is worth doing it right.Here are the most important reasons why these emails can make a difference in your eCommerce:
- They increase the profitability of marketing campaigns: With reactivation emails you can win back people who already knew you, get them to buy again, and offer them related products. That not only boosts sales, but also makes the acquisition cost more manageable, so each customer costs less to obtain. If you earn more per customer thanks to these emails, margins improve too.
- They improve the experience: reactivation emails are a way to say: “we miss you,” so we can be more emotional in the message and convey interest in the customer themselves, which goes beyond just the transaction.
- They generate loyalty: in fact, this is largely a result of the enhanced experience we just mentioned. If we combine personalized communication with an offer... it is hard to resist. A coupon or a conditional discount will make sure we are always among the user’s top purchase options.
- It is a very cost-efficient action: generally this is the case with all email marketing-related actions, which are known for having a very low cost in relation to the direct benefit they can generate.
Honestly, it does not seem necessary to insist further, right? What we most need in marketing are these kinds of strategies that directly aim to sell more and also to sell better. -
Examples of reactivation emails in eCommerce
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In the case of reactivation emails, as you will see, it is always about finding a balance: there has to be a promotional component attractive enough for a user—who may not be interested in buying anything at that moment—to feel a change in their motivation.Generally, let’s be honest, this is usually through discounts, but we can offer new arrivals, complementary services, store credit, improved conditions like free shipping...But, as I said, these emails have an emotional component. If you analyze a few, you will surely see that many of them use the “we miss you” line.It might seem a bit overused, but the truth is it is a really good approach, because it speaks from the closeness that email marketing gives us, where there is explicit permission from the customer, unlike other channels.Let’s go straight to real examples of specific cases, because with those we’ are going to see in practice how and why they work.
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#1 – Need more?
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Maybe not all stores or all products are suitable for using reactivation emails this way, but if your online store sells something “consumable” or perishable within a relatively short period of time, it’s especially important to be present when it is time to repurchase.I could give you a thousand examples, but I liked this one from the cosmetics store Aillea. Beauty routines fit very well with the description we just gave.
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We like this reactivation email because:
- It is based on a need: it may not have the best design, but I want to share this with you from the point of view of the message and timing. Taking into account that customer bought a certain routine, and how long it takes to run out, you can anticipate what they will need.
- Service-oriented: it is clear it aims to sell, but it does so implicitly. It does not say: “buy,” it says: “our goal is to help you with your daily routine.” The language is everything in this case, because it gives us a perspective where there is a “debt of gratitude” from the customer toward the brand.
- It asks openly: are you missing any product for your routine? I think this is very good, although to make it better, maybe I would have used it more prominently or even turned it into a call to action within a button.
- Integration of categories in the email: as we mentioned, it manages to introduce the categories in the context of the value proposition and the copy.
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#2 – FOMO in your email
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We live in a society where there is a terrible fear of missing out. Everyone almost feels the need to stay up to date with the latest trends, and eCommerce is not immune to this so-called FOMO.SurfStitch is an online store for surf fashion and swimwear. Is there anything where that fear of being outdated fits better than in fashion? Well, this is the lever they use in this reactivation email.
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We like this reactivation email because:
- It uses automation: at first glance you might not notice, but the user who received this email got it automatically. The trigger criterion used for the automation is basically that the recipient has not opened several previous emails (we will see more cases).
- Very good balance in the value proposition: in a single email, it includes everything necessary to grab attention. There are products, outlet discounts, non-transactional info with the blog, and benefits like free shipping.
- Usefulness: giving the customer the ability to manage the amount and frequency of emails themselves is great. Most probably will not bother doing it, but anyone who sees it will interpret it as a very appreciable sign of transparency.
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#3 – Reactivating inactive customers
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This fear of missing out is so powerful, it is worth seeing another approach to this same neuromarketing mechanism.The good thing about using different examples is that it allows us to better adapt the concept to our business model. Here we are going to see how a subscription box service like Fabfitfun reactivates customers who had previously canceled.
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We like this reactivation email because:
- Clarity in the offer: the structure in this case is impeccable, it uses design to present us a mysterious but attractive product thanks to the design of its packaging, and then it breaks down a series of perks (benefits).
- Very persuasive copy: it speaks directly about what you have been missing, the benefits (this word is very intentionally used), and it creates urgency by closing with: for a limited time. The call-to-action button specifies the action expected from the user—everything this email says is summed up in: “reactivate your account.”
- Value proposition: get a special and limited edition box with an estimated value of $125. It seems like something a gift box enthusiast would find hard to resist.
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#4 – Seasonality as a pretext
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Reactivation emails are sensitive to seasonality and specific events. That is, we can use Christmas, Halloween or summer as a reason to send one of these emails (although it could also be the customer’s birthday, if we want to go personal).Surely Christmas is one of the most purchase-driven moments of the year, so here is an example of how this pet product eCommerce, called Little Beasts, has taken advantage of it perfectly.
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We like this reactivation email because:
- Seasonality as motivation: as we just mentioned, Christmas is an optimal moment for their business model, since they sell products that are always gifts because, obviously, the end users cannot buy them themselves.
- They use attractive licenses: Snoopy is a beloved character, especially for a certain age segment. If you have the license to use him in your designs, do not hesitate to do so in your communication as well (and it is been well contextualized with the season).
- Real images: these products –most of them, really– sell better when there is an image showing their real use. Who can resist a puppy on the Internet?
We continue progressing in optimizing customer communication. We still have a lot to share with you and many examples to go over. -
For now I would ask: did you find these reactivation emails interesting?