How To Warm Up A Cold List With “Re-Engagement” Campaigns…

As time passes, you’ll notice your mailing list tends to “chill” and become less responsive. But don’t worry… this is a typical pattern. Those readers who aren’t interested any longer have already unsubscribed. So, now you’re left with a segment of your list who haven’t scarpered but have “cooled” right down… so, what to do with these folks?

“Create A Re-Engagement Campaign“

This is a relatively easy way to breathe new life into your mailing list. You’ll re-engage those who are inactive, which will boost your revenue. And those who stay on the sidelines can be deleted. This might seem harsh, but it will improve your list’s overall conversion rate and SAVE you money.

So, with these benefits in mind, let’s look at how to create this campaign…

Step 1: Identify Inactive Subscribers

Firstly, weed out your inactive subscribers. These folk haven’t opened your stuff for the last several months. Although lucky for you, most ESPs keep track of this information and let you separate the wheat from the chaff… so you can target the cold prospects and begin warming them up with fresh new campaigns.

Step 2: Select an Incentive

Secondly, you’ll have to think about why your subscribers aren’t opening your emails. This allows you to “punch” up your content… because it’s obviously NOT hitting the mark anymore. Try coming up with a unique incentive.

How do you do that, then?

Well, you can look at the list segments these inactive subscribers belong to, which may give you clues about their specific interests.

• What sorts of emails have they opened in the past?
• What freebies have they snapped up?
• What links did they click?

Once you have the answers, then decide what incentive you can offer. Basically… get them excited again. For example…

Maybe you’re running a weight-loss site. And you’ve noticed meal plans are a favorite amongst these inactive subs. So, there’s your clue as to what your incentive might be.

NOTE: You might create more than one incentive or re-engagement campaign.

For example… maybe one group is interested in meal plans and the other in exercise. Well, here, you can create two incentives and campaigns for these different segments.

And if you haven’t segmented them in a way that tells you their specific interests, then choose a more general topic that appeals to everyone. You can then create a video, report, app, etc., to offer as an incentive.

Step 3: Plan Your Emails

Next, you’ll want to plan a series of at least 3-4 emails to re-engage. For example…

• Email 1: Offer the incentive. Share the top benefits and “sell” it as a paid product. Remind people of the value you provide and the benefits they receive by being on your list.
• Email 2: Remind people of the incentive. Offer additional value (a few tips, maybe). And remember, this should be quality information because you’re “reminding” people why they’re on your list.
• Email 3: “This offer ends soon” email. Here you create a sense of urgency, letting your readers know the offer won’t be on the table for much longer (and re-iterate the benefits).
• Email 4: “last chance.” Here’s where you give them 24 hrs to claim their FREE gift… or it’s gone forever!
• Email 5: “Do you still want to be on this list?” And for the finale… let them know they’ll be deleted if they don’t click the link. And say… once your name’s been deleted, there’s no way back (it’s for good).

Next…

Step 4: >Create Eye-Popping Subject Lines<

One of the most important things you need to do is create super-compelling subject lines for your campaign. Remember, your audience is most likely bored shitless with all the emails already cramming their inboxes (I know I am). So, this is where you do some research and come up with something unique, fresh, and shocking! For example…

“How I Beat My Nephew With A Baseball Bat!”

This one’s a play on words… we both chose a bat. I had the baseball bat, and he had the cricket bat… how far could we hit a ball…I won!

It’s NOT generic and grabs attention like pork in a synagogue. Here’s one more…

“Kicked, Beaten, and Abandoned by The Side of The Road”

This was a lead-in to a story about a dog that was abused but came through and managed to live a full and happy life… analogous to how our pasts shouldn’t hold us back from our futures. The subject line cries out to be read, huh?

And finally…

Step 5: Delete the Die-hard Inactive Members

Once your campaign is complete, you’ll want to revisit your stats. Wait a week or so and delete anyone who didn’t open the emails in your campaign (they had their chance). But if someone opened at least one but didn’t click on anything… continue to send them great, valuable, benefit-ridden content.

Conclusion

It’s typical for email lists to grow cold eventually. However, every subscriber who cools down isn’t necessarily gone for good (unless you delete them). You can create re-engagement campaigns to breathe life back into your list.