Here's the math that should keep you up at night.
Acquiring a new customer costs 5-7x more than reactivating an existing one. Yet most brands spend 80% of their marketing budget chasing strangers while their lapsed customers slowly forget they exist. For real examples you can steal, see our win-back email examples and 7 win-back emails that work. Also check our re-engagement campaign guide for broader strategies.
Those lapsed customers already know you. They've already trusted you with their credit card. They've already received your product. The relationship exists. You just need to wake it up.
That's what win-back email campaigns do. And when done right, they're one of the highest-ROI automations you can build.
Why Subscribers Go Dark in the First Place
Before fixing it, understand it.
The Frequency Problem. You're emailing too much. Four promos a week and you become background noise.
The Relevance Problem. You're sending the same content to everyone. Someone who bought once six months ago doesn't care about your "New Customer" discount.
The Timing Problem. You waited too long. By month six of silence, they've forgotten you exist.
The average email list decays 25-30% per year. That means a quarter of your subscribers will disengage naturally no matter what you do. A well-timed win-back campaign can recover 10-15% of those people. That's real revenue, not a guess.
What Is a Win-Back Email Campaign?
A win-back campaign is an automated email sequence triggered when a customer hasn't purchased or engaged in a set period of time. The goal: get them to buy again before they forget about you completely.
Simple as that.
The timing varies by business. A coffee subscription might trigger at 45 days of inactivity. A furniture store might wait 6 months. The principle is the same: identify lapsed customers, then give them a compelling reason to come back.
Why Win-Back Campaigns Actually Work
People who bought from you before are 9x more likely to convert than first-time visitors. They've already cleared the biggest hurdles: trusting your brand, entering payment info, waiting for delivery.
The numbers on win-back campaigns:
- Average open rate: 29% (way above typical promotional emails)
- Click rate: 13% (compared to 2-3% for cold lists)
- Reactivation rate: 12-15% of recipients will purchase again
These aren't vanity metrics. This is revenue you're leaving on the table every day you don't have a win-back sequence running.
When to Send Win-Back Emails
Timing is everything. Send too early and you seem desperate. Too late and they've already moved on.
General timing framework:
| Business Type | First Win-Back Email | Full Sequence Length |
|---|---|---|
| Consumables (CPG, beauty) | 30-45 days | 30 days |
| Apparel & fashion | 60-90 days | 45 days |
| General ecommerce | 60-90 days | 60 days |
| High-ticket items | 6-12 months | 90 days |
| SaaS/subscriptions | 14-30 days after cancel | 60 days |
Look at your actual data first. When do most customers naturally make their second purchase? That's your baseline. Your win-back should trigger shortly after that window passes.
Win-Back Sequence Types: Picking Your Approach
Not all win-backs should look the same. Different situations call for different angles:
| Sequence Type | Best For | Avg Re-Engagement | Revenue Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Have We Done Something Wrong?" | All subscribers | 8-12% | Medium |
| Product You Forgot About | Previous customers | 10-15% | High |
| Content Reactivation | Content subscribers | 6-10% | Low-Medium |
| VIP Access | Former high-value customers | 12-18% | Very High |
| Straight-Up Discount | Price-sensitive segments | 5-8% | Medium |
The "Have We Done Something Wrong?" approach works because it flips the script. Instead of begging, you're asking for feedback. The discount-first approach is your nuclear option. It works, but it trains people to wait for coupons. Use it last, not first.
The 5-Email Win-Back Sequence That Converts
Most brands send one "we miss you" email and call it a day. That's lazy. A proper win-back sequence has 5 touchpoints, each with a different angle.
Email 1: The Soft Reminder (Day 0)
No discount yet. Just a friendly nudge.
Subject line: "It's been a while, [Name]"
Content:
- Acknowledge the time gap
- Remind them what you offer
- Share what's new since they left
- Soft CTA to browse
Keep it warm. You're reconnecting, not selling. Think of running into an old friend at the grocery store.
Email 2: Social Proof (Day 4)
If they didn't bite on the reminder, they need convincing.
Subject line: "Here's what you're missing"
Content:
- Customer reviews or testimonials
- Best-selling products right now
- User-generated content if you have it
- "Thousands of customers" type proof
People follow crowds. Show them the crowd is still here.
Email 3: The Incentive (Day 8)
Now you bring out the discount. Not before.
Subject line: "A little something for you, [Name]"
Content:
- Exclusive discount (10-20% works for most)
- Clear expiration date (creates urgency)
- Single CTA to shop
- Personalized product recommendations if possible
The discount should feel earned, not desperate. That's why you waited until email 3.
Email 4: Urgency (Day 12)
Reminder that the offer is expiring.
Subject line: "Your [X]% off expires soon"
Content:
- Countdown to discount expiration
- Restate the offer clearly
- Address common objections
- Make the CTA impossible to miss
This email often gets the best conversion of the whole sequence. Deadlines work.
Email 5: Last Chance + Breakup (Day 16)
Final email. Make it count.
Subject line: "Should we stop emailing you?"
Content:
- Acknowledge this might be goodbye
- Final discount reminder
- Option to update preferences
- Clear unsubscribe if they want out
The "breakup email" works because it's honest. You're giving them control. Ironically, that often brings them back.
Win-Back Subject Lines That Get Opens
Your subject line determines whether everything else matters. Here's what works:
High performers:
- "We miss you at [Brand]" (personal, warm)
- "It's been 60 days, [Name]" (specific, attention-grabbing)
- "Come back? We saved your favorites" (value-focused)
- "Your 20% off expires tomorrow" (urgency + incentive)
- "Is this goodbye?" (curiosity gap)
What to avoid:
- All caps or excessive punctuation
- "LAST CHANCE!!!" energy
- Generic "Check out our new arrivals"
- Anything that sounds like every other brand
Test your subject lines. What works for a skincare brand won't work for a B2B software company. Let your data tell you what resonates.
For more on this, check out our email subject line best practices guide.
Personalization That Actually Moves the Needle
Generic win-back emails get generic results. Personalization changes everything.
Beyond just using their name:
- Reference their last purchase
- Recommend products based on past behavior
- Mention how long they've been a customer
- Show their loyalty points or rewards balance
- Include items they browsed but didn't buy
Example: "Hey Sarah, it's been 90 days since you ordered the Vitamin C Serum. Time for a restock? Here's 15% off your next order."
That email feels like it was written for one person. Because effectively, it was.
If you're using Klaviyo, this is built in. If not, most modern ESPs support dynamic content blocks based on purchase history. Use them.
Win-Back Campaigns vs Other Retention Flows
Win-back is just one piece of the retention puzzle. Here's how it fits with other automations:
| Flow Type | Trigger | Goal | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-purchase | After order ships | Build relationship | Days 1-14 |
| Replenishment | Product should run out | Drive repeat purchase | Based on product lifecycle |
| Win-back | No purchase in X days | Reactivate lapsed | 30-90+ days |
| Sunset | No engagement in 90+ days | Clean list or re-engage | 90-180 days |
Win-back targets customers who have disengaged. Replenishment catches them before they disengage. Post-purchase prevents disengagement in the first place.
You need all of them. For more on building a complete customer lifecycle, read our customer lifecycle marketing guide.
What to Do When Win-Back Doesn't Work
Not everyone will come back. That's reality.
After your win-back sequence completes with no engagement, you have two options:
Option 1: Sunset flow
Move them to a less frequent email cadence. Maybe monthly instead of weekly. Give them space without completely letting go.
Option 2: List cleanup
If someone hasn't opened an email in 6+ months despite multiple win-back attempts, remove them. Your deliverability will thank you. A smaller, engaged list beats a large, dead one every time.
This feels painful. It's not. Those contacts were hurting your metrics and costing you money anyway.
Learn more about how to reduce churn across your entire customer base.
Common Win-Back Mistakes to Avoid
I see these constantly:
Starting with a discount. You're training customers to wait for coupons. Build value first.
Only sending one email. One email isn't a campaign. It takes multiple touches to reactivate someone.
Not segmenting by customer value. Your VIPs who spent $500 deserve different treatment than someone who bought once for $20.
Ignoring the data. If 90% of repeat purchases happen within 60 days, don't wait 120 days to trigger your win-back.
Sending to your whole list. Win-back is for lapsed customers, not everyone. Segmentation matters. See our email segmentation strategies for more on this.
Setting Up Your Win-Back Automation
Here's your implementation checklist:
Step 1: Define "lapsed"
Look at your data. What's the average time between purchases for repeat customers? Add 30-50% to that number. That's your trigger point.
Step 2: Create your segments
At minimum, separate:
- Recent lapsed (30-60 days)
- Long lapsed (60-120 days)
- Very lapsed (120+ days)
Each might need different messaging.
Step 3: Build the sequence
Start with the 5-email framework above. Adjust based on your brand voice and customer data.
Step 4: Set up the automation
Trigger: Customer last purchased X days ago AND has not purchased since.
Exit conditions: Customer makes a purchase OR unsubscribes.
Step 5: Test and optimize
A/B test subject lines first (biggest impact). Then test discount amounts. Then email copy. One variable at a time.
What to Actually Track
Open rates are not the metric for win-back campaigns. Here's what matters:
Re-engagement rate. What percentage clicked AND opened your next regular email after the win-back? That's real re-engagement, not one-time curiosity.
Revenue per recipient. Did they buy? How much? A 10% open rate generating $5,000 beats a 20% open rate generating $500.
List hygiene improvement. Your overall engagement rate should go UP after running win-backs and removing unresponsive subscribers. If it doesn't, you're not sunsetting aggressively enough.
Track these week over week. If your re-engagement rate is under 5%, the sequence needs work.
FAQ
How often can I run win-back campaigns?
Once per subscriber, then they either re-engage or get suppressed. Don't run multiple win-backs to the same person within 6 months.
Should I segment my win-back emails?
Always. At minimum, split by purchase history (customers vs. non-customers) and engagement level before they went dark. Generic win-backs to your entire inactive list perform 30-40% worse than segmented ones.
What if my win-back emails are going to spam?
Your sender reputation is already compromised. Fix list hygiene first. Remove hard bounces, suppression matches, and anyone who hasn't opened in 180+ days. Then run the campaign.
Can I use SMS for win-backs?
Yes, but only if they've actually engaged via SMS before. Texting someone who only ever subscribed via email feels invasive. SMS win-backs work best when text is already part of your customer experience.
What's a good re-engagement rate?
5-10% is solid. 10-15% is excellent. Under 5% means your win-back content needs work or those people were never really engaged to begin with.
The Bottom Line
Every day without a win-back sequence, you're losing customers you already paid to acquire.
The math is simple. Reactivating a lapsed customer costs a fraction of finding a new one. They already trust you. They already know your product. They just need a nudge.
Build a 5-email win-back sequence. Personalize it based on purchase history. Time it based on your actual data. Test and optimize over time.
This isn't complicated. But most brands don't do it. Which means you have an advantage.
Set it up once. Let it run forever. Watch lapsed customers come back.
That's how you win at retention.
Need help building win-back campaigns that actually convert? At Inbox Connect, we build email systems that bring customers back. Book a free 30-minute audit and we'll show you exactly how much revenue you're leaving on the table.