If a large portion of your list is inactive, ISPs like Gmail and Outlook take note. They assume your content isn’t relevant, which can lead to lower inbox placement and more emails hitting spam—even for engaged users.
2. Reduce Costs
Most email marketing platforms charge based on list size. Every inactive contact you keep is potentially costing you money with zero ROI.
3. Increase ROI
It’s often more cost-effective to win back a lapsed user than to acquire a new one. A re-engagement email that reignites interest can lead to purchases, form fills, or other conversions.
4. Stay Compliant
Privacy regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM emphasize transparency and consent. Regularly scrubbing or requalifying your list helps you stay compliant.
When Should You Run a Re-Engagement Campaign?
It depends on your email frequency and engagement benchmarks, but a good rule of thumb is:
Inactive for 90–180 days? Time to re-engage for high volume senders like ETFs or Private Equity during a fundraiser.
For B2B marketers with less frequent emails, stretch the window to 6–12 months.
Some engagement signals to track:
No email opens or clicks
No website activity
How to Build an Effective Re-Engagement Campaign
Let’s break it down step-by-step.
Step 1: Define “Inactive”
Start by determining what qualifies a contact as disengaged. For example:
No opens or clicks in x number of days or months – you will have to work that out for your own fund and fund type.
Has not interacted with your content or events in 6 months
Use this definition to segment your list.
Step 2: Segment and Suppress Smartly
Create a separate list of inactive users (but do check if they are investors) and exclude them from your regular campaigns to protect engagement rates. This group should only receive re-engagement content until they either interact or are sunset.
Step 3: Craft Your Messaging
This is where you get creative. Common approaches include:
Reminder of value: “We noticed you’ve been quiet. Here’s what you’ve missed.”
Special offer: Discount, exclusive content, or special access.
Personal appeal: “Still interested in hearing from us?”
Feedback ask: “Is our content still relevant to you? Let us know!”
Tone is everything. Be warm, authentic, and human—not robotic or spammy.
Step 4: Use a Series (Not Just One Email)
A one-and-done message won’t cut it. Build a short sequence over 7–10 days. Here’s a basic framework:
Email 1 – Acknowledge and Offer Value “We haven’t heard from you—still interested?”
Email 2 – Highlight Benefits or Offer “Here’s why people love our updates.”
Email 3 – Urgency or Last Call“We’ll stop sending emails unless we hear from you.”
Step 5: Make It Easy to Re-Engage
Add a clear CTA:
“Yes, keep me subscribed“
“Update my preferences“
“Show me what’s new”
The easier it is to take action, the more likely they will.
Step 6: Sunset Gracefully
If a contact still doesn’t engage, it’s time to let go. Move them to an inactive list and stop emailing them (unless you have another purpose, like CRM outreach or paid retargeting).
Make the final message polite and professional:
“We’re saying goodbye—for now. You can always re-subscribe if you change your mind.”
Real-World Re-Engagement Campaign Examples
Duolingo – Fun, branded nudges with phrases like “We miss you!“ and gamified progress tracking.
Grammarly – Personalized activity reports like “Here’s what you’ve accomplished“ to remind users of their past success.
E-commerce brands – Often use discounts, cart abandonment reminders, or loyalty point nudges.
Even in B2B, these strategies apply—offering a fresh whitepaper, webinar invite, or updated case study can reignite a dormant lead.
Metrics to Measure Success
After launching your re-engagement campaign, track:
Open rate
Click-through rate
Re-subscribes / confirmations
Unsubscribes
Conversions or revenue attributed
Aim to recover 5–10% of your inactive segment. Anything more is a win!
Final Thoughts
Re-engagement campaigns are not just a tactical fix for your fund marketing team; it shows of respect for your audience’s time and attention. Think of the re-engagement campaign as a digital nudge—a chance to remind someone why they found you interesting in the first place – but no marketer ever wants to prune their lists – so I doubt anyone will pay attention to this post. But who knows – you might just turn a ghost into a champion.
