Here’s a harsh reality check. Customers can forget that your brand exists. Yes, even customers who have spent thousands of dollars with you or who have returned over and over again. It’s nothing personal. When life gets in the way, priorities can shift and suddenly, a loyal customer can quickly fade into the distance.
That’s why email flows, such as the winback, are critical to maintaining high sales and long-term customer relationships. They stop customers in their tracks and serve as a true reminder to come back and see what’s new or top up on their supplies.
Whether you already have a winback flow or you’re planning one, the correct setup makes a difference. Not sure what that entails? Keep reading to find out more.
Winback Flow Strategies: The Delay Time
There is no ‘standard’ when it comes to email marketing. While there may be recommendations on how long to delay before starting a winback flow, you need to dive deeper and assess your product. A bottle of shampoo, for example, can be used relatively quickly. Starting a winback flow for this may be best suited to 45 days after purchase.
Alternatively, a product from a slow fashion label is made to last. Therefore, asking customers to come back too soon can work against the brand’s ethos. This means that businesses in this industry may look more toward 180 days to win customers back.
Keeping delay times in mind means that customers don’t feel you’re being too pushy, which can otherwise cause brand avoidance.
We recommend that if you have multiple products, you also split your winback. Take a wholefoods business, for example. A winback for snacks should be significantly shorter than one for herbs and spices.
Winback Flow Strategies: The New Items
Don’t assume that customers have seen all of your emails in the lead-up to your winback flow. It’s quite normal that they likely missed a few, including product releases or exciting news. For this reason, it’s great to showcase recommended new products your customers will love in one of your winback emails. It not only gives them the chance to try something new, but it may also increase their average cart value, making their lifetime value grow.
Winback Flow Strategies: The Sale
Customers who haven’t placed an order in a while may be more sales savvy. This means they’re more likely to wait for a discount before they are ready to purchase, no matter how much they love your brand. If you don’t want to provide them with a discount code, we recommend showing them where value can already be found on your website. Share any products on sale and how much they can save by shopping now rather than later. Alternatively, share some bundle options. Dollar values are everything to these customers. So, make sure the savings value is loud and clear.
If you don’t have a sale section, a discount may be the best option. Add a limited-time code that customers can capitalise on when they purchase within a set amount of time eg. 7 days. This adds urgency to their thought process, which can stop them from having time to consider their decision.
Reminder: Countdown timers are your best friends for adding urgency.
The Email By Design Team Can Create Your Winback Flow
A great winback flow can make a big difference to your bottom line and customer lifetime value. Need help designing or modifying your winback flow so it sells? Book a free 15-minute consultation with the Email By Design team to get started.
