Your list has people who went quiet. That is normal. You can bring many of them back with a clear plan that respects consent and delivers value. This guide gives you a full playbook for re engagement emails that is easy to build and measure. It uses simple steps, templates, and links you can use right away.
Why cold subscribers matter
A cold subscriber is someone who has stopped opening or clicking for a period like sixty or ninety days. Too many cold contacts will damage deliverability and waste budget. A focused sequence of re engagement emails helps you find out who still wants your content. It also shows who prefers to leave. That protects sender reputation and improves the results of all future campaigns.
If you send marketing messages in the United Kingdom, you should align your work with official guidance. This applies specifically to electronic mail marketing. The Information Commissioners Office explains the rules on consent and soft opt in in plain language. Read the overview. Then save it. Share it with your team ICO direct marketing by electronic mail and the shorter gateway page Electronic mail marketing. (ico.org.uk)
The simple goal of your campaign
Your goal is to confirm interest and clean your list at the same time. A good re engagement emails programme aims for three outcomes. First a click or reply that proves interest. Second a preference signal that guides future content. Third the safe removal of contacts who do not respond. Keep reporting simple. Track opens clicks replies reconfirmations and removals. For deliverability diagnostics set up Gmail Postmaster Tools so you can see domain reputation and spam rate over time. You can start here
Gmail Postmaster Tools and the help article on dashboards
Postmaster Tools dashboards. (gmail.com)
Build the segment
Create one segment for people who have not opened or clicked in the last ninety days. Exclude new subscribers in their first fourteen days. Exclude anyone in an active buy or onboarding flow. Remove hard bounces and cleaned contacts. If you use Mailchimp, you can review how cleaned contacts are handled. You can also learn how list scrubbing works here about cleaned contacts and here about cleaning email lists. These pages explain how Mailchimp flags invalid addresses and why regular scrubbing improves performance. (Mailchimp)
Save the segment with a date in the name. Stop the sequence for any contact as soon as they open click or reply. That contact moves back to your normal list and should not keep receiving re engagement emails.
The four step sequence
You will send four messages over ten to fourteen days. The tone moves from helpful to direct then to a clear final choice. Each message has one goal and one call to action.
Email one value reminder and fresh start
Topic idea
Still want useful emails from us
Body plan
Thank the subscriber for joining. Remind them why people read your emails. Offer a small useful resource like a checklist or template. Include two clear buttons. Keep me on the list. Update preferences. Link to your best evergreen content so they can get value in seconds. Point to your services page and one relevant guide. These internal links will help returning readers explore your offer
Wordcraftz Services
Wordcraftz Blog
Wordcraftz About. (wordcraftz.com)
This first touch is often the most opened of your re engagement emails so keep the tone warm and human. Add a clear line that says you can unsubscribe at any time and we will respect your choice.
Email two ask one question and invite a reply
Topic idea
I ask one quick question
Body plan
Ask what they want more of. Offer three clear choices. They can reply by typing a number. A short human reply is one of the strongest signals you can get in re engagement emails. If replies are not suitable for your brand add three links and ask them to click the one that fits. Make the email short and easy to scan on mobile. Every choice should feed a simple preference field in your platform.
Email three offer based reactivation
Topic idea
A small thank you if you still want our tips
Body plan
Introduce a modest but clear offer. It is a short audit a free call a discount or a useful bonus. The goal of re engagement emails is to bring back readers who match your ideal customer. Avoid deep discounts that attract the wrong audience. If you sell services, you can invite them to ask for a quick review. Direct them to Wordcraftz Contact. Alternatively, point them to an audit intake form on your site. If you use HubSpot, you can follow this guide for a step by step checklist for permission pass flows. Run a permission pass campaign in HubSpot. (wordcraftz.com)
Email four confirm your choice
Topic idea
Do you still want emails from us
Body plan
Be transparent and kind. Explain that you write only to people who get value. Ask them to click Stay subscribed if they still want messages. Tell them what they will miss. A short list of benefits gives context and improves clicks. Close with a note that you will remove them in a few days if they do not respond. This final step is central to responsible re engagement emails and to long term deliverability.
For further best practice on email content weight and layout you can review the UK DMA guidance. It provides practical tips. It explains why lighter messages help inbox placement. DMA email marketing best practice guidelines are available. There is also a broader update on evolving UK rules. Preparing your email marketing for changing data laws. (dma.org.uk)
Copy that gets opened and clicked
Keep topic lines clear and honest. Use the name where you have it. Use the product category if you can. In the body make one promise per email and repeat the call to action twice. The best re engagement emails sound like a person speaking to another person. Use short paragraphs. Keep images light so they load fast on mobile. Always include one plain text link below a button for people who block images.
Give proof without noise. One short quote a simple metric or a before and after statement is enough. Show the next step in plain language. Make the button copy specific. Keep me on the list is clearer than Send.
Timing
Send the first message on a weekday during your normal hour. Then wait three days then two days then two more days. If you have readers in several regions schedule at their local hour. The first wave of a re engagement emails sequence will show most results in the first day after each send. Do not worry if day two looks calm. Many people clear their inbox in the evening.
Align with demand. A coffee brand will send two weeks before a seasonal launch. A software tool will send before a feature release. The point is to connect the sequence to moments where your messages have real value.
The smart way to remove non responders
After the final message wait three days. Then suppress anyone who did not open click or reply. You can keep them on a suppression list or remove them if policy allows. Keep a record of the date and the campaign name of your re engagement emails sequence. If someone returns to your site and opts in again they should start fresh with a new welcome flow.
Some brands send a soft goodbye with one last chance to resubscribe. Keep the tone warm. It is a door left open. If you need a deeper strategy document on repermissioning, you can study this practical guide. It covers when to ask for a positive action to stay subscribed. Reactivation and Re permissioning Best Practice Guide. (eFocus Marketing)
Personalisation without creepiness
Use only the data you need. Name company and product interest are usually enough. If you ask for preferences make the options clear and useful. For example tips case studies discounts and launches. Your re engagement emails can then send people to the path that matches what they chose. This builds trust and reduces spam complaints.
If you manage more than one brand or line of business use separate sending domains and separate lists. It keeps your reputation clean and makes reporting clearer. The same clean setup helps every part of your programme not just re engagement emails.
Templates you can use now
You can copy these blocks and adapt them to your voice. Keep paragraphs short. Keep one promise per message.
Subhead
Quick question
Text
Are these still useful to you?
One: tips and guides
Two: offers and discounts
Three: case studies and results
Reply with a number. I will tailor what you get. Or click here to stay subscribed.
Button
Keep me on the list
Subhead
Small gift
Text
Thanks for being on this list. Here is a short guide to help you improve results this week. If you want to keep getting helpful resources click the button below to stay subscribed.
Button
Stay subscribed
Subhead
Final check
Text
We only want to email people who find value in what we send. If you still want to hear from us click Stay subscribed. Otherwise you do not need to do anything and we will stop emailing you this week. Thank you for being with us.
When people return give them clear routes to explore your work. Link to your core pages so they can act at once
Wordcraftz Services
Wordcraftz Contact
Wordcraftz Blog. (wordcraftz.com)
How to measure and improve
Create a simple table with each send date audience size opens clicks replies reconfirmations and removals. Compare this sequence to the earlier one you ran. At first the benchmark is simple. How many people came back and how many did you remove. Over time test one thing at a time. Try a new topic line for the first of your re engagement emails. Or try a stronger or softer offer in the third message. Keep the rest the same so you can see what changed.
Typical reactivation rates for healthy lists run between five and fifteen percent of the cold segment. If you exceed that your window for cold is too short. If you fall below it the offer is weak or the audience has shifted.
For ideas and examples you can review this set of current examples and angles
Effective re engagement email examples. It shows several useful patterns like warm nudge and update based prompts that you can adapt to your brand. (HubSpot Blog)
Make it an always on process
Do not wait a year. Run this sequence on a regular schedule so your list stays healthy. For many lists a quarterly run is enough. For very active lists a bimonthly run can work. Connect the workflow to your welcome flow. This ensures that anyone who stops engaging after a set time joins the next wave of re engagement emails. This protects your sender reputation and keeps your list full of people who want to hear from you.
If you want help building the sequence and wiring the measurement we can do it for you or with you. Start here
Wordcraftz Services or contact the team here
Wordcraftz Contact. (wordcraftz.com)
Compliance note
If you ever doubt whether a planned message counts as direct marketing review the ICO direct marketing guidance. It explains the scope of the rules and what lawful bases and consent look like in practice. It is a useful safety check when planning re engagement emails and all other campaigns
ICO direct marketing guidance. For context on industry practice, you can review real-world stories. Learn about the importance of list hygiene and data choices. Get insights from updates by trusted sources. Wetherspoons deleted its email database and
The Telegraph fined by the ICO. These pieces show why clear consent policies are essential for every marketer. (ico.org.uk)
