A winback series is one of the simplest ways to boost customer retention. With some light planning around segmentation and messaging, you can automate this marketing flow to win back subscribers who have recently churned. As a reminder, it’s 5 times more cost effective to retain existing customers than it is to acquire new ones.
By implementing this series, you'll be able to reengage lapsed customers, find out why they canceled, and offer a solution that encourages them to reactivate.
A strong winback series should start within a few days of a customer canceling their subscription. The sooner you reach out, the better chance you have of reengaging them.
The series should include 3-5 emails with a time delay of 7-30 days between each email.
The first email in your series should be triggered relatively soon after the customer cancels their subscription (within 5-15 days). The tone of this email should be warm. It should thank the customer for trying your product and request feedback on their experience. Consider using an NPS question, asking your customer to choose from a list of cancellation reasons, or provide open ended feedback. Most importantly, ensure your customer knows you value their feedback and take it very seriously.
Tell your customers you miss them, and encourage them to rejoin with a time-sensitive discount. We recommend waiting a while before triggering this email so your customers aren’t annoyed by your persistence (30-90 days after Email 1).
For subscription companies, include a module highlighting your policies. Can a customer skip, pause, or reschedule a delivery? Do you accept returns at any time? Let them know if they have options other than canceling.
By this point, it's been some time since your customer canceled. You should have exciting updates to share about your product or brand. Show your customer what they're missing—new integrations, new features, a case study from a compelling customer, or a new pricing tier.
Consider sending a "last chance" email with a steeper discount.
In addition to the four emails outlined above, you might also experiment with product education, industry updates (e.g. data, whitepapers), cross-selling, and more. For anyone who reactivates, send them a welcome back email and consider placing them in a retention-focused flow.
