In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, a staggering 60% of buyers who do not engage with a brand within the first three months are likely never to return.
This statistic highlights the crucial importance of re-engaging lapsed buyers. Winning back this audience boosts your customer retention rates and can significantly increase your revenue.
Lapsed buyers, already familiar with your brand, require less effort to convert than new customers, making them a valuable segment to target. The challenge lies in reigniting their interest and loyalty with strategic, personalized outreach.
In this article, we will discuss the entire framework of the “Lapsed Buyers/Audience” and how to win back these lapsed buyers and re-engage them to turn them into loyal customers for life.
The Lapsed Buyers framework includes the following:
- Who are the Lapsed Buyers?
- Ideal Communication Frequency
- Ideal Success Metric
- Segmented Campaigns For The Lapsed Buyers
- Dedicated Campaigns For The Lapsed Buyers
- Automation For The Lapsed Buyers
- Other Additional Channels
Who are the “Lapsed Buyers”?
Lapsed buyers or audiences are those who have previously made a purchase with a brand but have not made any recent purchases or interactions.
This could mean customers who haven’t purchased in the past six months to a year or those who have stopped engaging with marketing emails or social media.
Understanding why they have lapsed is key to developing strategies to win them back – it could be due to changes in their needs, preferences, or even dissatisfaction with past experiences.
Ideal Communication Frequency with the “Lapsed Buyers”
When reconnecting with a lapsed audience, the communication frequency should be carefully considered. Bombarding them with frequent messages can be overwhelming and counterproductive.
Instead, opt for a less frequent, but more targeted and meaningful approach.
Personalized messages that acknowledge their absence and offer incentives to return can be more effective than regular marketing communications.
What’s The Ideal Success Metric
The ideal success metric in re-engaging lapsed buyers is measuring the repeat purchase rate.
Tracking how many lapsed buyers return to make a second purchase after re-engagement efforts provides insight into the effectiveness of these strategies.
A rising repeat purchase rate indicates successful re-engagement and a strengthening of customer loyalty.
Strategies To Win Back Lapsed Buyers/Audiences
1) Segmented Campaigns
Segmented campaigns tailored to lapsed buyers are essential for re-engagement. Personalization, based on their past interactions and preferences, can make these campaigns more appealing.
Deals or Products We Can Offer to Lapsed Buyers
a. Available/Remaining Loyalty Points– Reminding lapsed buyers of their unused loyalty points can incentivize them to return.
This approach makes the customer feel valued and appreciated for their past interactions with the brand.
Informing them about how close they are to redeeming their points for rewards or offering additional points on their next purchase can motivate them to re-engage with the brand.
b. Winback Offer– Special offers, such as a significant discount on their next purchase, can be effective in winning back customers.
A winback offer is a powerful tool to entice lapsed buyers back to your brand.
This could be a special discount, exclusive access to a sale, or a personalized offer based on their last purchase. The key is to make the offer compelling enough to motivate a return purchase.
It should communicate a sense of urgency or exclusivity, making the lapsed buyer feel that they are getting a special deal for coming back.
c. Dynamic Recommendations Based on Last Purchase– Using data from their last purchase, you can provide lapsed buyers with dynamic recommendations.
This could involve suggesting items that complement their previous purchases or showing them products that have been popular since their last visit.
Personalized recommendations demonstrate to the customer that the brand understands their preferences, which can rekindle their interest and encourage a revisit.
Placement of Offers/Products for Maximum Visibility
a. In the Header Strip of the Email Campaign: Placing key offers or messages in the header strip of an email campaign ensures that it is one of the first things seen when the email is opened.
This area is ideal for highlighting winback offers or loyalty points.
The design and messaging should be clear and attention-grabbing to draw the reader’s eye immediately.
b. In the Hero Copy and Banner: The hero section of an email, typically consisting of a large banner image and accompanying text, is a prime area for engagement.
This space can be used to display dynamic recommendations or special winback offers.
High-quality visuals and compelling copy in this section can create a strong, immediate connection with the lapsed buyer, encouraging them to explore further.
c. Dynamic Products Section Block: Personalized product recommendations in this section can capture the interest of the lapsed buyer.
This section can dynamically update based on the lapsed buyer’s past behavior and preferences, offering a tailored selection of products that are likely to appeal to them.
This approach not only increases the relevancy of the content but also provides a direct and engaging pathway for the customer to discover and purchase products that resonate with their interests.
2) Dedicated Campaigns for Lapsed Buyers
Dedicated campaigns specifically designed for lapsed buyers can effectively rekindle their interest in the brand.
Suitable Campaigns to Win Back Lapsed Buyers are:
Giveaway Campaigns
Giveaway campaigns can be an exciting way to re-engage lapsed buyers. These campaigns create a sense of excitement and offer the chance to win something valuable, which can reignite interest in the brand.
The key is to make the giveaway relevant to the interests of the lapsed audience. For example, if a significant portion of lapsed buyers previously purchased kitchenware, a giveaway featuring the latest kitchen gadget could be appealing.
Promoting the giveaway through email, social media, and other channels can increase participation and rekindle their interest in the brand’s offerings.
New Arrival Deals
Introducing lapsed buyers to new products through dedicated campaigns can spark their interest. New arrival deals should showcase the latest products or collections, ideally those that align with the interests or past purchases of the lapsed audience.
This approach not only brings the brand back to their attention but also demonstrates the brand’s evolving and dynamic product range.
Highlighting exclusive deals or limited-time offers on these new arrivals can add an extra layer of incentive for them to re-engage and make a purchase.
Campaign Offering Free Shipping On Order
Free shipping is a powerful motivator for many online shoppers. A campaign offering free shipping can be particularly effective in winning back lapsed buyers who might be hesitant to purchase due to additional costs.
This type of campaign can be used as an opportunity to showcase products that the buyer might be interested in, based on their previous purchases or browsing history, along with the added benefit of free shipping to sweeten the deal.
Informative Campaign Containing Tip/Product Guide
Creating campaigns that provide value beyond just selling a product can be a great way to re-engage lapsed buyers. Informative campaigns that include tips, product guides, how-tos, or educational content related to the products they’ve shown interest in can re-establish the brand as a valuable resource.
For instance, if a customer previously purchased a camera, sending them a guide on photography tips or how to select the perfect lens can rekindle their interest and position the brand as helpful and knowledgeable.
Each of these dedicated campaign strategies for lapsed buyers focuses on providing value, relevance, and engagement.
Whether it’s through the excitement of a giveaway, the allure of new products, the convenience of free shipping, or the usefulness of informative content, these approaches are designed to rekindle interest and turn lapsed buyers back into loyal customers.
3) Automation for The Lapsed Buyers
To win back your lapsed audience, automation can serve as a crucial tool in rekindling the relationship with lapsed buyers. Utilizing sophisticated automated flows, brands can deliver personalized and timely messages aimed at winning back these customers and reinstating their loyalty.
Let’s explore two key automated flows that can effectively achieve this:
The Win Back Flow
It’s an automated series of communications specifically designed to re-engage customers who have not interacted with the brand for a set period. This flow typically begins with an email acknowledging their absence and expressing the brand’s interest in having them back.
The initial message might include a special offer or incentive, such as a discount or exclusive access to new products. Subsequent messages can be tailored based on the customer’s past behavior and preferences, offering personalized product recommendations or showcasing what’s new since their last purchase.
The tone should be warm and inviting, emphasizing that the customer is valued and missed.
Remember, timing is critical in the Win Back Flow; the messages should be spaced out appropriately to avoid overwhelming the customer while keeping the brand fresh in their mind.
Loyalty Program/Subscription Automation Flow
For brands with a loyalty program or subscription service, automating communications around these can be an effective way to re-engage lapsed buyers.
This flow can involve reminding customers of the points or rewards they have accumulated and have yet to use, or the benefits of staying subscribed.
Highlighting the exclusive perks, savings, or experiences that come with the loyalty program or subscription can reignite interest.
Don’t forget that “Personalization” is key here; the messages should reflect the customer’s unique history with the brand and the specific benefits relevant to them.
This automated flow not only encourages re-engagement but also fosters a sense of belonging and appreciation, crucial elements in restoring loyalty.
By leveraging the Win Back Flow and Loyalty Program/Subscription Automation Flow, brands can effectively reach out to lapsed buyers, offering them personalized and compelling reasons to re-engage and renew their loyalty.
4.) Engaging On Other Channels
Re-engaging lapsed buyers and transforming them back into loyal customers requires reaching out through multiple channels.
Beyond traditional email campaigns, utilizing additional platforms can significantly enhance the effectiveness of win-back strategies.
Here’s how you can reach out to your lapsed buyers on other channels:
Loyalty Points SMS Alert Campaign
An SMS campaign can be a direct and personal way to reconnect with lapsed buyers. For those who are part of a loyalty program, sending an SMS alert about their accumulated points can be a powerful nudge.
This alert can inform them about the points they have earned and the potential rewards or discounts they can redeem. The immediacy of SMS ensures that the message is seen and considered promptly.
Personalization can further enhance this approach, with messages tailored to reflect the individual’s past interactions with the brand, making the communication feel more relevant and engaging.
On-Site Flash Sale Pop-Up
Giving a flash sale pop-up on the website can effectively capture the attention of lapsed buyers visiting the website.
These pop-ups can offer exclusive deals, flash sales, or special discounts for a limited time, creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
They can be particularly effective if they are triggered based on the user’s browsing behavior, displaying offers relevant to the products or categories they are showing interest in.
This strategy not only encourages immediate action but also provides a personalized shopping experience, reminding lapsed buyers of the value and excitement of shopping with the brand.
By incorporating these additional channels into the re-engagement strategy, brands can create a more comprehensive and effective approach to winning back lapsed buyers.
Conclusion
Re-engaging lapsed buyers is a vital strategy for sustained ecommerce growth.
By implementing a blend of personalized segmented campaigns, strategic automation flows, and leveraging additional channels like SMS alerts and on-site pop-ups, brands can effectively rekindle the interest of their lapsed audience.
These approaches, rooted in understanding the unique preferences of each customer and providing value at every touchpoint, are key to winning back their loyalty.
Successfully reconnecting with lapsed buyers not only boosts revenue but also strengthens the brand’s relationship with its customer base, turning fleeting interactions into enduring loyalty.