Not every customer stays with you forever. Some lapse and become inactive. But you can’t consider them as lost cause and leave them untouched.
Inactive customers are untapped potential waiting for you to act upon. One proven way to win them back into your fold is to send them Win-back emails. Because studies tell us that 26% of customers return after a planned win-back effort.
Crafting banging win-back email subject lines would be half of your job done. This blog will give insights into what goes into making great subject lines and innovative examples to inspire your own.
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Win back Email Subject Lines – How to write a great one?
Writing an effective win-back email subject line is the best bet to capture the attention of your lapsed customers. The goal is to evoke curiosity, remind them of the value you offer, and entice them to open the email.
Here are some email subject line best practices to guide you to write great and compelling ones.
- Understand Your Audience – Not every lapsed customer is the same, and not every customer lapsed for the same reason. Find out why they left to craft content to target and persuade them.
- Create urgency – Time-bound phrases like “Limited time offer”, “Last chance”, or “24 hours left”.
- Personalize – Make the message sound like it is tailored to them. You can use the recipient’s name or reference their last purchase.
- Keep It Short and Snappy – The subject line should be concise, ideally under 50 characters, to ensure it’s fully visible in most email inboxes.
- Convey Value – Highlight a benefit or what they’ve missed out on. “Unlock new features now!” or “See what’s new since your last visit.”
- Inject Emotion – Nothing is more persuasive than an emotion. Phrases like “We’ve missed you!” or “Feeling out of the loop?” can tap into feelings of nostalgia or FOMO.
70+ Win-back Email Subject Lines and Takeaways
For your Win-back email campaign, you can craft diverse win-back emails tailored to various themes, such as reminders, discounts, urgency, or feedback requests. So, we’ve grouped some of the best win-back email subject lines under these themes.
Reminder Win-back Email Subject Lines
The first tool in the playbook is the reminder email. Perhaps the customer was preoccupied. So, all you have to do is jog their memory about your brand.
Here are some of the compelling reminder Win-back email subject lines.
- Been Busy? We Saved Some Deals For You!
- Did Life Get In The Way? Come Back And Shop!
- We Noticed You’ve Been Away – How About a Comeback?
- It’s Been A While – Here’s A Treat On Us!
- Long Time, No See! Check Out What’s New.
- Wanted: One Awesome Customer. Last Seen at Our Store!
- You’ve Got Unfinished Business Here!
- Rekindle Your Love for Shopping with Us!
- Take a Quick Peek at Our Latest Collections!
- Missing Your Unique Style – Reconnect with Us!
Takeaways:
Two things these subject lines have done right are highlighting what’s new and reminding customers of their favorites. These create an allure to revisit and see the offerings.
Lines like “Long Time, No See!” and “Rekindle Your Love for Shopping with Us” evoke feelings of nostalgia, reminding customers of their past positive interactions with the brand.
Discount-driven Win-back Email Subject Lines
Why not welcome them back with an offer they can’t refuse? Your win-back email campaign would be incomplete without discounts. Offering a discount can serve as a strong incentive for lapsed customers to revisit your store and make a purchase.
Here are some of the Win-back email subject line examples that make the discount the hero.
- Your Exclusive 30% OFF Welcome Back Discount Awaits!
- Come Back and Save! Exclusive 30% Discount Inside!
- Our Way of Saying Hello Again – 30% OFF Inside!
- Second Chances with 25% OFF – Don’t Let It Slip!
- It’s Been a While – Enjoy 30% OFF On Us!
- Lapsed? No Problem. Here’s 25% OFF to Make it Right!
- Come Back and Save! Exclusive 30% Discount Inside!
- You Left, We Noticed. Here’s 30% OFF to Woo You Back!
- “Special Comeback Offer: 15% Off Just for You!”
- A Warm Welcome Back with 30% Off
Takeaways:
If you notice, all subject lines above transparently highlight the discount percentage, leaving no room for ambiguity about the value being offered.
Most of the subject lines have words like “Exclusive,” “Special,” or “Just for You,” making the recipient feel valued and unique.
Sometimes, it is not just about transactions but also about re-establishing the connection. Phrases like “welcome back” and “saying hello again” do exactly this.
Does your email lack incentives? Spice up your Win-back emails with Retainful’s dynamic coupons easily.
Urgency Inducing Win-back Email Subject Lines
Normally, subject lines with words that create urgency have high open rates. When customers believe that they might miss out on an offer, they’re more likely to take action immediately.
Here are some of the urgency-inducing win-back email subject lines for you.
- 24 Hours Left: Come Back and Grab your offer.
- Rush! Your Loyalty Discount is Ending
- Final Hours! Don’t Miss Out on Your 30% Off!
- Rush! Your Loyalty Discount is Ending.
- Missing Out? Your Exclusive Promo Ends Today!
- Time’s Ticking: Claim Your Exclusive Deal Now!
- Limited Time: Unlock Your Special Offer!
- Your Special Offer is Fading… Grab it Now!
- 24-Hour Alert: Secure Your Special Savings Now!
- Missing Out? Your Deal Ends in 3..2..1..
Takeaways
It is a natural human tendency not to miss something valuable. The subject lines with phrases like “24 Hours Left”, “Final Hours” and “Time’s Ticking” play directly into this instinct.
Also, these subject lines directly guide customers toward what they need to do next, even before they open the email, like “Come Back and Complete Your Purchase” or “Claim Your Exclusive Deal Now.”
Product Update Win-back Email Subject Lines
Maybe they expected more from you. So, impress them with your new product updates and what they have missed in the meantime. A product update can offer a new value proposition or benefit that wasn’t available before.
Here are some of the innovative subject lines that speak about product updates.
- Missed Us? We’ve Upped Our Game With [Product Name].
- We’ve Refined [Product Name] with You in Mind. Take a Look!
- Hop Back In. [Product Name] is Revamped and Ready for You!
- Guess What’s New? Dive Back Into [Product Name]!
- We’ve Revamped! Explore the New Changes Today.
- Jump Back In. Fresh Features Await!
- Unveiling Our Latest Collection – Just for You!
- Hey, It’s Been a While! Dive Into Our New Features.
- Evolved & Enhanced: The [Product Name] You Loved, Now Better!
- Revisit Us: New Features, Same Quality Promise!
Takeaways
Notice how the subject lines have product names in them. It makes the emails feel more tailored to the individual while enhancing the personal connection.
Phrases like “Upped Our Game,” “Revamped,” and “Evolved & Enhanced” highlight that progress has been made while they were away.
Personalized Win-back Email Subject Lines
Customers don’t want to be treated as numbers. One way to do this is to personalize the email and make them feel known and valued.
Readers are 26% more likely to open emails with personalized subject lines.
Here are some of the personalized win-back email subject lines curated for you.
- [Name], It’s Been Too Long – Let’s Reconnect!
- [Name], Your Favorites Are Back in Stock!
- Thinking of You, [Name]: Special Deals Inside.
- [Name], Unlock Your Personalized Offers Now!
- [Name], We Noticed Your Absence – Here’s 20% OFF!
- [Name], Your Wishlist Items Are Now On Sale!
- [Name], Here’s Your Personal Invite To Our Exclusive Sale!
- A Warm Hello to [Name]! We’ve Missed You.
- Just For You, [Name]: Special 20% Off On Your Next Purchase.
- Curated With Love For [Name]: Exclusive Collections!
Takeaways
Other than the customer’s name, you can also talk about their favorite product and wishlist items in the subject line, like – “Your Favorites Are Back in Stock” or “Your Wishlist Items Are Now On Sale!”. This means that you actually cared and picked up their favorite products for them.
Phrases like “Personal invite” and “personalized offers” also add to the personalization.
Feedback Request Win-back Email Subject Lines
Make sure you hear them out for any genuine issues they have faced. It will make them feel heard and valued, and their suggestions might improve your products and service.
Showing the intent to improve can also be a good persuasive element.
Here are some of the best Win-back email subject lines for asking for feedback.
- Your thoughts matter to us. Share your feedback!
- How can we make [Product/Service] better for you?
- Help us grow with your feedback.
- Your voice matters. Help us enhance [Product Name].
- Let’s get better together. Share your thoughts!
- Elevate our services with your valuable insights.
- Help us improve – tell us about your experience.
- How are we doing? We genuinely want to know!
- Your experience with [Your Brand] – Let’s hear it
- Tell us: What could we do better?
Takeaways
Every subject line above expresses genuine care that you value their feedback and strive to improve their experience.
By mentioning “[Product/Service]” or “[Product Name]”, you are letting the customer know exactly what they are providing feedback on, which can increase the chances of them taking action.
Phrases like “How are we doing?” and “Tell us about your experience” show that you are open to both positive and negative feedback and are ready to act on it.
Last Chance Win-back Email Subject Lines
If they haven’t budged, it is time to remind them of the last chance at an offer or the last time they might hear from you. When customers realize that it’s their last opportunity to avail an offer or reengage, they’re more likely to take action.
Or, if you have run out of things to win them back, it’s time to say goodbye.
Here are some of the Last Chance email subject line examples curated for you.
- Last Chance: Special Offer Just For You
- Is This Goodbye? We’d Love Another Chance!
- We’ll Miss You! Here’s A Parting Gift.
- Goodbye? Say It Isn’t So!
- Before We Part Ways, Here’s A Surprise!
- We Hate Goodbyes. So Here’s One Last Offer!
- It’s Not Too Late. Come Back And See What’s New!
- Let’s Not End It Like This – Special Offer Inside!
- Goodbye is the Hardest Word. Stay with a Bonus!
- Still There? Last Day to Grab Your Offer!
Takeaways
Using sentiments like “We’ll Miss You”, “Is This Goodbye?”, and “Let’s Not End It Like This” humanizes the brand, reminding customers of their relationship with the brand.
Phrases like “It’s Not Too Late” or “Still There?” show your persistence in winning them back.
Ready to retain your inactive customers? Let Retainful’s pre-built workflows and segmentation tools help you craft personalized win-back emails with ease.
Wrapping up!
There you have it. 70 best win-back email subject lines to boost your open rate and some email subject line best practices into what makes them great. Start crafting your own and win them back in loads.
Also, read
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, it’s generally recommended to send them at strategic intervals – such as 30, 60, or 90 days after inactivity.
Personalization can significantly boost open rates as it resonates more with the recipient. Using the customer’s name or referring to their last purchase can be effective.
The tone should reflect your brand’s voice and the message’s intent. Whether you opt for a casual, humorous, urgent, or emotional tone, ensure it aligns with your overall brand messaging.
It’s best to keep subject lines under 60 characters to ensure they’re fully visible in most email clients. However, the focus should be on clarity and impact.
