Email Fatigue and Customer Re-engagement

📊 Over the years of auditing thousands of email campaigns across various industries, I've noticed a concerning trend: The perpetual "sale spiral." 🌀 Companies are trapped in an endless cycle of discounting, each trying to outshout the other in increasingly crowded inboxes. Recently, I worked with a DTC brand whose open rates had declined over 30% over six months despite increasing their promotional frequency. Their customer lifetime value was dropping, and unsubscribe rates were climbing. The diagnosis? Discount fatigue. 😫 Here's what we implemented: We introduced what I call the "70/30 Value Rule" - 70% pure value content, 30% promotional. ⚖️ For the value portion, we created: ➜ Industry insight newsletters ➜ Behind-the-scenes glimpses into product development ➜ Customer success stories ➜ Actionable tips related to their product category ➜ Community spotlights The results after 90 days were compelling: ⭐ Open rates increased by 32% ⭐ Customer feedback emails jumped 215% ⭐ When promotional emails were sent, conversion rates improved by 28% ⭐ Unsubscribe rates dropped by 41% Key Learning: The most successful brands understand that email isn't just a sales channel—it's a relationship builder. By giving your audience "breathing room" between promotions, you create anticipation and trust that translates into stronger campaign performance when you do make offers. This approach requires patience and a shift in metrics. While immediate sales might dip initially, the long-term engagement metrics and customer lifetime value typically show significant improvement within 3-4 months. For companies looking to break free from the discount cycle, start small: Replace one promotional email per week with pure value content. Track not just opens and clicks, but also replies, shares, and sentiment. The data will speak for itself. Remember: In a world where everyone is shouting "BUY NOW," sometimes the most powerful message is simply "We're here to help."

Email too much, and you annoy your customers. Email too little, and they forget about you. Find the right balance 👇 → Where Most Dispensaries Get It Wrong X Emailing Only When There’s a Sale: If the only time customers hear from you is during a discount, they’ll start expecting lower prices and stop buying at full price. X Blasting Every Customer With Every Email: Not every customer wants the same content at the same frequency. Sending too often to inactive customers can damage your email deliverability. X Not Testing Frequency at All: Many dispensaries guess at their send schedule instead of testing what actually works for different segments. → How to Optimize Your Email Frequency 1. Segment Customers by Engagement > High-engagement customers (open rate above 30%) can receive 2-3 emails per week without issue. > Moderate-engagement customers (10-30% open rate) should get 1-2 emails per week. > Low-engagement customers (less than 10% open rate) need win-back emails, not constant promotions. 2. Match Frequency to Buying Cycles > Daily shoppers might appreciate frequent updates on new arrivals. > Casual shoppers might prefer a weekly digest of deals and recommendations. > Lost customers need less frequent but high-impact emails with compelling reasons to return. 3. Monitor Unsubscribe & Spam Complaint Rates If unsubscribes spike after a specific email, that’s a sign you’re sending too often or to the wrong segment. If open rates drop below 15%, scale back or improve subject lines. 4. Test & Adjust Regularly Try sending one extra email per week and measure if engagement improves or drops. Compare sales data—are more emails leading to more revenue, or just more unsubscribes? → Try This & See the Difference Look at your email send frequency over the past month. Are you emailing different customer segments strategically, or just guessing? Test a small adjustment in frequency and track the impact on sales and engagement. If you want a data-driven email strategy, Tact Firm specializes in optimizing dispensary emails for maximum retention. Let’s get your frequency dialed in.

A bloated email list is sabotaging your bottom line. Email providers see unengaged subscribers, put you into spam… …and suddenly, your emails stop reaching inboxes. Even worse, you're paying for contacts who'll never buy from you. Here’s how to turn that around ↓ 1. Segment ruthlessly In 2024, personalized segmentation is an absolute necessity. Break your list into targeted groups: → Active subscribers (clicked in the last 90 days) → Casual browsers (opened but didn’t click) → Lapsed customers (no purchase in 6 months) → Ghost subscribers (no engagement in 180 days) 2. Create engagement ladders Don't blast everyone with the same content. The goal is to move people up the ladder, not off the list. Build paths that nurture relationships: → Welcome series: 3-4 emails over a quick 4-6 day period for new subscribers → Win-back campaign: 3-part series for lapsed customers → VIP track: Early access and exclusives for top spenders 3. Prune dead weight Set clear rules to maintain list hygiene: → No clicks in 180 days? Send a re-engagement campaign → Still no response? Remove them after 2 attempts → Implement soft bounce exclusions to reduce delivery issues A smaller, engaged list beats a massive, unresponsive one every time. 4. Focus on clicks, not opens iOS updates made open rates unreliable. Clicks tell the real story. To boost them… → Put key info and CTAs above the fold → Use action-oriented language (e.g. “shop now”) → A/B test email layouts and content hierarchy 5. Personalize thoughtfully Use the data you have wisely and present… → Product recommendations based on browse behavior → Dynamic content tailored to purchase history → Location-based offers (for omnichannel brands) Show you understand your customers without overdoing it. Because your email list isn't just a database — it's a community of real people who've invited you into their inbox. Treat it with care, and it'll become your most valuable marketing asset.

High perceived value doesn't guarantee email engagement. And this creates one of email marketing's most overlooked challenges. Many marketers get deliverability strategy right: → Segment by engagement → Suppress non-openers after 30-90 days → Protect sender reputation Smart move. Keep doing this. But... the nuance: Subscribers go through "seasons" of engagement. Someone can assign massive value to your emails while going months without opening a single one. Why this happens: → Life priorities shift (new job, family changes, health issues) → Inbox overwhelm leads to "batch processing" behavior → They're consuming your content on other channels → Seasonal business cycles affect attention patterns → Mental bandwidth fluctuates with stress levels Don't assume silence = disinterest. Silence is often = circumstance. Most brands: Write them off as "dead weight." What smart brands do: Recognize the difference between seasonal disengagement and true disinterest. The strategy: → Yes, suppress for deliverability (non-negotiable) → But treat suppressed segments as "dormant," not "dead" → Run bi-annual re-engagement campaigns to these segments → Use different messaging that acknowledges the time gap → Test various content formats to break through the noise The bottom line: Protect your deliverability with proper suppression. But don't write off subscribers going through a season of unengagement. How do you handle subscribers who stop engaging but might still find value in your content?

Retention Isn’t Sexy - Until You’re Broke Brands chase growth. But when the faucet turns off and the market tightens, email becomes your backbone. So why do we treat it as a short-term fix rather than a long-term asset? I hear this conversation replayed to me all the time from CRM and Brand Managers: Their Manager: Targets are down. Budget’s gone. Just send more emails. CRM: We already sent one this week with a promo. Manager: Send another. Bigger discount. CRM: Unsubscribes were high last time… Manager: Send to everyone — even non-engagers. Add urgency. And so it begins. 📉 Deliverability drops. 📉 Clicks tank. 📉 Unsubscribes rise. 📉 The database - your only owned audience - starts eroding. But the revenue target stays the same. This is what happens when you treat email like a faucet you can turn on and off — instead of a system you build and respect. 💡 Want to break the cycle? Here’s how smart brands avoid the spiral: 1. Build an acquisition engine, even when times are good. Don’t just chase sales. Chase subscribers, on all channels, not just site pop-ups. If 2% of traffic buys, aim for 20% to subscribe. That’s your future revenue. 2. Agree on discounting guardrails. Not every campaign needs a percentage off, even if times are tough. Consider other conversion tools like: - loyalty perks - free gifts - tiered basket incentives - competitions - outlet-style categories 3. Treat non-converters as humans, not dead weight. Reduce frequency, but stay visible. Try to understand why they’re lapsing e.g gift buyers? Promo-only? Seasonal? 4. Use peak trading to re-acquire, not just sell. Black Friday can re-engage lapsed customers. But the follow-up can’t be more noise. Build a new journey. Reset the relationship. 5. Track long-term metrics. Not just revenue-per-send. Show your management week on week how these are growing: -LTV - Repeat purchase rate - AOV - Site visit frequency from consumers on your database 6. Invest in content, not just campaigns. Nurture a community. Give them reasons to stay subscribed. Boost engagement before you ask for a sale. Remember nobkdy going to buy daily and weekly, you need more to keep them engage. Think weekly style tips, news Roundup, podcast drops, games, polls etc Email can be your safety net — but only if you protect the list, grow it intentionally, and stop burning it out with knee-jerk sends. Want to find out our playbook for growing your subscriber base rapidly. (like how we grew out base to 17m). DM me. Build it right. Because when things get tough, it’s your email list that keeps the lights on.

How I turned a client's struggling email list Into a revenue machine When this client came to me, they were frustrated.  They had a big email list.  But almost no sales.  They were doing what most businesses do Sending random newsletters.  Their open rates were low.  Their click rates were even worse.  So, I changed everything.  1. We stopped blasting emails to everyone.  I segmented their list based on behavior.   New subscribers got welcome sequences.   Engaged users got personalized offers.   Inactive users got re-engagement emails.  2. We made every email valuable. No more generic updates.   We told stories.   We educated.   We gave people a reason to open every email.  3. We optimized for conversions. Clear subject lines.   Strong calls to action.   Simple, high-converting designs.  2 months later, the results were amazing Open rates doubled.  Clicks tripled.  Revenue from emails? A 400% increase.  This wasn’t magic.  It was strategy.  Your email list is not just a list.  It’s a goldmine if you know how to use it.  Are you getting the most out of yours?

Marketing Fatigue is real. I talk to brand marketers all the time who are tasked with keeping customers engaged—without exhausting them. It’s a tough balance.  Our Marketing Fatigue Report shows that 70% of consumers have unsubscribed from at least three brands in the past three months due to overwhelming messaging.  YET... 81% will open emails that align with their interests, and 67% are more likely to buy when recommendations reflect their past behavior. The key isn’t sending more messages—it’s sending the right ones. Here’s what works: 🎯 Smarter segmentation—focus on behavior, not just demographics.  📩 Beyond first-name personalization—AI-driven insights make messages relevant.  ⏳ Quality over quantity—more messages don’t mean more engagement.  Read Optimove Insights’ 2025 Marketing Fatigue Report for strategies that keep customers engaged—without burning them out. https://lnkd.in/eqR46kJB  #MarketingFatigue #CustomerEngagement #Personalization #AI #Optimove 

Struggling to re-engage your email subscribers? Before purging your list, take a second to consider this. Consumers are bombarded with emails. And many are things they actually want to receive. Offers, newsletters, order updates for that Black Friday shop they're trying to hide from their partner... In the face of all this, it's easy to let a few people slip off the radar. So before culling them forever? Reach out and check in. If they want to go? No problem. If they don't? You've renewed someone's interest and given yourself a second chance. But what can you do to get them here?  > Keep the subject line clear & direct  > Remind them of the value you offer  > Give them options to update preferences such as...  > ...topics of interest  > ...types of offer  > ...timing  > Avoid being passive-aggressive  > Segment based on their past activity  > Include an offer to tempt them back  > Never make them feel guilty  > They really want to go? Make it simple Clean lists are a necessity to avoid hitting spam. But stop assuming you're always spam and - nicely - check in one more time before respectfully sailing into the sunset.

If you're only sending occasional email to closed lost leads, you may be leaving revenue on the table. Here is why Most businesses have more closed lost leads than closed won leads. That's just the nature of any sales funnel Yet industry benchmarks show 𝗿𝗲-𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁 15-20%, far outperforming typical cold lead conversion (2-3%) After talking with over 40 marketing leaders, what they are doing with these leads shocks me. Most only send an occasional product update emails that are promptly deleted. 🔴 1 in 6 emails never reach the intended inbox. More emails are landing in spam or Updates folder as email providers get better at filtering emails 🔴 Email fatigue: Thanks to poorly written AI emails, we're flooded with hundreds of email a day. Standing out is harder than ever 🔴 Minimal personalization = low engagement: If your email looks like a generic message where the only personalization is "Hi <first name>," nearly 75% of your audience ignore it Here is what leading marketing teams are re-engaging closed lost leads with the help of AI 🟢 Using AI to find relevant offers or content based on prospects' qualified pain points and prior CRM activities CRM 🟢 Crafting personalized engagement sequences combining email, SMS, and even phone calls to re-engage leads effectively. 🟢 Leveraging AI to answer questions, provide additional value, and help prospects book meetings when they're ready. Real results: At Revve, we're helping a YC company create voice & SMS agents to connect with closed-lost leads. Just two weeks in, we've already identified prospects eager to extend their trial and give the product another chance. Don't leave money on the table with a poor closed-lost lead strategy—or worse, no strategy at all. Agree or disagree?

Gmail tells users when they haven't opened an email in 30 days+ and gives them the option to unsubscribe in one click. Is this good or bad for email marketers? The answer: it's fantastic for marketers. But why? Conventional wisdom would say: we want as many leads as possible in our mailing list! This is just lowering our prospects! We want to reengage past customers! But as a pro, I can tell you that if a user continues to disengage from email (as I've done with this brand,) they are doing more harm than good to a program. They also negatively affect users in the buying funnel by potentially harming deliverability. Now let's talk about re-engaging past cold customers. Mass re-engagement with people who are not opening/clicking for *months* at a time (or longer) is a recipe for disaster for your larger email marketing program with deliverability implications. Imagine not being able to inbox to people who are actually *interested* in buying? 🙃 Let's look at my case here: This is a high-end furniture brand. I'm not in the market for more furniture at the moment, so their emails aren't relevant to me (right now). As a consumer, I'd unsubscribe. But, if I was interested again, I would have no problem re-opting in for a small % off or other extra. This leads to my next point - Lists will see higher churn, but more people re-opting in. Those re-opting in are hyper-engaged and typically re-entering the buying funnel, thus boosting the effectiveness of marketing to the right groups. Email focuses on people who are interested at the core - Gmail is simply helping marketers keep their lists a little cleaner and email programs a little more profitable 💸