How to Automate Re-engagement Campaigns for Lapsed Subscribers?

Let’s face it, email lists get stale. People stop opening, they stop clicking, and eventually, they ghost you altogether.

I used to take it personally. “Why aren’t they opening my emails? Did I do something wrong?”

But here’s what I learned: subscriber inactivity is normal, and re-engagement isn’t about begging people to stay, it’s about giving them a reason to come back, or letting them go with grace.

Once I started automating my re-engagement campaigns, not only did my open rates go up, but I actually started cleaning my list without panic. And I did it all without sounding spammy or desperate.

If you’ve got inactive subscribers and want to bring them back (or clean your list efficiently), here’s exactly how to automate a re-engagement campaign that works.

Step 1: Identify What “Lapsed” Actually Means for You

First, decide what “inactive” means in your world. Some businesses say 30 days. Others wait 90. It depends on your sending frequency.

Ask:

How often do you email? (daily, weekly, monthly?)
When do people typically drop off?

For me: I mark someone as “lapsed” if they haven’t opened or clicked anything in 60–90 days.

Your email platform (like ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, ConvertKit, etc.) should let you segment these folks easily using engagement tags or filters.

Step 2: Create a Re-Engagement Segment

Once you’ve defined your lapsed criteria, build an automated segment of inactive subscribers.

In most tools, you can filter for:

“Hasn’t opened any campaign in the last 60 days”
“Last click was over 90 days ago”
“Hasn’t visited site in 3 months” (if integrated)

Label this segment clearly: Re-engage_60 or something similar.

This segment will automatically update — so as people become inactive, they’re added to the flow.

Step 3: Build a 3–5 Email Re-Engagement Sequence

Here’s my go-to framework. You can automate this sequence and set each email to trigger a few days apart.

Email 1: The “We Miss You” Check-In

Subject line: “Still interested in hearing from us?”
Message: Light, friendly, casual. Remind them what they signed up for. Ask if they still want to be on the list.
Include a button: “Yes, keep me subscribed”
Tag those who click to remove them from the segment.

Email 2: Add Value or Update Them

Subject line: “Here’s what you’ve missed…”
Recap your best recent content, promos, or updates.
Include helpful links or a downloadable freebie.
CTA: Encourage them to take one small action (read, download, reply).

Email 3: The “What Can We Do Better?” Ask

Subject: “Is something missing?”
Ask for feedback. You can include a 1-click survey or just a reply CTA like:

“Hit reply and tell us: What kind of content would actually help you?”

This email gets surprising engagement — and helps you improve your content moving forward.

Email 4 (Optional): Offer a Small Incentive

Only if it fits your brand. Something like:

“Reactivate now and get 10% off your next purchase.”
Don’t bribe, but offer a genuine perk for re-engaging.
Works especially well for eCommerce or SaaS reactivations.

Email 5: Say Goodbye (And Clean the List)

Subject: “Should I remove you from the list?”
Message: Let them know this is the last email unless they take action.
CTA: “Click here to stay on the list.”
If no action → unsubscribe them automatically.

I’ve cleaned over 1,000+ cold subscribers this way — and my open rate jumped by 15% within a week.

Step 4: Automate the Entire Sequence

Inside your email tool:

Trigger the sequence when a contact enters the re-engagement segment.
Add conditional logic: If they click or reply, exit them from the automation.
If no action after last email? Add a “Remove from list” action or tag them as “Unengaged.”

That’s it — set it, test it, let it run.

Step 5: Watch for Signals (and Adjust Over Time)

Not every campaign works the same way forever. I usually:

Test different subject lines every few months
Swap out content in the “Here’s what you missed” email
Shorten or lengthen the sequence based on engagement

Also, keep a separate tag for those who re-engage — so you can follow up with “Glad you’re back!” emails later. It helps rebuild trust.

Final Thoughts: Automation Isn’t Cold, It’s Considerate

Re-engagement campaigns are like nudging an old friend you haven’t heard from in a while. You’re not begging them to stay — you’re just checking in, reminding them why they subscribed, and giving them a graceful way to bow out if it’s not a fit anymore.

When you automate it thoughtfully, you: