Email and customers · Lesson 5.6
12 Win Back Campaign Examples to Adapt (Illustrative)
Starting a win back campaign is easier when you have something to copy. Below are twelve examples across different kinds of business. They are illustrative sketches written for this post, not real campaigns from real companies, and no results are claimed for any of them. Use them as starting wording and change every line to fit your own customers.
Each one has a quiet window to consider, a first line to adapt and a reason it should work. The windows are examples of thinking, not rules. Mailchimp says plainly that there is no set number of days after which a customer counts as inactive. Lesson 5.6 walks you through it step by step: Win back customers who went quiet.
Pick the example closest to your business, keep its shape, and replace the details with things only you would know.
How to use these win back campaign examples
For each business, ask three things: how long do my customers usually wait between orders, what is one real thing I can tell them, and what small offer can I afford? Then fill the blanks. The shape stays the same: a check in, a small offer with an end date, a last call. Klaviyo and Mailchimp both describe a three email pattern like this.
The twelve
1. Coffee roaster, with a subscription lapse. Window to consider: a little past the usual reorder gap, for example a few weeks. First line: "Your last bag will be long gone by now. Here is what we roasted this month." Why it works: it ties to a real usage cycle, so it feels timely, not random.
2. Dog groomer. Window: a little longer than the usual gap between grooms. First line: "Max is probably due a trim. Here are the next free slots this week." Why it works: it offers a concrete next step, not a general hello.
3. Online craft supply shop. Window: a few months, since projects are seasonal. First line: "Autumn projects are starting. Here are three kits we think suit your last order." Why it works: it uses their past purchase, as Klaviyo suggests by highlighting a few relevant products.
4. Personal trainer. Window: when a client has missed their usual sessions for several weeks. First line: "No pressure, just checking you are okay. If you want to restart, I have two spots on Tuesdays." Why it works: it is human first and has a low pressure ask.
5. Boutique hair salon. Window: longer than the typical cut interval. First line: "It has been a while since your last cut. Book this month and add a conditioning treatment on us." Why it works: a small extra, not a deep discount, keeps your pricing intact.
6. Plant shop. Window: a few months. First line: "Is your monstera still thriving? Here is a spring care guide, and a few new arrivals." Why it works: it leads with useful content, in line with Mailchimp's suggestion of focusing the first email on value or updates.
7. Accountant or bookkeeper. Window: after a busy season ends. First line: "Tax season is over. Here is a ten minute checklist to get next year's records in order, and two slots in the diary for a review." Why it works: it gives a practical tool before asking for work.
8. Online course creator. Window: when a past buyer has not opened a lesson in a while. First line: "You started [course name] and left off at [lesson]. Here is a two minute way to pick it back up." Why it works: it removes the effort of restarting.
9. Bakery with boxed cakes. Window: a few months, because orders cluster around occasions. First line: "Is there a birthday coming up? Here is what we are baking this season." Why it works: it ties to the reason people order.
10. Photographer. Window: a year or more, since many clients book once or twice a year. First line: "It has been a year since your last session. Here is a mini session day we are running next month." Why it works: it respects the long cycle and gives a simple, dated reason.
11. Small online clothing shop. Window: a few months. First line: "A few new pieces landed that match what you bought last time." Why it works: it shows a few products, as Klaviyo suggests, three to six, rather than a whole catalogue.
12. Cleaning service. Window: after the usual gap between visits. First line: "Ready for a reset? Book your next clean this week and get an add on of your choice." Why it works: a clear next step, a small extra and a real deadline.
What the twelve have in common
| Pattern | Seen in |
|---|---|
| Ties to the customer's own past purchase | 1, 3, 11 |
| Leads with something useful | 6, 7, 8 |
| Gives a concrete next step | 2, 4, 12 |
| Small extra, not a deep discount | 5, 12 |
| Respects a long buying cycle | 7, 10 |
None of them guilt the customer, and none claim anything that cannot be backed. That matters, because the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says subject lines must not be deceptive.
Make the examples yours
- Choose onePick the example closest to your business.
- Replace the windowUse your own buying cycle. Klaviyo suggests averaging the gap between orders for repeat customers.
- Replace the detailAdd a real product, a real date or a real name. Remove any line that could appear in anyone's email.
- Add the basicsYour valid postal address and a clear unsubscribe link in every email, as CAN-SPAM requires. Gmail's subscription guidelines also ask for one click unsubscribe and honouring requests within 48 hours.
- Add a stop ruleAnyone who orders, replies or unsubscribes leaves the series.
Check the offer before you send
An example offer is only useful if you can afford it. Work out what a returning customer is worth to you, and make sure the extra you give is smaller. Do not copy a discount from an example. If the offer ends on a date, honour it.
Use with AI
Give an AI assistant the example nearest your business, a real email you have written, and a list of things to avoid. Ask it for three versions of email one. Choose the one that sounds like you and edit it. For guidance on that brief, see How to brief AI like a senior hire.
For wording with blanks to fill, use the free template. For the full process, read the complete guide.
Questions people ask
Are these real campaigns?
No. They are illustrative sketches written for this post, and no results are claimed.
Which one should I start with?
The one nearest your business. The shape is the same across all twelve.
Can I use them word for word?
You can, but they will work better once you add a detail only you would know.
Where to go next
If you want help turning one of these into a real campaign on your own list, see Lesson 5.6, Win back customers who went quiet. It covers finding people who stopped buying, writing the note in your voice, sending a small offer to the right people only, and seeing who came back.