Define quiet with real activity
Start with who is actually inactive. I would use this rule: no click, no reply, no site visit and no booking in the last 90 days, and the contact was added more than 90 days ago.
Do not rely on opens alone. Since Apple Mail Privacy Protection, many opens are triggered by the mail app, not by a person. Clicks, replies and visits are harder to fake. Pull the list from your email tool or from HubSpot with those filters.
Remove people who should not be in it
Take out anyone who has an open deal, is a current customer, or was added in the last 90 days. A customer who ignores your newsletter is not a lost lead. Treat them with How to identify expansion opportunities instead.
Also split the list by value. A contact from a target account gets a personal touch. A contact from a webinar two years ago gets the automated version.
Pick a different reason to come back
The old emails did not work, so do not send more of the same. Choose one of three angles:
- New content: a guide, a template or a recording they have not seen.
- A changed offer: something you now do that you did not before.
- A direct question: are they still interested, and in what?
Use the angle that fits why they went quiet. If they stopped after the first email, they probably never found a reason. If they stopped after a few, your topics may have drifted.
Touch 1: fresh value
Send something useful with no ask. Subject line: the title of the content. Keep it short and add one link. If you have recently published something strong, this is where it belongs. The point is to see who still clicks.
Touch 2: a direct question, five days later
Write plainly: "I have not heard from you in a while. Do you still want these emails?" Give two links: "Yes, keep me on the list" and "No, take me off". Offer a third if it fits: "Send me less often".
A one-click answer is more useful than a clever subject line. Do not use guilt phrases like "we miss you". They sound like a marketing template, and they are.
Touch 3: a personal note for valuable contacts
For the contacts who matter most, send a short email from a real person, or a LinkedIn message. Two sentences are enough: what has changed on your side, and a question. This step does not scale, which is why you reserve it for the accounts you would most like to win back.
Touch 4: a last call
Seven days after touch 3, send a final note: "I will stop emailing you after this one unless you tell me otherwise." People who have been ignoring you will often respond to a clear end. After this, anyone who did not act moves to the removal process in Prune inactive contacts.
Send in small batches
Do not send to your whole dormant list at once. A large volume of mail to people who ignore you can raise complaints and hurt delivery for everyone. Start with the most recently active 10 per cent, check bounces and complaints, then continue in steps. A tool like MailReach can help you watch your sender health while you do it.
Tag the outcome
When the sequence ends, tag each contact with one of three outcomes: re-engaged, asked for less, or unresponsive. Re-engaged contacts go back to the main nurture flows. Unresponsive contacts leave the list. Write the date next to the tag so you know when you last tried.
Common mistakes
- Using opens to define inactivity.
- Mailing everyone at once.
- Sending five more emails of the same kind.
- Keeping unresponsive contacts forever because the list looks bigger.
- Emailing customers or open deals.
How you know it works
Measure the reactivation rate: contacts who clicked, replied or visited within 30 days of the first touch, divided by those you mailed. Even a modest share is worth having, because those people cost nothing to win. Also check that complaints stay low and your next regular email gets at least as many clicks as before. Run the campaign once a quarter.
