The Importance of Re-Engagement Campaigns for Hotels

One of the key challenges faced by hotels is the tendency to send marketing campaigns to their entire subscriber list, rather than focusing on engaged subscribers. This practice can negatively impact sender reputation. To address this, it’s crucial for hotels to execute re-engagement campaigns effectively as part of their email strategy.

What is a Re-Engagement Email Campaign?

A re-engagement email campaign has a single purpose and includes only one call to action: asking recipients if they still want to receive your emails. Also known as a win-back or “we miss you” campaign, this email serves as the final touchpoint with a user before removing them from your email list.

Implementing a Re-Engagement Strategy

A re-engagement strategy should be systematic and ongoing. Emails should be triggered based on engagement levels, ideally every 90 days. Problems arise when hotels attempt a single, large-scale re-engagement email. Instead, re-engaging customers should be part of regular list hygiene, segmenting addresses by their engagement levels.

When sending a re-engagement campaign, treat it similarly to a IP/domain warm-up. Start by emailing the most recent engagers and gradually work backwards, saving the oldest, least engaged group for last to minimize potential reputation/blocking issues.

Why Do Guests Become Unengaged?

Several factors can cause guests to become unengaged, including:

• Receiving too many emails
• Clickbait subject lines
• Confusing design
• Lack of mobile optimization
• Repetitive or irrelevant content
• Signing up only for a one-time offer

Tips for Effective Re-Engagement Campaigns

Segment Your List Appropriately

Divide your email list into engaged recipients and those who haven’t opened your emails in three months. This allows you to focus on creating new content for highly engaged users while checking in with less engaged recipients with targeted content. Don’t worry about shrinking your list; sending relevant content to receptive leads maximizes efficiency.

Ask Recipients Why They’ve Been Ignoring You

When reaching out to inactive readers, keep the tone friendly and humble. Be succinct and to the point. Humor can be effective but be mindful of different senses of humor. A/B testing can help determine the best approach. Keep in mind your brand voice.

Make Your Subject Line Stand Out

To catch the attention of those who don’t usually open your emails, make your subject line distinctive. If your subject lines typically follow a pattern, try varying them to signal that this email is different.

By following these best practices, hotels can effectively re-engage their subscribers, improve sender reputation, and enhance overall email marketing performance. It’s important for hotels to understand that if re-engagement attempts fail, it’s perfectly acceptable to stop sending emails to those subscribers. Continuing to send emails to unengaged recipients poses significant risks, including damaging your sender reputation and reducing your ability to land in the inbox. This, in turn, can negatively impact your campaign revenue. Prioritizing engaged subscribers ensures better deliverability, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, more successful email marketing campaigns.