FikamailRequest access Give customers a reason to come back.
A practical starting point for your first winback email, from choosing an audience to reviewing the message.
Someone bought from your store. A few months have passed. You could send them a discount, announce a product, or simply say hello. Before writing a subject line, answer one question: why would this person want to hear from you today?
That answer is the beginning of a useful winback campaign.
Start with a specific audience
“One-time buyers who haven’t returned” is a more useful brief than “everyone on the list.” It gives the email a purpose: help someone who already knows your store find a reason to visit again.
For its first campaign workflow, Fikamail looks for subscribed customers who placed exactly one order 60–180 days ago. That is a starting point, not a universal rule for every store. A shop selling coffee and a shop selling furniture have very different purchase rhythms.
Before you approve an audience, consider:
- Does enough time pass between purchases for this message to make sense?
- Are the products in the email relevant to these customers?
- Have they recently heard from you through another campaign?
- Are they still eligible to receive your marketing emails?
Pick one reason to visit
An email doesn’t need to tell the entire story of your store. A small, clear idea is easier to write and easier to act on.
You might highlight a familiar collection, introduce a related product, or share a useful way to get more from something you sell. Choose something you can support with your actual catalog and product information.
A discount can be a reason to visit, but it does not need to be the default. If you do offer one, check that the code, eligibility and expiry are correct before sending.
Write the email around that reason
Start with a plain-language subject. Give the reader a short explanation of why the product or collection might interest them. Then offer a clear next step.
For an illustrative homeware store, the brief might be:
Invite previous customers to revisit the everyday ceramics collection. Keep the tone warm and unhurried. Highlight a small selection of available pieces. Do not invent a discount or claim that items are running out.
This is also a useful brief for an AI draft. Specific products, a clear purpose and explicit boundaries give you something concrete to review.
Review it as the customer
A draft being polished does not make it ready. Read the subject and preview text together, open the email on a small screen, and follow its links.
Check that product names and prices are right, that the message sounds like your store, and that it makes no promises you cannot keep. A message that says “we picked this just for you” deserves extra scrutiny if everyone receives the same selection.
In Fikamail, the draft is a proposal. You can revise it or leave it unsent. Campaigns require your approval.
Treat the results as a starting point
After sending, look at what customers actually did. Clicks, unsubscribes and observed orders each tell you something different. Avoid judging a campaign only by opens or interpreting every attributed order as an extra sale caused by the email.
Use the results to form the next question. Was the audience appropriate? Was the product selection useful? Did the email give someone a clear reason to act?
A thoughtful campaign starts with a specific idea and leaves you with something to learn.