Reengage unengaged readers with email marketing

Here is a strategy

Most brands give up on their unengaged email subscribers way too soon.

Here’s the exact strategy I use to revive dead lists and turn them into high-converting segments — step-by-step.

👇

Step 1: Build the re-engagement segment.
You want to target people who:

  • Have received at least 3 emails

  • Have opened 0 emails in the last 90 days

  • (Optional) Have never placed an order

This excludes brand new signups and filters down to the people who should have engaged — but haven’t.

We call this the Re-engage Segment.

Step 2: Send a plain text email — no creative, just human.


Write it like it’s from a founder.
Example: “Hi, it’s Gavin from In-box.”
Add a 20% off offer, include urgency (e.g. “expires in 72 hours”), and use an auto-apply discount link if you’re on Shopify.
Why plain text?
📬 Higher inbox placement
👀 Better open rates
💰 More eyes = more chances to convert

Step 3: Follow up 48 hours later.


This is where things get clever.


In Klaviyo, schedule your second email with “determine recipients at send time” enabled.


That way:


✅ People who didn’t open the first email get the second
❌ People who did open are automatically excluded

No need to create a second segment. Let Klaviyo handle it for you.

Results?


We’ve seen this re-engagement flow reawaken 30–50% of otherwise dormant subscribers — and drive a measurable lift in revenue within 3–5 days.

If you’re sitting on a cold list, don’t delete it.


Re-engage it.

Need help setting this up?


This is what we do at in-box.co.nz — strategy, segmentation, and retention-driven email flows that convert.

Check out the video here.

Word From Our Sponsors:

Smarter Growth for DTC Brands on Amazon

Ad spend keeps climbing. ROAS? Not so much.

The smartest Amazon sellers aren’t spending more—they’re spending smarter.

The Affiliate Shift Calculator models what could happen if you reallocated a portion of your ad budget into affiliate marketing.

Built for sellers doing $5M+ on Amazon.