Resending Unopened Emails: When and How to Re-Engage Your Audience

Resending unopened emails is an effective strategy to re-engage your audience when done thoughtfully, typically by selecting emails with low open rates or time-sensitive content, waiting several days before resending, and improving elements like subject lines and preheaders to increase engagement.

Key points on when and how to resend unopened emails include:

• When to resend:

  • Target emails with low open rates or containing time-sensitive information (e.g., event invitations, limited-time offers).
  • Wait several days (commonly around 4 days) after the original send to avoid appearing spammy and to give recipients time to open the first email.
  • Consider sending re-engagement emails after periods of subscriber inactivity (30, 60, or 90 days) or based on specific triggers like abandoned carts or expiring offers.

• How to resend effectively:

  • Use a different subject line to capture attention and test what resonates better with your audience.
  • Update the preheader text to complement the new subject line and include a subtle call to action.
  • Refresh the email content if needed to ensure relevance and value, such as updating dates, offers, or statistics.
  • Segment your audience to resend only to those who did not open the original email, avoiding sending duplicates to engaged contacts.
  • Limit the number of resend attempts (typically no more than three) to avoid annoying subscribers and risking unsubscribes.
  • Monitor engagement metrics after resending to refine your strategy for future campaigns.

• Additional considerations:

  • Personalize re-engagement emails to address subscriber needs and hesitations, making the message feel human and relevant.
  • If subscribers remain unresponsive after multiple attempts, consider removing them from your list to maintain list health and improve deliverability.

By following these guidelines, you can increase open rates, reawaken dormant subscribers, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.