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How to Handle Your Unengaged Email List

Author

Max Sturtevant
February 28, 2025

The Inbox Newsletter

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

I get this question all the time:

“How do you re-engage inactive subscribers?”

Here’s the truth: most of them aren’t coming back. And that’s okay. Let me explain.

Subscriber Churn is Inevitable

No one stays interested forever.

It doesn’t matter how great your emails are, some people will lose interest and stop opening.

This is why the real game isn’t about saving lost subscribers. It’s about constantly growing your list so you don’t feel the hit when some churn.

Instead of stressing over re-engagement, put your energy into bringing in new subscribers. That’s where the ROI is.

The Harsh Reality of Unengaged Profiles

If someone hasn’t opened an email in 90 to 180 days, they’re pretty much gone.

Think about it—3 to 6 months of ignoring every email you send.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Re-engaging past subscribers is HARD.

If I send to 50,000 unengaged profiles and manage to bring back only 10,000, that’s a win. But that still means 40,000 are dead weight.

And those 40,000? They’re dragging your deliverability down.

How to Re-Engage Without Hurting Deliverability

I don’t waste time chasing people who don’t care anymore. But I do have a system for low-effort re-engagement that keeps things clean.

1. Only Send to Your Engaged List (95% of the Time)

For most brands, I only send to people who’ve opened in the last 120 days.

If you’re outside of that window, you’re not getting emails. No point in tanking deliverability by blasting to people who don’t care.

2. Send One “All List” Email Per Month

Once a month, I open up one send to the entire list, including unengaged profiles.

This is usually for a big sale, product launch, or restock.

Most won’t open. But some will. And that’s enough to re-engage without overcomplicating things.

3. Set Up a Simple Sunset Flow

I also like to have a one-email sunset flow for inactive profiles.

Here’s how it works:

  • Create a segment for people who’ve opened at least one email before but haven’t opened in 180+ days.

  • Send a simple text-based email: “Are you still interested?”

  • Let them know you miss them but totally understand if they’re no longer interested. Invite them to unsubscribe.

This keeps your list clean and engaged without overcomplicating things.

Send This Re-Engagement Email Today

Who Should You Send This To?

✅ People who haven’t purchased yet but showed interest.
✅ Subscribers who haven’t engaged with your emails in a while.
✅ Anyone who needs a little extra nudge to take action.

Why This Works

  • It’s personal – A direct message from the founder builds trust.

  • It removes pressure – There’s no hard sell, just an invitation.

  • It revives dormant interest – A subtle reminder can bring people back.

Sender Name: Founder First Name | Brand Name
Subject Line: “Hey, quick thought…”

Body:

Hi there,

It’s [Founder Name], the founder of [Brand Name].

I wanted to personally reach out and say thanks for checking out [Brand Name].

A lot of people come across us because they’re looking for [specific problem your product solves]—and I totally get it. That’s why I started [Brand Name] in the first place. [Brief 1-2 sentence personal story about the brand’s origin or mission.]

If you’re on the fence, no pressure. I just want to share a little about why customers love us:

[Unique Selling Point #1][Unique Selling Point #2][Unique Selling Point #3]

And - I just reactivated your welcome discount for 10% OFF. Just use code [Discount Code] at checkout.

Whenever you’re ready, I’d love for you to give us a try. Here’s a link to check out our bestsellers: [Shop Bestsellers »]

Thanks for being here—it means a lot.

[Founder Name]

P.S. If you have any questions or want a recommendation, just hit reply. I actually read these myself.

The Bottom Line

If you see thousands (or millions) of unengaged profiles in your list, don’t panic.

Just assume they’re gone. Your life will be a lot less stressful.

Spending energy trying to “revive” dead subscribers is a losing battle.

Focus on list growth, not re-engagement.

One of my clients has over 2 million unengaged subscribers we don’t send to.

Is it ideal? No. But churn is part of the game.

Grow your list. Send to your engaged audience. Keep it simple.

That’s how you win.

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Blueland

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BAclm0OGnDNglx-O9juF6UG2pT8iGcka/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Easy way to spice up any email and engaged your subscribers is by throwing a pun in there.

ChatGPT can spit out a million pun ideas for your brand.

If you have a boring email, a pun will bring it to life a bit.

Product Body Template #17

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max

PS - If you run an ecommerce brand above $50k/mo and you want to have a free email strategy consultation with me, book a call here »

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  • Ecommerce Email Mastery: A 60 lesson course breaking down everything you need to know about ecommerce email marketing in the most concise and organized manner. learn more »

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