In Part 1 of this series, “Why you should clean your email list right after the holidays”, we shared a couple of tactics to use during the holidays to effectively identify unengaged email subscribers from the increased send volumes during BFCM and December. If you missed it, make sure to check it out .

In part 2, we want to explore alternative ways you can leverage segments of unengaged or even unsubscribed contacts identified during the holidays to market your products and services. 

Depending on your business, your engaged and unengaged segment definitions may differ. However, some segments we commonly look at after the holidays include:

Email engagement: 

• 90-day email open, 0-6 month purchase

• 180-day email open, 0-6 month purchase

• 365-day email open, 0-6 month purchase

• Non-opener, 0-6 month purchase

• Non-opener, no purchase

• Unsubscribed

Website engagement

• 90-day active on site, 0-6 month purchase

• +90-day active on site, +6 month purchase

• +90-day active on site, no purchase

Just because they haven’t opened, haven’t visited your website, or have unsubscribed from your email program, doesn’t make these contacts worthless. Based on these or similar segments, you can use alternative tactics to engage them. 

Don’t overlook “Why” your customers are inactive

Before jumping into some tactical recommendations, it's important to take a quick step back and reflect on why subscribers have become unengaged or unsubscribed. 

Earlier this month, all of the Klaviyo Community Champions from around the world got together at Klaviyo HQ and talked about email and SMS. One of my fellow champions, Chelsea Grove, commented that one of the brands she loved always sent the same offer every week and because of it, she ignores every message they send. 

We can become blind to the customer’s experience when we are heads down in our campaigns.

Take a moment to evaluate your messaging, offers, and campaign calendar to be sure you are providing value. Don’t hesitate to survey your customers and give them the means to set their own preferences in a preference center. 

If email is your “firstborn,” SMS should be your “little sister”

Nowadays, brands need to be omnichannel and consider channel preferences. 

Most brands start acquisition efforts around email and have only recently started to include SMS when acquiring new customers. But, even if you have a large email list established, now is the time to start promoting an SMS program in case users decide they no longer want to receive your regular emails. 

Using the segments above, you can implement tactics in your emails and on your website to further grow your SMS list.

1. Using any segment where users have made a purchase in the last 6 months, including a text-to-join program in your promotional emails is a great source for SMS list growth. Don’t forget to include it in your flows like cart abandon and post-purchase. 

2. If someone has been active on your website or made a purchase in the last 6 months, trigger a popup targeting that segment prompting users to subscribe to SMS the next time they land on your site.

3. Adjust your winback or re-engagement email series to not simply feature a discount code but promote SMS to “be the first to know” while setting expectations for how your SMS schedule may differ from your email program. Start these programs early in the subscriber lifecycle to avoid subscriber churn.

4. Use your organic social media content to promote your SMS program and prompt users to subscribe for early access.

Use paid media and paid social with unengaged segments

Many marketers use paid social for new subscriber acquisition using segment lookalikes. But don’t forget, these platforms offer powerful ways to re-engage inactive or unsubscribed subscribers. 

Within Klaviyo, use any of the non-opener, unsubscribed, and +90-day active on site segments and sync them with Meta or Google to market to contacts there. Again, some customers may not be active with email but may be very active on those platforms. 

Don’t forget to tailor the ad creative to be relevant to these different segments and have fun with it. 

Take your lists a more traditional route… with direct mail?

As digital marketers, it's easy to forget about other offline channels. But through Klaviyo’s partner integrations, you can find new ways to re-engage your list. 

One such partner integration is PostPilot - a direct mail provider that integrates directly with Klaviyo and allows you to send postcards and other direct mail formats. One of the most intriguing aspects of this Klaviyo integration is the ability to use segments to send one-off campaigns AND send direct mail pieces via flows. 

Using any of the +365-day openers, non-openers, unsubscribed, non-purchasers, and +90-day active on site segments:

1. Send a postcard to highlight new products, new benefits of shopping with your brand, and a special discount. Don’t forget to include a text-to-join prompt for your SMS program.

2. Create a segment-triggered flow and based on no email or SMS engagement, trigger a postcard.

Keep in mind, unlike email and other digital channels that have real-time tracking, while direct mail is an effective channel, results will take 30 or more days to mature. 

No matter what time of the year it is, using these segments and tactics can help you maximize your marketing and keep customers engaged with your brand.