How to bring back churned users

Effective win-back campaigns in SaaS contain the following:

• Personalized messaging

• Strategic timing

• Value-driven content

• Incentives for re-engagement

• Post-campaign follow-ups

If you want to run win-back campaigns that successfully turn disengaged customers into power users, you need to have the right systems and strategies in place. 

When it comes to constructing win-back campaigns, I've found that the most powerful thing you can do is directly address user feedback.

Before exiting, what reasons do your users give for unsubscribing to your SaaS product?

You need to make note of these reasons, take steps to address the issues, and then circle back to churned users with invitations to take your newly improved SaaS product for another spin.

So, how can you maximize your chances of success?

SaaS founders can utilize various strategies to re-engage users and prevent churn.

Let's dive into some of these tactics.

Win-Back Campaigns (What Are They?)

Win-back campaigns are targeted marketing strategies designed to re-engage and retain customers who have cancelled their SaaS subscriptions.

These campaigns aim to address the reasons behind a customer's churn, identify their key concerns, and offer incentives to motivate users to continue using the service.

Win-back campaigns play a vital role in maximizing customer live time value and reducing your churn rate while being scalable and cost-efficient.

Re-Engaging Churned Users With Win-Back Emails

Win-back email campaigns are an effective method for re-engaging churned users.

However, it all comes down to the execution. If you deploy a poorly-constructed win-back email sequence, this is unlikely to prevent many users from churning.

The emails should remind users of the benefits and value of your SaaS solution, address their concerns, and offer tailored solutions to entice them to return.

Well-structured win-back email campaigns are thoughtfully timed, personalized, and include clear calls-to-actions that make it easy for users to re-engage with your SaaS product.

If a user has highlighted a specific reason for unsubscribing, you can address this in your win-back campaign and explain how you have fixed the issue.

Win-Back Emails (5 Types Of Emails To Send)

Here are just a few types of win-back emails that are effective at re-engaging churned users:

1 - Hyper-Personalized Emails

You can use customer data from your CRM, customer success platforms or analytics software to create personalized emails that address specific pain points and provide tailored solutions.

2 - Feature Update Emails

You can inform previous users about new features or updates that may enhance their experience and address their previous concerns about your SaaS product.

3 - Special Offer Emails

You can offer time-sensitive discounts or exclusive deals to incentivize users to return to your SaaS platform. The time element can add urgency to your offers and encourage recipients to take action.

4 - Re-Engagement Emails

You can use this opportunity to remind users of the value your SaaS platform provides by sharing case studies, testimonials, or success stories.

5 - Educational Emails

You can provide valuable content, such as how-to guides or tips, that help users better understand how to utilize your SaaS product.

Win-Back Email Campaigns (5 Best Practices)

When it comes to maximizing the success of your win-back email campaigns, you should follow a few best practices:

1 - Segment Your Audience

You can segment churned users based on their reasons for leaving, usage patterns, and other relevant factors to create targeted and relevant win-back emails. Users who share specific characteristics are called a cohort.

2 - Personalize Your Messaging

You should use existing customer data to create tailored content that addresses users' specific needs and concerns. 

3 - Choose The Right Timing

You can send win-back emails at strategic intervals, such as shortly after cancellation, after a significant product update, or when users have been inactive for a certain period.

4 - Test & Optimize

You can continuously test different email elements, such as subject lines, content, and design, and analyze the results to optimize your win-back campaigns.

5 - Monitor & Measure

You can track the performance of your win-back campaigns, including open rates, click-through rates, and re-engagement rates, to inform future strategies.

Starting Your Re-Engagement Campaign (5 Steps)

Once a user has entered your cancellation flow, you should take the following steps:

1 - Gather Feedback

Ask the user about their reasons for wishing to unsubscribe and any concerns they have.

2 - Address Concerns

Proactively address users' concerns and implement improvements based on their feedback.

3 - Deliver Value

Once re-engaged, offer value to users through personalized content and helpful resources.

4 - Monitor Usage Patterns

Keep a close eye on user activity to identify potential red flags and address any issues.

5 - Foster Loyalty

Implement loyalty programs or other initiatives to maintain long-term engagement and reduce the risk of future churn.

Using Cancellation Flows In Win-Back Campaigns (4 Key Elements)

Cancellation flows are an essential component of win-back campaigns.

These flows, implemented during the cancellation process, provide valuable insights into the reasons behind users' decisions to cancel their subscriptions.

They also create an opportunity to address concerns and possibly prevent churn.

I'd recommend incorporating the following elements in your cancellation flows:

1 - Exit Surveys

It seems obvious - but you should not forget to ask users why they are cancelling their subscriptions and gather feedback on their experience with your SaaS product. This data is useful for identifying product development opportunities and winning users back in the future.

2 - Offer Immediate Solutions

Based on the reasons provided, offer immediate solutions to user problems or concerns. This can include directing the users to support resources or suggesting alternative features.

3 - Provide Incentives

You can offer users incentives, such as discounts or extended trial periods, in the hope that users will reconsider their decision to cancel.

4 - Keep Communication Channels Open

Even if users decide to cancel, you should encourage them to stay connected through social media, newsletters, or other channels to maintain a relationship and potentially re-engage them in the future. For instance, in your cancellation flows, you can ask users whether they wish to continue receiving email content.

SaaS Win-Back Campaigns (Closing Thoughts)

Win-back campaigns are an essential part of any SaaS business's growth strategy.

If you are failing to invest time and resources into developing a robust strategy to retain customers, you are potentially leaving significant SaaS revenue on the table.

Keeping your churn rate low is critical to building a sustainable SaaS business with a sticky user base. The last thing you want is to have a SaaS user base that resembles a leaking bucket.

Sure, it's normal to lose some users over time, but you can avoid constantly chasing lost revenue from churned customers by focusing on effective retention strategies. Win-back campaigns are a cost-effective and scalable way to bring back lost users and improve overall customer loyalty.

Even with users heading for the exit door, you can utilize win-back campaigns and cancellation flows to prevent them from unsubscribing.

Are you ready to start retaining more SaaS subscribers? Get in touch to learn how we can help!