In a perfect world, a person discovers your brand, signs up or makes a purchase, and becomes a loyal fan forever. It’s a nice thought, but it’s rarely that simple. People get distracted. Budgets shift. Life happens. And before long, a once-active customer has gone completely silent.
When this happens, most brands pivot to chasing fresh leads or rewarding existing customers. Both are important, but dismissing inactive or lost customers means missing easy wins. They’ve already decided your brand was worth their time once. All that’s missing now is a reason to come back.
That’s why you need to add winback campaigns to your SMS marketing strategy. It’s a structured way to tell your customers, “We’ve missed you,” and make it worth their while to return. Let’s create an invitation they can’t refuse.
Getting to know SMS winback campaigns
So, what exactly is an SMS winback campaign? Put simply, it’s a targeted series of text messages designed to win back at-risk or lost customers. These are the people who used to buy from you, browse your site, or open your marketing emails but haven’t interacted in a while.
Most winback texts include a special offer to spark interest again, like a limited-time discount or free shipping. But offers aren’t the only way to reconnect. You can also send SMS messages that:
- Ask for customer feedback
- Show off a new product or highlight service benefits
- Remind them about customer loyalty points
You’ve probably seen winback campaigns from subscription services, like streaming apps or monthly boxes. But they also work for e-commerce stores, local shops, and service providers. Any business dealing with customer churn will benefit from sending these well-timed texts.
Benefits of using SMS for customer retention
Email might be the go-to for winback campaigns, but SMS adds something extra. It’s faster, more personal, and almost impossible to ignore. When you want to reconnect with customers, text messages can make a real difference. Here’s how.
Automate winback workflows
With automation, your campaigns practically run themselves. Set triggers to send SMS messages after a period of inactivity or when specific actions occur, such as a subscription lapse. Once it’s configured, the texts go out on their own without any manual work.
Achieve high open and response rates
SMS doesn’t get lost in crowded inboxes. It’s a cost-effective way to reach customers in real time on any mobile device, with no internet connection required. At a 98% open rate, your SMS messages are likely to get read, making it easier to increase repeat purchases and customer engagement.
Maximize customer lifetime value (CLV)
Thoughtful winback texts boost customer satisfaction by showing the recipients you value them. This positive interaction encourages them to make their next purchase or otherwise re-engage with your brand. That renewed loyalty is precisely how you make more money from each customer in the long run.
Five steps to win back past customers with text messages
Every customer relationship has its ups and downs, but a smart winback strategy turns things around. Follow these 5 steps to re-engage customers through text messages.
Step #1: Identify your at-risk and lapsed customers
Start by defining what inactive or lost means for your business. For an e-commerce store, it might be 60 days without a purchase. For a subscription service, it could be a canceled account or 30 days without logging in.
Use your customer data to flag anyone who meets your inactivity criteria. Then, dig into why they left with thorough research into:
- How long they’ve been inactive
- What they bought and how often
- Their total spending and how long they’ve been with your brand
- Support ticket records, satisfaction scores, and direct customer feedback
- Cancellation survey responses given at exit (for subscriptions)
- Lifecycle context, like if they lost interest after a discount code expired or an item sold out
Also, confirm that each customer has agreed to receive text messages from you. You can only contact people who’ve opted in to SMS through a signup form, text-to-join campaign, or other approved method.
Step #2: Segment using past purchase history and behavior
Now, group your lost or at-risk customers based on their shared traits. That way, you can tailor your SMS messages and offers to make them feel more personal.
Common ways to segment customers include:
- New customers versus repeat buyers: Match your message to their familiarity with your brand.
- Product preferences: Use past purchases to recommend products they’re more likely to buy.
- Spending levels: Reward high-value customers with premium offers, not standard promotions.
- Price sensitivity: Lead with discounts for customers who wait for sales or complain about high prices.
Plan to build separate campaigns for each segment you’ve created. That way, you can match your messaging and offers to specific customer behaviors, preferences, and reasons for leaving.
Step #3: Select your winback campaign type
Using your segments as a guide, you can now decide on the angle of your message. After all, it wouldn’t be very effective to send a “We miss you!” text to a customer who left a 1-star review. Your SMS campaign type should match the segment’s reason for leaving.
Here are the most popular types to choose from:
- Limited-time offer: Create urgency with an enticing offer like “25% off, this week only!”
- Exclusive experience: Invite customers to something special, like early access to a new product or a members-only sale.
- Rewards alert: Remind customers about unused loyalty points, gift cards, or rewards they can still redeem on their next purchase.
- Product update: Share exciting news about new arrivals, restocked favorites, or improved product features.
- Personal message: Send a warm “We appreciate you” text to show customers they’re valued and not forgotten.
- Satisfaction guarantee: Reassure customers that you’ve improved quality, service, or pricing and invite them to give you another try.
- Feedback request: Ask for honest input on what went wrong and how you can do better next time.
You might need to mix and match approaches to get results. For instance, if you’re trying to win back an unhappy customer, send a feedback request text, then follow up with a satisfaction guarantee.
Step #4: Choose timing for initial and follow-up messages
Timing matters as much as the message itself. When you reach out depends on why the customer left and what you’re offering to bring them back.
A good approach is to send the first message, then a follow-up about a week later. If they still don’t reply, try once more about a month or so later.
For example, if a longtime customer suddenly goes quiet, you might send:
- Immediately: “Hi, Elena! We noticed it’s been a while since your last visit. We just wanted to say we appreciate you and hope to see you soon: [link] Reply STOP to opt out.”
- One week later: “Elena, we’ve missed you around here. Come see what’s new—there’s a little something waiting for you: [link] Reply STOP to opt out.”
- One month later: “Hey Elena, we saved your favorites. Come back anytime and use this 15% off code just for you: [link] Reply STOP to opt out.”
You can also use other marketing channels alongside SMS. For instance, you might send a follow-up email a few hours after your initial text to reinforce the offer. For your most valued repeat customers, consider using direct mail or a phone call to add an even more personal touch.
Step #5: Automate, launch, and monitor your campaign
Set up your SMS workflow in your marketing platform to run automatically. Choose your trigger, such as 45 days of inactivity, and schedule your 3-message series according to your planned timing.
With your workflow running, the system tracks important triggers and sends the first text automatically. It pauses to see if a purchase happens before sending the next message, and then ends the sequence once a customer converts.
All you need to do is monitor your SMS marketing analytics. Track metrics like click-through rates and unsubscribes to see what’s working (and what’s not). Then, use your findings to adjust your SMS messages and offers over time.
SMS best practices for customer re-engagement
Crafting the perfect winback sequence is only half the battle. How you deliver your message is just as important. These best practices will help you maximize impact while protecting your brand reputation and customer relationships.
- Respect opt-ins: Only text customers who’ve opted in to receive your SMS marketing messages. Need more opt-ins? Collect them through website pop-ups, email campaigns, or at checkout.
- Honor opt-outs: When someone replies “STOP,” remove them immediately. Never contact them through SMS again without a fresh opt-in.
- Limit message frequency: Three texts over a few months are plenty for a winback campaign. Too many SMS messages will push inactive customers away for good.
- Track deliverability: Keep an eye on SMS delivery rates to ensure your winback messages are actually reaching customers and not getting blocked or filtered.
Master these fundamentals, and your SMS campaigns will perform better while keeping customers happy. Skip them, and you risk burning bridges that you worked hard to build.
Key takeaways
- Win back lost customers: They already know your brand, so winning them back is easier and cheaper than chasing brand-new leads.
- Cut through the noise with SMS: Text messages have near-perfect open rates, making them a highly effective way to reconnect with inactive customers.
- Pick the right winback campaign: Match your campaign type, like a feedback request or loyalty points reminder, to the specific customer segment you’re trying to re-engage.
- Automate your workflow: Set up your 3-message winback sequence once and let the system handle sending each text at the perfect moment, every time.
- Play by the rules: Only text customers who’ve opted in, honor opt-outs immediately, and limit message frequency to protect your reputation and get better results.