How to Wake Up Dormant Leads with Smart Re-Engagement Campaigns

Here’s a secret that might surprise you: one of your biggest growth opportunities may already be hiding in your existing email list. Yes, we’re talking about dormant leads. Contacts who used to open your emails, maybe even clicked through or purchased… and then stopped at one time. They haven’t unsubscribed, but they’ve gone radio silent.

Before you rush to pour more budget into ads or new lead magnets, consider this: hidden inside that quiet group could be a goldmine. With the right re-engagement strategy, you can bring those sleepy leads back to life—and turn them into paying customers again.

Let’s dive into how that works.

Why Dormant Subscribers Can Be A Goldmine

Let’s clear something up right away: just because a contact has stopped engaging doesn’t mean they’re no longer interested in you. After all, there was once a good reason they signed up in the first place—maybe it was because of your products, services, content or a one-time offer. So why aren’t they now?

Understanding why someone stopped interacting is key—because reactivating a lead you already have is way cheaper than constantly chasing new ones through expensive ads.

Here are some common reasons leads go inactive:

• You’re sending irrelevant content that doesn’t speak to their interests anymore.
• You’re emailing too much (overload!) or too little (easy to forget you).
• Their personal situation or interests changed and your messaging hasn’t.
• Your value proposition isn’t clear anymore—what’s in it for them?

Dormant Leads = Hidden Potential

Sure, they’re not clicking right now—but that doesn’t mean you should write them off. Dormant leads are still yours—you already have their permission to reach out. And if even 20% of your list is in this “sleeping” category, that’s a huge chunk of opportunity, just waiting for you to do something with it.

Instead of throwing money at new lead generation, why not focus part of your strategy on bringing these contacts back? It’s more budget-friendly and (often) much more effective.

4 Smart Ways to Re-Engage Dormant Leads

Irrelevant content is one of the big reasons many leads do not show you any interest anymore. So how do you get them excited again, especially to take action?

Here are four proven strategies:

1. Profile Enrichment for Better Targeting

One of the top reasons leads will disengage? Mostly because of irrelevant emails they’re not interested in. If your content no longer fits their needs or interests, they’ll stop opening it —and eventually forget about you.

That’s where profile enrichment comes in. The more you know about your subscribers, the more relevant (and personalized) your content can be.

How do you gather that extra info? Try things like:

• Short preference surveys (“Do you prefer gold or silver jewelry?”)
• Tracking browsing or purchasing behavior through your website or webshop
• Reviewing which links they’ve clicked in past emails

Even a simple follow-up question can give you valuable insight. Relevance is everything when it comes to re-engagement.

2. Trigger-Based Re-Engagement Emails

“We haven’t seen you in a while—here’s a 10% off for your next order.”

This example is a classic re-engagement email in action. A well-crafted message like this can do wonders to spark curiosity and get a dormant lead to open your email again.

The formula? Keep it friendly, a little personal (“We miss you!”), and add a trigger—like a discount, free gift or exclusive content. Bonus points for a powerful subject line that grabs attention.

Set up an effective automation that will be sent to your dormant lead, based on inactivity (like no opens in 30, 60 or 90 days). No response after that? Then it might be time to clean your list and remove the contact.

3. Go Beyond the Inbox: Multichannel Outreach

Let’s be honest—not everyone checks their email every day or multiple times a day. But you know what is always within reach? Their phone.

So if email alone isn’t cutting it, mix things up:

• Send a short, friendly SMS reminder with a special offer.
• Try a handwritten postcard—yes, a personal note can still be surprisingly impactful.
• Make a personal phone call (especially in B2B settings).
• Use retargeting ads on Facebook, Instagram or Google to pop up in their feed.

Using multiple touchpoints boosts your visibility and increases your chances of getting a response.

4. Behavior-Based Automations

This one’s a game-changer. With the help of modern email marketing platforms (like MailBlue), you can set up behavior-triggered automations that respond in real time to your contacts’ actions.

For example:

• The ‘abandoned cart’ email after someone leaves your webshop
• A follow-up when someone opens a newsletter but doesn’t click
• A reminder email when someone visits a product page but doesn’t buy

These most powerful targeted and real-time automations are personal and perfectly timed —exactly the ingredients you need to re-capture their interest.

Re-Engagement Campaigns: The Do’s & Don’ts

Irrelevant content is one of the biggest reasons for losing the lead’s interest. Do you want to avoid a click on the “unsubscribe” button? Then keep these tips in mind:

DO:

• Keep your message short, warm and personal: nobody likes unnecessary details.
• Include one clear call-to-action (like “Claim your 15% discount” or “Update your preferences”). Keep the goal clear.
• A/B test your subject lines and send times to find your ‘golden formula’ —you’d be amazed what a small tweak can do.
• Offer a genuine reason to come back (a special promo, relevant content or even just a warm check-in).

DON’T:

• Send generic emails to inactive lists. They probably won’t even open them—and it can hurt your sender reputation.
• Push too hard. Re-engagement is about empathy and timing, not pressure. Always be gentle and subtle, not some ‘aggressive’ seller.
• Hold onto permanently inactive contacts. This damages your email deliverability, and you don’t want e-mail providers like Outlook or Gmail to think you’re spammy.

But… When Should You Say Goodbye?

If someone hasn’t opened or clicked in months—even after several re-engagement attempts—it might be time to let them go. It might feel tough, but keeping truly inactive subscribers can actually harm your sender reputation.

Here’s why: Email providers like Gmail and Outlook track how many contacts open and engage with your emails. If too many don’t, your deliverability drops. That means even your engaged subscribers might start seeing your emails in their spam folder.

So, do your interested and active contacts a favor—keep your list clean and healthy by letting go of those who’ve gone totally cold.

Final Thoughts: Reawakening Your Sleeping Subscribers

Dormant leads might not be your most active customers right now, but with the right approach, they absolutely can be again.

So instead of focusing only on new acquisitions, take a good look at your current list. Learn the interests of your contacts, bring them back with relevant, personal campaigns and use smart automations to strike and reach your goal.

And if someone just isn’t coming back? That’s okay too. Say goodbye, clean up your list and keep your focus on quality over quantity.

Remember: growth doesn’t always mean chasing the new. Sometimes, it’s about nurturing what you already have—and waking up the goldmine that’s been snoozing in your inbox all along.

Want to hit the ground running with your email marketing?
Check out the Dutch-language Email Marketing Manual by MailBlue and learn how to build powerful campaigns in under 30 minutes—perfect for beginners and pros alike!

MailBlue is a platform for email marketing and the Dutch reseller partner of ActiveCampaign. The software offers tools such as marketing automation, lead generation, and the creation of creative campaigns.

This article was written by Youri Meuleman (Co-Founder MailBlue & Head of Marketing) & co-author Dominique Janssens (Copywriter / Content Strategist) at MailBlue. MailBlue is sponsor of the 2025 DDMA EMAS (Email Marketing Automation Summit).

Youri Meuleman

Co-Founder MailBlue & Head of Marketing | MailBlue

Dominique Janssens

Copywriter / Content Strategist | MailBlue