Reviving Relationships: The Anatomy of a Winback Flow
We’ve all been there… customers who once showed interest have since fallen off the radar. A winback flow aims to rekindle those relationships. But why do some work wonders while others don’t? The answer often lies in the details (and strategy behind them).
In this blog, we’ll look at the key elements of a successful winback flow and explore how to tailor your approach based on your brand’s needs. After all, keeping the customers you already have is far more cost-effective than chasing new ones.
What is a Winback Flow?
A winback flow is a series of automated emails designed to re-engage customers who have previously interacted with your brand but have become inactive over time. You might be used to focusing on those new shiny customers that you haven’t quite grasped yet (with your welcome series or browse and cart abandonment emails), but winback flows target previous shoppers who’ve simply fallen out of the buying cycle.
These emails are triggered after a set period of inactivity; when a customer hasn’t placed an order or engaged with your emails for a certain amount of time.
According to Invesp, acquiring a new customer can cost 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. If this doesn’t make you want to shift your focus to retention, we don’t know what will.
How to set up a Winback Flow in Klaviyo
It’s relatively straightforward to set up a winback flow in Klaviyo. The real magic happens, however, when you fine-tune your flow to match your brand.
First, you need to define the inactivity window, i.e. how long a customer will go without purchasing or engaging before your flow is triggered.
For most, this is somewhere between 90 to 180 days, depending on your product lifecycle. You can look at your brand’s average days between orders as a starting point. This metric gives insight into how frequently customers return for repeat purchases and can help determine when a winback campaign should be triggered.
For example, if most customers repurchase within 60 days, a win-back flow triggered at 90 days of inactivity might be effective. But if your average reorder time is six months, you might wait until nine months of inactivity before reaching out.
By aligning your timing with actual customer behaviour, you increase the chances of re-connecting with customers before they fully disengage from your brand.
Once your timing is set, the next step is designing personalised emails that speak directly to different types of customers. A one-time buyer may need an incentive to return, while someone who typically purchases more frequently (your VIPs) might just need a subtle nudge.
This is where segmentation in Klaviyo becomes most powerful. Instead of a one-size-fits-all flow, you can create different winback paths based on behaviour. A VIP at risk of lapsing might receive an exclusive offer, while an occasional shopper could be re-engaged with product recommendations or social proof.
Winback Flows: The Metrics
Let’s get to the good stuff. How do winback flows actually impact your bottom line? Several key metrics can be improved by this flow. Here are the main ones:
Customer retention rate
Winback flows are specifically designed to boost retention by bringing customers back into the fold. According to a study by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in profits. Well, good news, because an average of 26% of customers come back and repurchase as the result of winback campaigns.
2. Open rate
Targeted, relevant emails always perform better. According to Klaviyo, winback flows have an average open rate of 29%. That’s 14.32% higher than the average non-segmented campaign. When customers receive emails based on their behaviour, they’re far more likely to open and engage.
3. Customer lifetime value
A study found that 49% of returning customers generated the same revenue after being “won back” as they did during their first customer lifetime cycle, while 47% generated more the second time around (generally over double).
4. Return on investment
The same study reported that over 71% of participants claimed their winback flow to deliver the best ROI of any marketing tactic they’d implemented.
The numbers make it clear: winback flows are smart investments for any brand.
What makes a good winback flow?
Let’s run through some of the key features and best practices that make a winning winback flow, with examples from some high-performing emails we’ve designed for our clients.
1. A strong, personalised Subject Line
You want to grab attention fast because, let’s be real, if a customer hasn’t engaged in a while, they’re not exactly waiting for your email to land in their inbox.
A subject line that feels personal, playful, or benefit-driven increases your chances of getting that all-important open.
Example: For an athleisure brand, we ran an A/B test between “[Name], where’ve you been?” and “Still there?”. No prizes for guessing which won. (Hint: personalisation always performs).
2. A tempting offer (but not too soon)
You don’t always need to lead with a discount. Sometimes, a simple reminder of your best-selling products or a "Did you forget about us?" email is enough to re-engage a lapsed customer. But if they’re still not biting, that’s when a well-placed incentive can work wonders.
Example: For a supplement brand, we structured a two-email-one-SMS winback flow. The first email was a friendly nudge back to their goals with bestsellers and some persuasive copy, while email two introduced a monetary discount with a minimum spend followed by a SMS reminder of the offer. This meant more conversions with fewer discounts given.
Tip: Create urgency by framing offers as exclusive and time-sensitive, something they won’t want to miss. Instead of a generic discount, try "48-hour access to a limited-time offer" or "Just for you: your exclusive deal expires soon." Adding a clear deadline makes it harder to ignore.
Who doesn’t love a good comeback story? This winback email from Rumpl makes it easy to say “yes” to reconnecting. A bold header feels like a friendly nudge, while the adventure-ready vibe keeps the brand personality front and centre. The personalisation and birthday reward blocks add a thoughtful touch.
3. Social proof & FOMO
If a customer hasn’t purchased in a while, they might need a little reassurance that your brand is still for them. Adding testimonials, bestsellers, or a "trending now" section to your winback emails can give them the confidence (and FOMO) they need to repurchase.
Example: For a jewellery brand, we included a dynamic block showcasing new arrivals followed by recent reviews. Instead of just saying "Come back!", we showed them why it was worth it.
4. The (extra) personal touch
Not every email needs to feel like marketing. Sometimes, a plain text message from the founder can cut through the noise and feel more like a genuine check-in than a campaign.
Customers are more likely to engage with an email that feels like it was written for them, and a real name and sender domain (instead of the brand) increases the chances of the email landing in the primary inbox.
Example: It’s not plain text, but this email from Girlfriend Collective uses that same personal letter approach that speaks directly to customers, as if you’re old friends who have fallen out of touch, rather than a marketing blast.
Image source: Girlfriend Collective
Final Thoughts
The bottom line? Winback flows work.
A well-structured winback flow doesn’t just blast discounts. It re-engages the right customers at the right time with a mix of personalisation, smart incentives, social proof, and storytelling.
If you need any help turning lapsed customers into loyal shoppers, get in touch.
