How to Re-Engage Lapsed Email Subscribers with Klaviyo SMS
2026-03-10 15:04 Diff
https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/sms-winback-strategy

A lot of shoppers who opt into both email and SMS start strong, then quietly fall out of your 90-day engaged email segment.Don’t just leave them there, waiting until they qualify for your sunset flow.

When someone opts in to both your email and text message marketing, they’re basically raising their hand twice.At Aplo Group, we often see that customers who opt in to receive marketing across both email and SMS tend to have higher lifetime value (LTV) than those who only opt in to receive emails.

But while cross-channel subscribers may be quick to buy, they’re at risk of falling out of touch with you just as fast. And it’s not for lack of interest or loyalty to your brand. It’s a byproduct of their increasingly crowded email inbox.

Over the years, our team at Aplo Group has worked with over 100 brands in the direct-to-consumer space, and one of the most common strategies we see is the90-day engaged segmentation approach.

While this strategy helps you protect email list health and maintain strong email deliverability, it inevitably misses most of your subscribers who have, for one reason or another, lapsed out of standard engagement.

That’s why I useSMS to meet lapsed email subscribers where they still pay attention, then coordinate both channels from a single hybrid flow.

Here, I’ll show you how to build the inverse of your 90-day engaged segment, trigger a month-long win-back sequence, and let SMS do more of the visibility work while email carries the narrative. It’s an evergreen play you can run year-round, and it’s especially timely after Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM), when you’ve acquired a surge of new subscribers who may drift if you don’t re-engage them thoughtfully.

The core idea: why hybrid flows beat single-channel flows

Most brands use a 90-day engaged email segment to protect deliverability and sender reputation. Great. Keep that.

Now, build its mirror image to catch lapsed email subscribers who can still receive SMS. This means subscribers who:

  1. have not opened an email in the last 90 days
  2. and have not clicked an email in the last 90 days
  3. and subscribed to email marketing more than 45 days ago
  4. andhas consented to receive SMS marketing

Optional hygiene filters to consider using with this segment: exclude known bot clicks and iOS false opens.

Use this inverse segment as the trigger for a single cross-channel flow. One flow, one brain. Email and SMS work together, not in silos.

“Think of hybrid flows the same way you think of the customer journey,” recommends David Visser, CEO of Zyber and Unlocked, two of New Zealand’s top digital commerce agencies helping Kiwi and global brands grow. “It’s one ongoing conversation, not two channels talking over each other. When email and SMS work off the same logic, your customer sees one brand, not two disconnected touchpoints.”

Hybrid flows should be one ongoing conversation, not two channels talking over each other.
David Visser, CEO

Zyber + Unlocked

A hybrid or cross-channel flow lets you:

  • Time SMS and email relative to each other, rather than working in parallel where one channel isn’t aware of what the other is doing.
  • Branch logic based on cross-channel behavior (e.g., “if they clicked the SMS but didn’t open the email, do X”).
  • Keep your cadence consistent and your budget focused on the exact cohort most likely to respond.

This approach also keeps your account structure clean. You’ll audit and iterate in one place rather than bouncing between siloed flows.

You can run this at almost any size, but you’ll really feel the impact once your list is 250,000–400,000 subscribers. That’s where the lapsed-but-SMS-consented cohort is large enough to pay off the set-up time.

Many brands we see adopting this are high 7- to 8-figure revenue, but the mechanics are the same for smaller programs. Just scale the cadence and budget to fit.

How to build the segment, step by step

Here’s a straightforward starting point you can paste into Klaviyo’s segment builder:

Segment category

Criteria

Engagement

has not opened an email in the last 90 days and has not clicked an email in the last 90 days

Consent and tenure

is subscribed to email marketing and is consented to SMS marketing and first subscribed to email more than 45 days ago (this avoids pulling in brand-new email subscribers who haven’t had time to engage)

Hygiene filters (recommended)

Exclude bot clicks. Exclude iOS privacy opens, or apply “non-iOS open” logic if that’s your standard.

Additional refinement (optional)

Include/exclude specific profile properties (VIP, category interest). Include/exclude purchase history (e.g., “bought BFCM 2024 collection”).

Save this as something clear, like “Lapsed email, SMS-consented (90-day inverse).”“Channel affinity can come into play as one of the optional refinement ideas, too,” says Stefan Milicevic, strategy director at Underground Ecom. “If someone’s affinity is primarily email, but you’re now sending them an SMS, that might be the disruption they need to engage with your content again.”

Designing the month-long sequence

Think about this as a re-introduction, not a hard sell approach. You’re trying to remind the subscriber why they signed up, make it effortless to re-engage, and, if appropriate, present a compelling reason to act now.

Here’s a simple, effective cadence you can try:

Step

Channel

Timing

Goal and message type

1

SMS

Day 0

Re-introduce the brand, confirm value and consent, and reassure subscribers they can reply STOP anytime.

2

Email

Day 2

Highlight your top value proposition with a single, clear CTA.

3

SMS

Day 5

Share bestselling products or collections with direct links.

4

Email

Day 9

Add social proof like reviews or user-generated content and encourage browsing.

5

SMS

Day 14

Test a small incentive (e.g., free shipping or bonus sample).

6

Email

Day 20

Offer a win-back or preference-update option.

7

SMS

Day 27–30

Give a final nudge through content or reminder (e.g., fit guide, quiz, or refill suggestion).

Exit condition

—

—

Subscriber re-engages (opens, clicks, or purchases), then exits the flow automatically.

That’s 6–8 touches. You can stretch to 10 if your brand cycles are longer. The key is balance. SMS does the visibility work, while email carries richer content.

5 variations you can run immediately

1. BFCM cohort reactivation

People you acquire during BFCM often churn after the gifting season. Create a sibling segment:

  • bought during Q4/BFCM last year
  • and matches 90-day inverse
  • and has consented to receive SMS

Then tweak creative to reference what they bought (e.g., “Need refills?” “New color in your favorite hoodie”). This is fantastic to run from December to the end of January.

2. Duration-based experiences

Split the flow with a conditional branch on time since subscription:

  1. 45–180 days since email opt-in → shorter cadence, lighter incentive
  2. 181+ days → longer sequence, stronger social proof

3. Category- or collection-led branches

If someone last purchased from “Sale” or “Gifts,” route them to a different set of recommendations or perks.

4. Predictive-assisted rules (optional)

You don’t need advanced analytics to make this work. But if you have predicted LTV available, try:

  1. If predictive LTV ≥ $150 → Test a bounce-back bundle offer.
  2. Else → Emphasize service, fit, or education content first.

5. A/B testing

Keep tests small and practical. For example:

  • SMS timing (Day 0 vs. Day 1)
  • Incentive vs. no incentive on Day 14
  • “Collection highlight” vs. “bestseller proof” wording

Run one test at a time. Close the loop weekly. Keep winners. Ditch the rest.

A concrete example you can copy

Segment: lapsed email, SMS-consented (90-day inverse)

  1. has not opened an email in the last 90 days
  2. and has not clicked an email in the last 90 days
  3. and is subscribed to email
  4. and can receive SMS
  5. and subscribed to email more than 45 days ago
  6. and does not match “bot clickers”
  7. and does not match “iOS privacy opens only”

Flow: lapsed email subscriber win-back (email + SMS)

  • Trigger: enters the segment above
  • Day 0 SMS: value-forward welcome back
  • Delay 2 days
  • Email: single CTA, top value prop
  • Conditional split: if clicked SMS → branch to “product detail” email next; else → continue
  • Delay 3 days
  • SMS: bestsellers deep link
  • Delay 4 days
  • Email: social proof + recommendation block
  • Delay 5–7 days
  • SMS (test): perk vs. no perk
  • Delay 6–10 days
  • Email: preference check or mini-offer
  • Exit: when engagement or purchase occurs, otherwise transition to your normal sunset logic

Rename steps to match your internal naming style. The structure is what matters.

Hybrid flow best practics

Focus on creative and copy for both channels

  1. Lead with value. Newness, exclusivity, access, service—pick one and make it obvious in the first line.
  2. Keep SMS copy extremely tight. Avoid adjectives. Use verbs and links.
  3. Use plain language. “Get early access” beats “Unlock prioritized entry.”
  4. Stick to one CTA per message. Decision fatigue kills win-backs.
  5. Respect the vibe. SMS sits next to friends. Sound like a person.
  6. Make replies useful. Enable two-way responses (e.g., so customers can ask for sizing help or their order status) when you can.

Implement guardrails and hygiene

  • Bot clicks and iOS privacy opens: Build your inverse rules using non-bot clicks and non-iOS opens where possible.
  • Frequency caps: If a profile is already in a high-priority flow (e.g., post-purchase), pause or throttle your win-back touches.
  • Quiet hours: Respect regional quiet hours for SMS.
  • Compliance: Make sure consent status is current before every send. Make your opt-out process crystal clear.
  • Exit conditions: The moment a subscriber opens, clicks, or purchases, move them out of the win-back path.

Keep SMS spend efficient

Don’t 3x your SMS cadence across your entire list. That’s lazy and expensive. Instead, shift more SMS budget to this tiny cohort because:

  • Email isn’t reaching them.
  • SMS opt-in signals higher intent.
  • You’re time-boxing the experiment to about a month.
  • Exits are automatic once someone re-engages.

You’ll see ROI faster when you follow SMS best practices to protect the experience for everyone else.

Try BFCM-specific angles for December

If you’re reading this in December, here are two fast plays:

  1. Re-engage last year’s Q4 buyers who now match the 90-day inverse. Reference what they bought, and preview relevant newness for this season.
  2. Protect and plan for this year’s surge. While you’re capturing a ton of new subscribers during BFCM, add a future-dated branch in your evergreen flow: “if opted in between November 1 and December 15, and later match 90-day inverse → enroll in BFCM win-back path.” That way, the moment holiday-only shoppers drift, you already have a plan.

Avoid these mistakes

  • Don’t batch and blast SMS to make up for email performance. Target the right cohort.
  • Don’t bury the point with long SMS copy. Keep it short with one job per message.
  • Don’t over-incentivize by default. Earn attention first. Then discount.
  • Don’t treat this like a one-time campaign. It’s an evergreen automation.

Milicevic reminds marketers that “there are plenty of angles and strategies out there to try and win back multiple lapsing or lapsed customer cohorts. So, don’t keep this as your only winback effort. Try them all until you find the best one.”

Try all the winback angles and strategies until you find the best one.
Stefan Milicevic, strategy director

Underground Ecom

Success metrics to watch

  • Re-engaged rate (opened or clicked across either channel after entering the flow)
  • Attributed revenue from the flow (last click + view-through, as you prefer)
  • Time to first engagement after Day 0
  • SMS click rate vs. email click rate within the cohort
  • Unsubscribe rates (both channels)
  • Deliverability health on your core email program (should hold or improve, not degrade)

Track these weekly for the first month, then move to a monthly cadence. Expect SMS to out-perform on visibility and click rate. Let email carry the storytelling.

Simple strategy = smart marketing

This strategy is simple on purpose. You’re not waiting for marketing analytics or fancy models to tell you what common sense already knows: when email stops getting through, it’s time to meet the subscriber on the channel they opted into that still cuts through the noise.

Build the inverse segment, unify the flow, keep the cadence humane, and let SMS and email do what each does best, together. If you want to take it further, add predicted LTV branches and a couple of tight A/B tests.

But you don’t need any of that to start seeing incremental revenue next month. Set it up once, let it run, and keep your brand top of mind for the people who already told you they want to hear from you.