Loyalty is not just a matter of promo codes or well-crafted newsletters. It relies on a more complex alchemy, where deciphering subscriber behavior, anticipating their needs, and the relevance of messages are essential. Building a retention strategy means knowing how to listen and adapt continuously. Because a retained customer is a customer understood. So, how do you transform a contact list into a long-term engaged community? How do you turn every email opening into an opportunity to strengthen the relationship? This is what we propose to explore in this article.
What is customer retention?
Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to keep its existing customers, that is, to maintain their engagement and activity over time. Practically, it is about limiting the attrition rate (or “churn”), which is the percentage of customers who cease interacting with the brand, become inactive, or unsubscribe.
But fundamentally, what is a loyal customer? It’s not just someone who makes regular purchases. It’s someone who returns to a brand because they trust it, find a consistent experience there, and feel valued.
A loyal customer is not necessarily the one who spends the most: it’s the one who stays, who engages, who opens your emails and, over time, builds a lasting relationship with your brand.
In an email marketing strategy, this bond of loyalty is demonstrated through continuous reactivity: the subscriber reads messages, clicks, checks offers, interacts with content. They do not disappear after a few campaigns because they find genuine interest in staying in the loop. Retaining such a customer is therefore much more than just making them purchase again: it’s maintaining a relationship with them.
Customer retention, an under-exploited strategic lever
We often talk about the cost of customer acquisition, but much less about customer lifetime value (Customer Lifetime Value or CLV). However, loyalizing an existing customer costs up to 5 times less than acquiring a new one. Moreover, according to a study by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%.
In terms of emailing, this means stopping the frantic hunt for new leads and starting to value those who are already won over. To measure the impact, several KPIs are relevant, notably the retention rate (How many customers remain active in your base after a certain time?), the churn rate (How many unsubscribe or become inactive?), and the aforementioned customer lifetime value (How much does each customer bring on average in the long run?).
Understanding your audience: the foundation of any retention strategy
Before sending, you must listen. And to listen, you must segment. Too many companies continue to send identical messages to all their subscribers, as if they shared the same expectations, preferences, and behaviors.
To create an effective retention strategy, you must intelligently segment your base, classifying your contacts according to simple but useful criteria:
- The date of the last interaction (Have they opened or clicked recently?)
- The frequency of actions (Do they open your emails often or rarely?)
- The level of engagement (Are they active, silent, or completely inactive?)
These data allow sending much more tailored messages to each subscriber’s profile. For example, a loyal customer will not receive the same content as a contact who has been inactive for several months. It’s this kind of adjustment that makes all the difference in retaining customers over the long term.
The pillars of a retention strategy via email
1) Intelligent automation
Automating does not mean robotizing but setting up email scenarios capable of responding to customer actions (or inactions):
- Welcome messages: first impression = first opportunity to build loyalty.
- Post-purchase email: thank-you, usage tips, cross-sell.
- Re-engagement: if the user becomes inactive, wake them up in a relevant way.
- Birthday or other significant dates: personalize the experience according to key moments.
2) Dynamic personalization
Beyond using a first name in the subject line, today it’s possible to personalize:
- Visuals according to interests,
- Displayed products according to purchase history,
- The tone or length of the message according to the segment.
3) The right timing
Sending an email at the right time maximizes the chances of capturing attention. To do this, analyze your opening and click data, test, adjust.
Some emailing tools like Klaviyo, Brevo, or ActiveCampaign offer predictive sending features based on past behavior.
Content and design: captivating without tiring
Every email can be an opportunity or a micro-disappointment. In a retention strategy, content should never sound hollow.
For writing:
Favor a human, empathetic, complicit tone.
Incorporate storytelling: tell a story, not just a promo.
Avoid overly sensational email subjects, which can harm your brand’s credibility.
For design:
Be “mobile first”: over 70% of emails are opened on smartphones.
Opt for one main message per email: avoid the “catalog” effect.
Place clear CTAs, visible, consistent with the tone.
For added value:
Offer more than discounts, such as exclusive content, guides, VIP access, etc.
Make your audience experience something by integrating, for example, elements that encourage interaction (polls, quizzes, preference choices, etc.).
Towards sustainable and responsible loyalty
Today’s consumers no longer settle for a well-calibrated message or a one-time promotion. They expect brands to offer them meaning, transparency, and respect their time. Increasingly, they turn away from intrusive or poorly targeted communications, preferring those that inform, entertain, or genuinely value them.
In this context, customer retention can no longer be reduced to an accumulation of offers or continuous commercial pressure. It must propose a gradual dialogue, consistency in the quality of exchanges, and a sincere recognition of the relationship the customer has with the brand.
Building loyalty one email at a time
Thinking about retention through emailing is not about doing “more,” but doing better. Better targeting, better listening, better writing. And above all, remembering that behind every address, there is a person with their preferences, emotions, and expectations.
