Re-Engage 'Lost' Contacts: A HubSpot Workflow to Win Back Non-Marketing Opt-Ins

Ever feel like you're missing out on connecting with potential customers in HubSpot? It's a common issue: contacts exist in your database, but they're not receiving your marketing emails because their marketing contact status is set to 'Non-marketing contact'. The good news is, you can build a workflow to re-engage these 'lost' contacts and convert them into active, engaged leads.

The Challenge: Reaching Dormant Contacts

A HubSpot Community member recently posted about this very challenge. They wanted to create a workflow that identifies and re-engages contacts who:

• Were on a marketing email distribution list.
• Did NOT receive the email(s) because they had 'Non-marketing contact' status at the time of sending.
• Have a valid email address.
• Haven't opted out of email communications.
• Don't have hard bounce issues.

The ultimate goal? Convert these contacts to marketing contact status and re-engage them with the content they missed. The original poster ran into a roadblock trying to build enrollment filters to identify these contacts specifically.

The Solution: Building Your Re-Engagement Workflow

One helpful community member offered a practical solution, acknowledging that directly filtering for contacts who *should have* received a specific email is tricky. Instead, they suggested a broader approach based on these criteria:

• Last marketing email send date is unknown OR Last marketing email send date is more than (e.g., 365 days ago).
• Unsubscribed from all email is not equal to True.
• Invalid email is not equal to True.
• Email is known.
• Email hard bounce reason is unknown.
• Marketing contact status is Non-marketing contact.
• Opted out of email: Marketing information is not equal to True.

Here's how you can translate these criteria into a HubSpot workflow:

1. Create a new contact-based workflow.
2. Set your enrollment triggers. Use the criteria above as your filter logic. Pay close attention to the 'AND' and 'OR' conditions to ensure you're capturing the right audience.
3. Add actions to your workflow. This is where the re-engagement magic happens. Consider these actions:
   • Change marketing contact status: Update their status to a marketing contact.
   • Send a re-engagement email: Craft a personalized email explaining why they haven't been receiving emails and highlighting the value they're missing.
   • Add to a relevant list: Segment these contacts into a specific list for future targeted campaigns.
4. Monitor and optimize: Track the performance of your workflow and make adjustments as needed. Are your emails converting? Are contacts re-engaging? Use this data to refine your approach.

Important Considerations

The respondent rightly pointed out a crucial point: ensure you have a legal basis to email these contacts. Just because someone hasn't explicitly opted out doesn't automatically grant you permission to send marketing emails. Always prioritize compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant regulations.

ESHOPMAN Team Comment

We at ESHOPMAN think this is a smart way to leverage HubSpot workflows for re-engagement. The 'last email send date' filter is a clever workaround for identifying potentially missed contacts. However, always double-check your legal basis for emailing. For e-commerce businesses using ESHOPMAN's built-in storefront, this workflow can be particularly effective for recovering abandoned carts or promoting new product lines to previously inactive customers.

By implementing this workflow, you can effectively re-engage 'lost' contacts, expand your marketing reach, and ultimately drive more sales. Remember to personalize your emails, provide value, and always respect your contacts' preferences.