Win back lapsed customers without the friction that lost them
Winback campaigns are about reducing friction, not just offering discounts. If a customer lapsed because checkout was too cumbersome or they simply forgot to reorder, sending them back to the same checkout flow won't bring them back. It will remind them why they stopped buying.
Text-to-buy winback campaigns remove the barrier entirely. A lapsed customer gets a text with a specific offer on a product they previously bought or showed interest in — and they reply to buy.
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How most brands run winback campaigns
The typical winback: brand sends a "We miss you!" text or email with a discount and a link to the site. The lapsed customer has to click through, browse (often having forgotten what they liked), find a product, apply the discount code, and go through checkout.
This approach assumes the customer left because they lost interest. Often, they left because the reorder process was inconvenient, they accumulated too much product, or they simply forgot. A generic "we miss you" message with a link back to the same friction-filled experience doesn't address any of those reasons.
The result: winback campaigns have notoriously low conversion rates. Most lapsed customers don't bother clicking through, and those who do often abandon checkout again — for the same reasons they lapsed in the first place.
Winback with text-to-buy
A text-to-buy winback targets the lapsed customer with a specific offer on a product they previously purchased or showed interest in. "Haven't ordered your Ethiopian Blend in a while — grab a bag for $14 (normally $18). Reply YES." One reply, purchase complete.
The approach works because it addresses the actual friction that caused the lapse. The customer doesn't have to navigate a website, remember what they liked, or go through checkout again. The product is specific, the price is right, and the purchase is instant.
For brands with growing inactive subscriber segments, text-to-buy winback campaigns convert at dramatically higher rates because they remove every barrier to coming back — not just the financial barrier (discount) but the effort barrier (one reply vs. full checkout).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Traditional | With AudienceTap |
|---|---|---|
| Message | "We miss you!" + generic discount link | Specific product they bought before + reply-to-buy offer |
| Customer effort | Click → browse → find product → apply code → checkout | Reply "YES" |
| Addresses friction | No — sends them back to the same checkout | Yes — removes the checkout entirely |
| Personalization | Generic discount for all lapsed customers | Product-specific offer based on purchase history |
| Conversion rate | Low — same friction that caused the lapse | Higher — friction removed completely |
Who this is for
Any brand with lapsed customers or growing inactive subscriber segments. Especially effective for brands where the lapse is due to convenience friction rather than dissatisfaction with the product.
Features that make it work
Related use cases
SMS Replenishment & Reorder Reminders
AI-timed reorder prompts that match real consumption — customers reply to restock.
SMS Welcome Series That Drives a First Purchase
Convert new subscribers into first-time buyers with a welcome flow that closes the sale inside the text.
SMS Abandoned Cart Recovery
Recover abandoned carts by letting customers complete the purchase over text — no return trip to checkout.
Related glossary terms
SMS Subscriber Segmentation
SMS Subscriber Segmentation is the practice of dividing an SMS list into targeted groups based on purchase history, engagement, preferences, and demographics to send more relevant messages.
Text-to-Buy
Text-to-Buy is a mobile commerce model where customers purchase products by replying to a text message — no links, no carts, no checkout pages.
Customer Lifetime Value in SMS Commerce
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) in SMS Commerce is the total revenue a business can expect from a customer over their entire relationship, measured through the text-based sales channel.
SMS Winback & Re-Engagement Campaigns FAQ
It varies by product type and purchase cycle. For weekly coffee drops, a customer who hasn't purchased in 30 days might be lapsed. For supplements, it might be 60-90 days. AudienceTap's segmentation lets you define lapsed thresholds based on your specific business.
Not necessarily. Sometimes the friction — not the price — is why they lapsed. Test both discounted and full-price winback offers. The convenience of reply-to-buy alone can be enough to bring customers back.
Start with a single, well-targeted message. If they don't respond, wait 2-4 weeks before a follow-up with a different product or offer. Avoid overwhelming inactive subscribers — that leads to opt-outs.
Yes. AudienceTap's segmentation tools let you target lapsed customers by their purchase history — sending them an offer on the specific product they bought before (or a similar one they might like).
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