Case Study Overview
How Smart Automation Re-Engaged 35% of a Dormant Prospect List
For decades, Excel Dryer has been an American manufacturing icon, revolutionizing the commercial restroom with the original, patented XLERATOR® Hand Dryer. As an innovator known for quality and performance, their brand attracts a wide range of B2B prospects, from architects and specifiers to facility managers. This case study details how we developed an innovative marketing automation strategy to re-engage a dormant segment of their database, turning thousands of inactive contacts into a fresh source of valuable sales leads.
- Manufacturing
- ABM/Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Email Marketing Campaigns & Automation, Lead Generation Marketing
The Challenge
Unlocking the Potential of an Inactive Database
A core challenge for any B2B email marketing program is list fatigue. Excel Dryer had a database of nearly 10,000 prospects who had become disengaged, consistently ignoring past email communications. This dormant list represented a massive, untapped asset. The question was, how do you re-capture the attention of an audience that has already tuned you out, and how do you do it in a way that generates genuine leads without simply sending more noise into their inbox?
The Big Idea
Turn a Dormant Database into a Dynamic Lead Generator
Our guiding philosophy was that an inactive list isn’t a dead end; it’s an opportunity waiting for the right trigger. By using intelligent automation, not to blast more messages, but to listen for signals of interest, we transformed a static, unresponsive database into a dynamic system. This engine actively identified renewed prospect interest and automatically nurtured it, turning a forgotten asset into a predictable source of new business.
The Results
Thousand Re-Engaged and New Leads Generated
The strategic re-engagement campaign was a resounding success, proving the immense value locked within the client’s existing database.
Engaging Past Contacts
Out of 9,750 previously inactive prospects, an incredible 35% began engaging with the new campaign.
Nurturing Contacts
The targeted nurture program successfully converted this renewed interest into 28 new, qualified leads within the first six months.
Database Optimization
The overall marketing database was significantly optimized through the removal of unresponsive contacts, improving the performance of all future email efforts.
Marketing Automation, Lead Nurturing, and Database Health
This was just one example of how Site-Seeker helps clients meet (and exceed) their local listings and business goals. Through a thoughtful mix of strategy, creativity, and data-driven decisions, we deliver results that make an impact. Let’s explore how we can help move your marketing forward.
Our Insights & Strategy
A Strategy of Smart Re-engagement
Site-Seeker was aware that the problem wasn’t the prospects themselves, but the approach. We developed a data-driven automation strategy designed first to earn their attention and then use their engagement as a trigger for a more personalized marketing journey.
The Inbox is a Battle for Attention
Our primary insight was that inactivity is a direct result of uninspired messaging. To re-engage this audience, we couldn’t just send another generic email. The strategy was to completely overhaul the messaging, focusing on short, powerful subject lines and benefit-driven preview text to win the crucial first click.
A Single Click is a Powerful Signal
We knew that the moment a dormant prospect re-engages, it’s a critical signal of renewed interest. Our strategy was to build an automated system that could instantly identify that signal (an open or click) and immediately move the contact into a separate, high-value nurture stream.
A Healthy Database is a High-Performing Database
Continuously emailing a large, unengaged list can harm overall deliverability and waste resources. A key part of our strategy was to use this re-engagement campaign as a final filter, allowing us to confidently prune the truly inactive contacts and create a cleaner, more effective marketing database for the future.
Execution
Multi-Step Marketing Automation Program Creation
Site-Seeker created a robust re-engaging marketing automation program for stagnant contacts.
Messaging Overhaul
We began by analyzing the performance of past email campaigns sent to the inactive list. We then crafted a new re-engagement campaign with highly optimized messaging, including shorter, more intriguing subject lines and enhanced preview text designed to spark curiosity.
Automated Segmentation Workflow
We built a custom automation within their marketing platform. This workflow was designed to monitor the re-engagement campaign and automatically trigger an action. If a prospect opened or clicked the email, they were instantly tagged as “re-engaged” and enrolled in a new, targeted email program.
Targeted Nurture Program
The newly re-engaged prospects began receiving a series of automated, solutions-focused emails. This content was specifically tailored to their business needs, providing value and moving them further down the sales funnel.
Database Optimization
After the campaign concluded, the prospects who remained inactive were removed from the primary database. This crucial step improved overall list health, leading to better deliverability and more accurate engagement metrics for all future campaigns.
The Excel Dryer case study is a powerful demonstration that a company’s most significant opportunities can often be found in its existing assets. It proves that an extensive, inactive prospect list is not a lost cause but a goldmine waiting for a more innovative, more strategic approach. By combining compelling messaging with intelligent automation, we were able to reactivate thousands of contacts and create a new, reliable pipeline of leads, underscoring the immense ROI of investing in database health and thoughtful lead nurturing. If you’re using a tool like HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot (Marketing Cloud Account Engagement), or similar and need help, contact our experts.
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