A campaign isn't "send everyone $10 and hope." It's surgical retention media.
You segment an audience. Set an amount. Add an expiry. Announce it. Measure redemption. If it doesn't beat the cost of acquiring a replacement customer, you adjust or kill it.
This article covers when campaigns beat discounts, four segment recipes that work, how to set amount and expiry strategically, and measurement that matters.
When a Campaign Beats a Discount Code
Scenario: VIP customers haven't purchased in 60 days.
Option A: Send a 15% off code. Result: trains them to wait for discounts, erodes margin on future purchases, converts 8-12%.
Option B: Airdrop $20 credit, expires in 30 days. Result: credit shows in their account (persistent), expiry creates urgency, no discount conditioning. Converts 15-22%.
Campaigns work when:
- The audience is defined (not "everyone")
- You want urgency without devaluing products
- You're measuring cost-per-reactivation, not just redemption rate
Codes work for acquisition (new customers don't know your pricing). Credit works for retention (existing customers do).
Four Segment Recipes
1. Winback (90-180 Days Inactive)
Goal: Reactivate lapsed customers before they're lost.
Segment:
Customers who purchased 90-180 days ago, haven't returned.
Amount:
$10-20 or 5-10% of their previous AOV. If they spent $150 last time, $15 credit feels meaningful but not excessive.
Expiry:
7-21 days. Shorter for low-margin products (force quick decision), longer for considered purchases (furniture, high-ticket).
Announce:
Email subject: "We miss you - here's $15 to come back"
Body: Short. Thesis first. Link to shop.
Why it works:
These customers already like your products (they bought before). Inertia is the blocker. Credit + expiry breaks inertia.
Cost:
If 18% redeem $15 credit at 40% margin, cost per reactivation = $15 × 18% = $2.70. Compare to $25-50 CAC for a cold ad. Credit is cheaper.
2. VIP Thank-You (Top 10% LTV)
Goal: Recognize high-value customers, prevent churn to competitors.
Segment:
Top 10% by lifetime spend (Shopify: Customers > Segments > "Lifetime spend > $500").
Amount:
$25-50, or 2-5% of their total spend as a "thank you for$X in purchases."
Expiry:
30-90 days. VIPs aren't impulse buyers. Longer expiry signals respect, not desperation.
Announce:
Email subject: "Thank you - here's $30 credit"
Body: Personal tone. Acknowledge their loyalty explicitly. No hard sell.
Why it works:
VIPs have options. A gift (not a discount) makes them feel valued, not transactional. Retention is cheaper than replacing a high-LTV customer.
Cost:
If 40% redeem $30 credit, cost = $12 per VIP touch. LTV of these customers often exceeds $1000. $12 is insurance.
3. Second-Order Nudge (30-45 Days Post-First Purchase)
Goal: Convert one-time buyers into repeat customers.
Segment:
Customers who made exactly one purchase 30-45 days ago.
Amount:
$5-10. Small enough to feel like a bonus, not a bribe.
Expiry:
14-21 days. This is about building a habit (second purchase), not immediate urgency.
Announce:
Email subject: "Thanks for your first order - here's $10 for your next one"
Body: Reinforce what they bought, suggest complementary products.
Why it works:
Second purchase is the hardest. After two purchases, retention rates double. Credit removes friction ("I was going to buy eventually, might as well use this").
Cost:
If 25% convert and spend $40 average (including the $10 credit), you've moved 25 customers from one-time to repeat for $2.50 each (net after margin).
4. Review Incentive (Post-Delivery)
Goal: Generate social proof (reviews drive conversion).
Segment:
Customers who received their order 7-14 days ago, haven't left a review.
Amount:
$5 for text review, $10 for review + photo. (See Store Credit for Shopify Product Reviews for detail.)
Expiry:
None, or 30 days if you want urgency.
Announce:
Email subject: "How's your [product]? Get $5 credit for a quick review"
Body: One paragraph, link to review form.
Why it works:
Reviews increase conversion 10-30% (even going from 0 to 5 reviews). Cost: $5 credit per review. Benefit: higher conversion on all future traffic to that product page.
Cost:
If one review helps convert two extra customers per month (conservative), payback in 30 days.
Amount and Expiry Guidelines
Amount:
- Winback: 5-15% of previous AOV
- VIP: 2-5% of total LTV
- Second order: $5-10 flat
- Review: $5-10 depending on effort (photo/video bonus)
Start conservative. If redemption is below 10%, increase amount or extend expiry. If above 40%, you're over-incentivizing (could achieve the same result for less).
Expiry:
- Winback: 7-21 days (urgency)
- VIP: 30-90 days (respect, not desperation)
- Second order: 14-21 days (build habit)
- Review: 30 days or none (social proof is the real goal)
Expiry applies only to the airdropped credit. Existing balance or cashback credit can have different rules.
Steps to Launch
1. Create Segment
Shopify Admin > Customers > Segments > Create segment
Example (winback):
- Last order date is more than 90 days ago
- AND last order date is less than 180 days ago
Save as "Winback 90-180."
2. Launch Campaign in memberr
memberr app > Campaigns > Launch campaign
- Select segment: "Winback 90-180"
- Amount: $15
- Expiry: 14 days
- Credit immediately or schedule
Credit is issued instantly. Customers see it in their account.
Docs: Creating Campaigns
3. Announce
Email (Klaviyo or Mailchimp):
Trigger: "Store Credit added" event (memberr sends this automatically)
Subject: "We miss you - here's $15"
Body:
- Short. Thesis in first line.
- Show their balance:
{{ memberr_current_balance_with_symbol }} - Link to shop
- Mention expiry
SMS (optional):
"Hi [Name], we added $15 to your account (expires in 14 days). Shop now: [link]"
On-site:
Banner on homepage for logged-in customers with active campaigns. "You have $15 credit - use it before [date]."
4. Remind (3 Days Before Expiry)
Klaviyo flow:
Trigger: "Store Credit will expire" event
Send: 3 days before expiry
Subject: "Your $15 credit expires in 3 days"
Reminder emails increase redemption 15-25%.
5. Measure
Key metrics:
- Redemption rate:% of recipients who used credit (target: 15-30%)
- Cost per reactivation: (Total credit issued × redemption rate) ÷ number reactivated
- Incremental revenue: Did they spend beyond the credit?
- Repeat rate post-campaign: Did the campaign create a habit, or just a one-off?
memberr analytics dashboard shows:
- Credit issued
- Credit redeemed
- Utilization rate
Compare cost-per-reactivation to your CAC. If campaign costs $5 per reactivation and your CAC is $30, campaign is 6x cheaper.
Guardrails
Don't over-incentivize:
If everyone redeems, you're giving away margin. Target 15-30% redemption. If higher, reduce amount next time.
Don't train discount seekers:
Run campaigns to specific segments (VIPs, lapsed), not "everyone." Broadcasting campaigns conditions all customers to wait for credit.
Don't skip expiry:
Without expiry, customers stockpile credit and redeem unpredictably. Expiry creates urgency and lets you forecast liability.
Don't forget to communicate:
Credit sitting unused in an account is a liability with no benefit. Email, SMS, on-site banners - make sure customers know they have credit.
Campaigns are retention media. Treat them like ads: clear audience, measurable outcome, iterate based on performance. When done well, they're the cheapest way to reactivate a customer.