Keep Them in Their Seats: Building Your Renewal Strategy
Renewals take more than one email and a deadline - the programs that renew the most accounts plan the whole sequence before renewal season starts. It includes a strong launch, steady reminder communication, and increased urgency as the deadline approaches. Read more about how to plan out your renewal strategy from start to finish!
Launch Strategy:
Your launch is the first impression of renewal season, so make sure everything a fan needs is clearly messaged and easy to find.
Launch Email: Kick off the campaign with a clear, simple launch email letting fans know renewal season has officially started. Lead with a thank-you for their support, highlight the renewal deadline, and include one clear “Renew Now” call to action. Keep the email short and let the landing page handle the details.
Renewal Landing Page: Pair the launch email with a dedicated renewal landing page. This is the home base for your entire campaign, and every email should point back to it. Include key dates, season ticket holder benefits, payment plan information, and a renewal timeline so fans can see what’s coming up. Set up renewal statuses with dynamic content so fans can see at a glance whether they’ve renewed or not.
Renewal Cycle Reminders + Touchpoints
Once the campaign is live, keep renewals top of mind with a regular cadence of reminder emails. Each one should have a single, clear call to action that sends fans straight to their renewal application. To increase operational efficiency, you can also automate them!
Email marketing gets you closer to your renewal goals, but a personal touch closes the gap. Use engagement data to point your reps toward the right fans in Salesforce. Create tasks or marketing activities for unrenewed ticketholders who have opened or clicked renewal email- they're interested and just need a nudge. Flag the fans who haven't engaged at all, too, since a phone call may be the only message that reaches them.
When a fan renews, follow up with an automated confirmation email. It lets them know that their renewal is complete, so they aren’t left confused on their status! The email can also recap their specific order information like, the name of the item, the quantity, and the total amount paid so they have an easy reference for the season. Just as important, it should automatically remove them from the reminder flow, so fans who have already renewed don’t keep getting “Don’t forget to renew!” emails.
Deadline Approaching: Call to Action + Balance Reminders
As the deadline gets closer, shift your messaging from "don't forget" to "don't miss out." Remind fans what's at stake if they don't renew in time: their seats, their priority, and special benefits. Fans who have held the same seats for years don't want to start over, so make it clear what they'd be giving up.
This is also the time to clean up outstanding balances. Set up a balance reminder email for fans who still owe and haven't enrolled in a payment plan. Show the amount due, the deadline, and a direct link to pay. Finally, pick up the pace. Increase your send frequency in the final weeks so non-renewed fans hear from you more often as the date approaches.
Deadline Date
On deadline day, it's all about urgency. Send last-chance messaging that makes it clear today is the final day to renew and keep their seats. Short subject lines, a countdown, and one big "Renew Now" button do the heavy lifting here.
For fans who still haven't decided, try a Yes/No/Maybe campaign. Ask fans directly whether they plan to renew using a simple form that syncs their responses to Salesforce. A "Yes" goes to your reps to help close the sale. A "Maybe" tells your team who to call first. And a "No" gives you a head start on understanding why, which sets you up for your post-deadline follow-up.
Auto-renew Communication
If autorenewals are a part of your renewal strategy, start with education. Explain how auto-renewal works: when their card will be charged, what they'll be charged for, and how they'll be notified before it happens. The fewer surprises, the smoother your renewal cycle!
Then give fans a clear way to acknowledge it, or to opt out. An acknowledgement and opt-out form confirm that fans know they're enrolled and gives anyone who wants out a simple way to say so. It builds trust, and it gives your team an early heads-up on accounts that may need extra attention next season.
Renewal season goes smoothly when the plan is set before the first email goes out! Map out every stage ahead of launch, and you’ll lock in more renewals by the deadline, spend less time chasing accounts after, and set up your team for a more efficient season.
