How to Re-Engage Customers, Leads, and Loyal Clients With Email Marketing

If you’re running a home service business, one thing is certain: your next job isn’t guaranteed—it’s earned. And earning it starts long before a customer picks up the phone. 

The key is staying top of mind with customers before they even realize they need you. When you show up with helpful, timely messages, you lay the foundation of trust that turns curious leads into loyal, repeat customers (and sometimes even powerful advocates for your brand!). 

That’s exactly what a smart, automated email marketing funnel can do. With the right approach (and tools like Housecall Pro’s Campaigns feature), you can re-engage past customers, nurture new leads, and grow a customer base that books again and again. 

So, how do you build something that converts? Here’s how to create an email marketing funnel that keeps your business thriving, season after season. 

Learn How to Build an Email Marketing Funnel

What is an Email Marketing Funnel?

An email marketing funnel is a series of strategic emails that guide your contacts from first interaction to loyal customer.

It moves people through five main stages:

1. Awareness: This is the moment when potential customers initially discover your company, whether that’s through a lead magnet, newsletter signup, or a referral, and begin to realize you could solve a problem they have.
   
2. Engagement: Now that they know you exist, engagement is about capturing their interest by showing them why your service stands out. You do this through valuable content, impressive reviews, or personalized communication that builds trust.
   
3. Conversion: At this stage, the tenuous relationship turns into action. Your lead becomes a customer by booking a service, motivated to follow through thanks to confidence in your brand and the right, timely offer.
   
4. Loyalty: After a wonderful experience, loyalty is built when customers come back to you again and again. They view you as a trustworthy provider, appreciate your service, and feel recognized and valued.
   
5. Referral/Advocacy: At this step, loyal customers become your biggest advocates, enthusiastically recommending your business to family, friends, and neighbors, giving you free, highly credible marketing that money can’t buy. 

The right funnel keeps your business front and center, even when customers don’t immediately need you. This way, when they do, you’re their first call. 

Why Email Marketing Funnels Matter for Home Service Businesses

Creating a thoughtful email funnel isn’t just about sending promotions. It’s about building relationships that drive real business results:

• Reactivating past customers with tailored offers.
• Selling seasonal services at the right time.
• Increasing your average ticket size through upsells.
• Reducing churn by staying connected.
• Driving referrals with happy customers.

Did you know? Home service businesses that use curated email campaigns often experience increased repeat business and higher customer engagement, leading to greater revenue per customer. 

Sounds pretty good, right? Here’s how to get in on that action. 

How to Create an Email Marketing Funnel That Books Jobs

1. Identify Your Audience Segments

Email marketing is all about sending the right message to the right person at the right time. Now, that sounds like a lot of “rights,” but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It starts with segmenting your audience into core groups:

Leads

These are prospects who have shown interest but haven’t followed through with a booking yet. They often need educational content, success stories, and first-time offers that convince them to take the leap of faith and book with you. For example, you might send a quick email titled “Ready to finally fix that [service need]? Here’s 10% off your first booking!” to nudge them across the finish line.

To make sure you’re engaging leads instantly—even when you’re out on the job—consider setting up auto-reply messages for new inquiries.

Pro Tip: Tag anyone who’s asked for a quote but hasn’t booked yet as a Lead.

Active Customers

These are your recent customers who have booked services. Keep them engaged with updates, loyalty rewards, and seasonal service reminders. A great tactic is to send seasonal checklist emails, like “Is your home ready for winter? Here’s your 5-point maintenance guide!” with a call to action to schedule a follow-up service.

Filter by Last Service Date within 90 days in Housecall Pro to isolate your active customer base.

Dormant Customers

These are, as the name implies, your inactive customers, the ones who haven’t booked in a while. They need a bit of encouragement to book (or even a reminder that you still exist), so re-engage them with personalized emails and special offers. A simple “We miss you!” campaign offering a limited-time discount can be a good way to reignite interest and bring them back. 

Filter by Last Service Date older than 180 days to find your dormant list. 

Advocated and Loyal Customers

These are your customers who are practically shouting your business’s name from the rooftops. They’re your VIPs—the customers who love you and will tell others. Offer them referral incentives and early access to deals (bonus points if you include a convenient testimonial request). For example, you could send them a thank-you email offering a $50 service credit for every friend they refer, along with a quick link to leave a review. 

Tag your top customers as Advocates for easy follow-up.

2. Craft the Right Message for Each Group

Each customer segment needs its own messaging strategy to maximize results. This doesn’t mean you need to hand-write every email, customizing it to each customer (although you could). Instead, it means writing a handful of emails that could fit each group. Focus on emotional triggers like urgency, reciprocity, and convenience. Here’s how you can do that:

Create Welcome Email Sequences for New Leads

First impressions matter, so make yours count. Set up a 3-email sequence over the two weeks that looks something like this:

1. Email 1: This one should introduce you: who you are, what you do, and why your customers trust and choose you.
   
2. Email 2: This is your proof backing up why customers choose you. Put a particularly compelling quote as the subject line to grab attention and share real reviews and success stories in the email.
   
3. Email 3: This is your offer email. Pitch your services with a special discount that encourages booking. 

Keep Active Customers Engaged (So They Keep Booking You)

Once your leads book with you, keep them active and engaged by sending:

• Thank-you emails after jobs
• Informational emails covering information they might need, like seasonal prep checklists or home maintenance tips
• Offer emails with exclusive promotions for repeat business

Re-Engage Dormant Customers (Before They Call Someone Else)

For your dormant customer base, create emails that give a gentle nudge. The first email could be a gentle reminder and an offer, such as “We miss you! Here’s 10% off your next service.”

The second email could include an urgency-based discount, such as “Last chance to save before the summer rush!” 

You can also ask for feedback, too: “Is there anything we could have done better?”

Turn Loyal Customers Into Advocates

For your steadfast customer base, craft emails that turn them into advocates. Reward VIP clients with incentives like birthday discounts, early access to promotions, or loyalty perks. Invite them to write reviews and share testimonials (which can go a long way in boosting your business). 

And, if you’re really up for it, launch a knockout referral program that makes it hard not to spread the word about your services. 

3. Automate the Heavy Lifting Using Housecall Pro’s Campaigns

Once you’ve drafted and reviewed (yes, this step is really important, too) your emails, pass them off and let the automation do the work. Housecall Pro’s Campaigns feature makes it easy: simply set it and forget it. 

Use it for emails covering:

• Automatic spring checkup reminders (think A/C tuneups, sprinkler activation, and other seasonal must-dos) 
• Winterization tips (think sprinkler blow-outs, gutter cleaning, furnace maintenance)
• Review requests (this way, you won’t have to remember to send out that email after each job)
• Referral invitations (that ask top customers via text or email for their glowing recommendation)

What Real HCP Users Say: “I’ve sent one SMS texting campaign so far and booked a bunch of jobs from it right away. I love that Housecall Pro is doing this!” — James S., Suttle Air

4. Track Performance, Optimize, Rinse, and Repeat

Once you launch your email campaign, check things out on the back end to see how everything is working. You might find that certain things work better than others, so it can take a bit of trial and error to get it right. 

Track key metrics like:

• Open rate: Are people even opening the emails?
• Click-through rate: Are they engaging with your offers?
• Conversion rate: Are they booking jobs?
• Unsubscribe rate: Are you sending relevant, valuable content, or are customers quickly pressing the “Unsubscribe” button?

Use A/B testing (comparing two options to see which performs better) to find out what works. Test subject lines, offers, and timing to find the sweet spot and determine what resonates best with each audience segment. Remember, this can take some time (it might not be all sunshine and rainbows right out of the gate), but small tweaks can lead to big wins!

Tips for Writing Emails That Get Opened (and Book Jobs)

Writing great emails isn’t just about what you say. It’s how you say it. Here are a few simple tips to make sure your emails get noticed, get read, and get results.

1. Segment Your List Based on Customer Behavior

Don’t blast the same email to everyone on your list. It’s not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Homeowners who just booked a job need different messaging than someone you haven’t heard from in a year. 

So, adjust to match. Segment your list based on previous behavior:

• Use filters like Last Service Date to divide recent, dormant, and new leads. 
• Tag loyal customers or high spenders for referral or loyalty campaigns. 
• Tailor each email’s message, tone, and offer to match the customer’s stage in your funnel. 

Pro Tip: Easily filter and tag customers inside Housecall Pro based on activity and service history—no extra tools required.

2. Automate Follow-Ups at Key Moments 

Your customers are busy, and so are you. So, instead of trying to remember to send out those emails regularly, automate it. Automations keep your brand top-of-mind without you manually sending every email.

• Trigger an email or text after a job is complete to request a review. 
• Send a reminder email 6 months after a maintenance job for repeat service. 
• Schedule seasonal check-in emails (e.g., before winter or summer). 

3. Make It Easy to Take Action 

People buy from people, not companies. They receive more than plenty of emails every day, many of which are marketing something or other to them. So, to make sure yours stands out in the mix, make yours feel like a conversation, not a billboard. Do this by:

• Using a casual tone and addressing the customer by name
• Focusing on solving a problem (“Is your AC ready for the heat?”)
• Keep subject lines short, relevant, and curiosity-piquing. 

While you’re at it, add a can’t-miss-it button. Don’t make customers search for the booking or “Claim Your Discount” button. The longer they have to hunt for that elusive button, the less likely they are to follow through. So, instead of dangling something enticing in front of your customers and then sending them on a treasure hunt to find it, make it obvious. 

Pro Tip: Link to your HCP booking page or website inside every email to drive conversions without making people dig around.

Now, You Can Quickly Launch Automated Email Marketing Campaigns in Minutes

A knockout email marketing funnel isn’t just about filling inboxes. It’s about building real, lasting relationships with your customers. When you stay connected with leads, dormant clients, and loyal advocates alike through the right messages at the right time, you stay top-of-mind and drive more bookings all year round. 

And with Housecall Pro’s Campaign feature, it’s easy to automate your outreach and re-engage every segment of your customer base without adding more to your plate. Start small, track what works, and grow your impact over time. Give it a try today with a free 14-day trial and see how Campaigns can kickstart your email marketing strategy.

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