One of the most common questions in email marketing is "How often should I send to my list of subscribers?"
Of course, the answer to this popular question is usually the same. It depends.
As a general rule, you want to try and touch or be in contact with your list at least once a month.
But that will depend on your audience, your product, your content, and your email marketing goals. All of these elements, in the end, will determine your optimal frequency.
A company newsletter for example, should stick to a strict calendar date of release but a promotional email can be sent at any time.
The sending frequency needs to match the type of message being sent and the quality of the content.
If you feel you have an abundance of valuable information to share with your readers, then your frequency could easily increase.
After all, the objective is to engage, keep your brand in the mind of your subscribers, and provide relevant content without turning people off.
If you are not sending frequently enough you could run into the issue of list attrition. This is a general term that refers to a reduction in the size of your database.
With so many people changing email addresses for a variety of reasons you need to provide your subscribers with a means and opportunity to update their profile at least once a month.
If you wait several weeks between email marketing campaigns, chances are good that some subscribers have moved on or have forgotten they even signed up with you in the first place.
The other side of the spectrum is sending way too often, which can result in list fatigue. This is a term used to describe a list that becomes less and less responsive with each campaign.
If you bombard your subscribers too much, you risk losing their loyalty and potentially damaging your brand.
So, if your email marketing strategy is to send 4-6 times a month, make sure you have a very engaged audience, interesting content, and you continually analyze your reporting metrics.
As you can see, there is no direct answer for what frequency works best when sending out email marketing campaigns. In the end, the most effective use of frequency depends upon your audience, what they are expecting, what you can deliver, and continual analysis of where success occurs.
What frequency have you found to work best for your email marketing campaigns? We would love to hear from you.
