One of the most common questions I get about email marketing is how often you should send emails to your list. If you’re wondering about this, you’re not the only one! I wish I could give you a clear-cut answer, but the truth is, it varies. For those who just sighed at that, let me clarify a bit more.

It Depends On What Your Readers Are Used To

Take a look at how frequently you’re emailing your readers these days. If your list is new and your subscribers aren’t sure what to expect from you, it’s your job to establish those expectations. If you’ve been sending emails once a month, it might be time to gradually increase that frequency. Begin by emailing twice a month, then transition to weekly messages. Eventually, you could try sending two to three emails each week and see how it works out. Lately, I’ve noticed a trend toward daily emails, but you really need to research and test before pursuing that option.

As you are gradually increasing your frequency, pay close attention to how your subscribers respond to it. TechnologyAdvice conducted a survey and found the #1 reason people unsubscribe from emails is because they receive them too often. When that happens, the results could be that they report you as a spammer or completely disengage. Obviously, this will result in a drop in your open and click-through rates. But this doesn’t have to happen. If you use market segmentation to laser focus your messages and send to a targeted audience, you will see the opposite effect – more opens and click-throughs!

It Depends On Your Niche And Your Market

Another good strategy is to see what other thought leaders in your niche are doing. Are they emailing several times per week? Or are they sticking to a less frequent schedule? Chances are they have done some testing and figured out what works well in this particular niche.

You don’t have to blindly follow in their footsteps, but use it as a starting point and see how things are going. Then try to increase your email frequency and see if you get better overall results with more emails. If not, scale it back down until you find what works best for you and your subscribers.

It Depends On the Type Of Content And Offers You’re Sharing

What you are emailing about influences the frequency as well. If you’re sharing a daily deal, you want to email your list daily if that’s what your readers are looking for. If you’re publishing a weekly newsletter, send that once a week and possibly add a solo offer email here and there every couple of weeks.

If your market is seasonal, you may only want to do occasional emails throughout the off-season and ramp it up in the weeks leading up to your main season.

Learn from what you’ve already done

Check your stats. Many of the entrepreneurs I work with are creatives who are “just not into numbers.” Unless you are outsourcing your content marketing, you need to know your numbers. What is your open rate? How are your readers responding? This will help you determine how often you should email and how effective your email marketing program is. Start with knowing your goals for the program. Is it to convert readers to customers or simply to establish yourself as a thought leader? With your goals in mind, remember to focus on your audience. Each reader should feel like you are speaking to them and have their needs in mind.

Quick Tips to Pull it all Together

  • How Often Should You Mail Your List? Say “hello” as soon as they subscribe – Begin a relationship so recipients get used to seeing your email.
  • Deliver on your promise– Did you tell people that they’d get a weekly newsletter? Email them weekly because they will expect it.
  • Make it relevant – Your primary objective is to deliver a piece of valuable information that the audience needs.
  • Be Consistent– Stick to the schedule you promised them when they opted-in. If it’s weekly, and you miss a week (life does happen!) don’t let that stretch into a month.
  • Pick a day– Your best bet is to “test” emailing one day versus another. Learn what day results in the most opens and click-throughs.

So where does that leave you? The best way to find out how often you should mail your list is to try a few different things. Work your way up to an optimum frequency for your audience.

If you have a question, I would love to assist. Please leave it in the comments below or contact me.