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How to determine your optimal email frequency |
One of the most common questions we are asked is, "How often should I
be mailing to my various lists?" The answer to this question is
almost always returned with more questions. That's because there is
no single answer for determining the right frequency for every
organization. Depending on your audience, your content, and your
email marketing goals, the optimal email frequency will vary. To
determine the most effective frequency for your email marketing
campaigns, start with a quick review of your email objectives and
then consider the following five points:
Not frequent enough. Most marketers are concerned about
mailing to their list too often. Commonly, we see that organizations
are not mailing frequently enough. As a general rule of thumb, you
want to "touch" your list at least once a month. If you are mailing
any less frequently, you may be losing your readers' interest and not
staying "top of mind" in their inbox.
Be realistic about your resources. Many marketers try to
develop an overwhelming email marketing plan and don't have the
resources to deliver on that plan. It's better to tackle a
high-quality monthly newsletter and have audiences respond well to it
than to have unfulfilling messages scattered more frequently that
don't represent your brand.
Review and understand message metrics. Analyze and review
the metrics from your campaigns. If possible, look at trends vs.
just single message results. You can usually spot opportunities for
increasing or decreasing frequency based on how your audience is
responding. Declining open rates and/or click-through rates and
increasing unsubscribe rates over time can be indicators of
over-mailing or list fatigue. Contrarily, if these rates remain
steady, your frequency is right on target or you may even be able to
mail more frequently. Just keep an eye on results for any downward
trends, and adjust accordingly.
WIIFM. "What's in it for me?" Think about your reader,
and specifically what type of content they will find valuable. Don't
bother sending messages more frequently to your audiences if you
don't have the content (or the resources to create the appropriate
content) to give them. Effective frequency and relevant content go
hand-in-hand. Your readers will respond much more consistently if you
give them what they are hoping for, and not just fulfill your content
ideals. Take a close look at the content you are providing and see
how timely the information is and how timely it should be
communicated. Try to create a balance of marketing content and
content that accurately and positively affects your brand.
Segment audiences and treat them differently. One set of
frequency guidelines usually doesn't fit for all of your potential
audiences. Try to segment your list and consider how frequency may
affect each segment differently. Some audiences may require or
respond to more frequent communication (perhaps once a week), while
other groups may be more comfortable with a message only once a
month. You can also let your audience decide (as long as you have
the resources to follow through). Ask readers when they opt-in how
frequently they prefer to be contacted.
As you can see, there is no short or direct answer for what
frequency works best. Our experience shows 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.
SubscriberMail has the experience and expertise to help you
determine the email marketing practices that will be effective for
you.
Contact us
today for help creating successful email campaigns for your
organization.
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