Source: Jeff Jewett, optify
Did you know that 35.4% of consumers report frequency as the primary reason for unsubscribing from a brand’s email (up from 30.7% in 2012)? Check out the “2013 Consumer Views of Email Marketing – Report” for more information.
While that number is significant, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The advent of marketing automation has allowed marketers to easily schedule multiple emails at one time — and many have taken this to the extreme.
New technology combined with the mindset that “volume is the key to email marketing success” has caused a lot of marketers to go crazy with the amount of emails they send. Sure, you get more clicks with more sends, but you’ll experience a declining marginal return in engagement.
Any time I’m tasked with building a nurturing program, one of the toughest questions I have to answer is, “What send frequency will maximize exposure without causing fatigue?”
Recognizing that I have to start somewhere, I’m a believer that intuition will provide a great starting point and that testing will help me refine my programs.
When I’m building a program and determining frequency, here are a few things I consider:
-What does our audience think about out our brand and the content we provide?
-Are we providing value to our audience?
-Is the content actually interesting?
-If I were the target audience, would I care?
By answering these questions I can usually come up with a great starting point and can closely monitor and refine the program. Have you already built your program and are wondering what to do next? Here are some things to look for:
Signs you’re emailing too frequently:
-Increasing number of unsubscribes
-Declining email engagement (open rate, click-through rate)
-And the obvious: responses from your list complaining that you’re emailing too frequently.
Signs you’re sending too infrequently:
-You’re experiencing higher than average bounce rates
-Hard bounces aren’t being cleaned through regular sends
-Employee turnover results in poor data accuracy
-Engagement levels are inconsistent
-Audience may not recall the value you’re providing
Email Frequency Tips
Find out what works best for your business.
Every company and list is different. Don’t be afraid to ask your audience what they prefer — they’ll tell you what they care about and provide an indication of their tolerance level.
Let your audience know how often you plan to email them.
Whether you’re sending daily, weekly or monthly, let your subscribers know how often you plan to reach out to them. Setting these expectations from the get go will reduce fatigue.
Keep things consistent.
If you’re going to do something, do it well and do it regularly. Familiarity and expectation lead to higher engagement and happier subscribers.
Find the gaps and fill them.
Autoresponders are a great way to stay current with new subscribers to your mailing list and a way to not leave them waiting for days or weeks for your next send. Doing so will keep your brand top of mind and if you’re sending great content you begin building value from day one.
Following these tips and monitoring and modifying your programs will prepare you for email marketing success.