Monday, October 11, 2010

How Often Should You Email Customers?

Well...it depends.

Email is still a popular means by which to advertise to customers, even with other avenues available. Coupled with the fact that it's inexpensive, it's almost a no-brainer to make it part of any marketing campaign.  A good campaign generates sales and builds customer loyalty. The trick is to determine how often to send notices. If you send them too much, you wind up in the delete folder more often than not. Don't send them enough, and you could miss out on possible leads, sales, or find yourself emailing addresses that are no longer in use.

To ensure an effective email campaign, follow these guidelines:

  • Make sure your content is short and sweet. Anywhere from 350-500 words per email should do it, and if you can get your point across with less words, even better.
  • Use your campaign to alert customers to specials, send them coupons, or forward valuable information that will help them solve problems. It shouldn't just be about selling your services.
  • Include a call to action. Tell them the expiration date and how to redeem the coupon. If you're solving a problem for them, tell them how to get in touch with you.

In general, you should not email customers more than once per week. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. They should look forward to opening your emails to read what you have to say. To determine how frequently to email them, test frequency levels. Try once per week, once per month, and twice per month. Ask yourself the following questions during the test period.

  1. How many unsubscribes did I get at each level?
  2. How many click-throughs?
  3. How many customers opened the email?

By reviewing the numbers, you'll have a better idea of how often you should send messages to your customers. There's no magic number for all businesses, but you can get as close as possible to what's ideal for your product or service.

Freelance Assistance, LLC can help you create an email campaign that fits your customers' needs. We'll take over the weekly or monthly task of sending out notices. Send us an email to find out how we can create original content so you can stay in touch with your customers.