Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Newsletter frequency is completely subjective and relies on a number of aspects about your audience. But don’t worry just yet, we have some pointers to get you started!
People want good content
If you remember nothing else, make it this! Send a newsletter only if you have something worthwhile to say. You want your subscribers to enjoy – not dread – receiving emails from you. If you start to bombard your audience with emails that are irrelevant, confusing, or poorly structured, there’s no doubt they will be hitting that unsubscribe button. Emails containing information vital to readers' businesses and livelihoods, on the other hand, are warmly welcomed.
A great technique is to link your newsletters to your website's content. This not only increases your website's traffic, but also boosts your click-through rate, as there are relevant content links to click on. This also lets you keep track of the topics that your subscribers are interested in, adapting your content to their preferences.
And don’t forget - your newsletter should always match your website brand and tone of voice. Otherwise your subscribers may feel like they're listening to a different person!
Nature of product or services
The number of emails you send is mostly determined by the services you provide to your clients. If you offer seasonal items, like holiday decorations, you might increase your newsletter frequency in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day. Alternatively, travel websites or clothes retailers may send out more frequent updates to their subscribers informing them of current offers, deals and discounts. Knowing the nature of your product or service is crucial here!
Ask for their preferences
Want the easiest way to figure out how many emails your customers want to receive from you? Simply ask them! You can create and send out surveys, through tools such as SurveyMonkey, to get a better overview of how often your subscribers want to hear from you and what they actually want to hear about. This not only reduces your risk of losing subscribers, but also can help give you a better picture of your audience as a whole.
According to data from Campaign monitor, 61% of consumers want to receive at least one email a week from brands they are subscribed to – with 39% saying they would prefer a newsletter once a month. Every subscriber is different, so knowing their preferences comes in handy if you want to keep them on your mailing list!
Study your customer journey
Newsletter frequency is heavily influenced by your customer journey – the route a user takes between your messaging, marketing, website and services. Understanding the many touch points along your customer's journey can help you better anticipate when and how to distribute the appropriate content.
If your website collects customer data, such as through a shopping basket or member login, you can even consider setting up newsletters and emails based around the preferences they have set. As an experienced website design agency, we’ve even helped our clients set up automated newsletter campaigns that target or remind their customers of the deals and news that fits their interests best. This keeps your newsletter content always relevant to your audience groups when it needs to be – perfect!
By timing your newsletters according to your customer’s needs, you guide them along the buying journey without overwhelming them, which can lead to higher open and click-through rates for your business.
Segment your list
Segmenting your customers is not only a great way to avoid oversharing, but also makes it easier to tailor your communications to different stages in the customer journey, varying interests, and interactions.
You might find that different segments prefer your marketing emails at different frequencies, or presented in a different format. As you become aware of these individual differences, be sure to update your email marketing strategy with the frequency that matches the desired email volume for each of these customer segments. That way, you can stay one step ahead in keeping them away from the dreaded unsubscribe button!
There is no definite solution to how frequently you should send newsletters to your subscribers, but there are numerous ways to determine what is ideal for your business and keep you on track! We hope these pointers help - but if you'd like additional information or assistance on creating a website, please contact us. we’d love to hear from you.