Determining the best frequency strategy to achieve optimal results
“It has become essential for a company to take the time to determine the best frequency strategy for an email marketing program in order to achieve the best results. Having the right email frequency strategy can mean the difference between email recipients making a purchase rather than unsubscribing from any future communication. That can ultimately mean the difference between increasing future profit rather than losing potential revenue.”
Long gone are the days when marketers could send “batch and blast” emails to their entire audience. Data and technology now enable marketers to take their campaigns to new heights, and customers have come to expect a certain level of personalization and relevance in their communications with brands. That being said, the onus is on marketers to determine the best email frequency based on subscribers’ interests, preferences, and behavior. Having the optimal email deployment strategy in place can mean the difference between subscriber engagement (and ideally customer loyalty) and the “spam” button.
An infographic from EmailExpert shows that 91% of email users check their email at least once a day. Make sure to communicate with subscribers with the right frequency.
As a key analyst within Yes Marketing's Intelligence Products team, Kris is constantly engaged with marketers of all shapes and sizes, and is constantly helping them build and execute effective marketing strategies. Kris’ abilities to help Intelligence Products customers maximize their reachable audiences successfully and grow across the various social channels has left him an integral part of Yes Marketing's Intelligence team.
While the frequency of your messages depends on your brand’s objectives, industry, and competition, daily emails are well-suited for online companies that provide consumers with offerings such as dating services or flash sales, which often have a 24-48 hour shelf life. Some examples include Groupon or Match.com, respectively. In short, time-sensitive or incentive-based offers are most effective in emails sent on an everyday basis.
Though daily emails are not an optimal mailing strategy for brands in every industry (for instance, B2B, healthcare, or technology), they’re great for grabbing attention when many marketers first start an email program. However, as many brands grow, they should move to mailing on a weekly cadence. Weekly emails work well for promoting weekly deals and extended product offers: Yes Marketing research finds that nearly three in four (74%) are opened within the first 24 hours of landing in subscribers’ inboxes. Marketers can make the most of this impulse to open by using subject lines that focus on a specific business objective or product. Testing subject lines is a great way to determine the most engaging content that drives opens.
In terms of newsletters and information-based emails, they garner the most engagement when sent on a monthly basis. A Yes Marketing analysis indicates that 86% of opens for monthly e-newsletters occur within the first day an email campaign is deployed. Due to the timing between monthly emails, subscribers may find the messages more interesting and valuable than daily or weekly emails. Monthly email communications for a supermarket brand could include content like cooking how-tos, a calendar of in-store events, or seasonal tips.
Triggered emails are deployed after customers take specific actions. Marketers can send these automated emails after customers subscribe to an email list, abandon a website browsing session or shopping cart, complete a survey, or engage in an array of other activities. These are the types of emails that can be ‘set and forget’ due to their automated nature. Given the personalization and relevance of triggered emails, it’s no surprise that they have high engagement rates so marketers can reap the benefits without having to continuously invest time and resources.
A combination of daily, weekly, monthly and triggered emails can serve marketers well. Striking the right balance is crucial, so brands should be sure to test different email marketing frequencies for various audience segments. Better yet, marketers can utilize preference centers to ask subscribers how frequently they’d like to receive email communications and what content interests them. Preference centers give marketers insight into what email subscribers enjoy most while empowering them to manage their relationships with brands.