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Nuture, Don't Numb

April 28, 2008 by Stephanie Miller

I am asked frequently, "What is the right frequency for email marketing?" (pun intended).

The answer, like everything in marketing is, "It depends." But in email marketing, it depends on the SUBSCRIBER interests, not the marketer’s interests (the fact that these two interests should always be a aligned is such a fundamental truth of good marketing that I won’t even mention it further).

Frequency is a pretty important factor in deliverability – as it affects complaint rates and also is affected by the volume blocking at some ISPs/receivers. I think of frequency as a factor not just of absolute touches, but of cadence.

Depending on your business and products, the right frequency for a segment of subscribers can vary from four messages in six months to four messages in four days. If your prospects make a decision in a few days, make sure they have the info they need. If the decision is top of mind or life changing, a daily frequency can be welcome – but test that and be cautious. Too much email in short time periods will increase complaints, hurting the deliverability of all the email you send. Listen to customer service and your sales team – they likely know the optimal cadence and frequency for helping without being annoying. Let that inform the number and speed of your email marketing touchpoints.

Segmentation – even simple segmentation – will also boost revenue by sending more email when the subscriber is in market and less when they are not. That is less email overall, which is a good thing for subscriber satisfaction and the complaint rates of most marketing programs. While it’s often true that when response goes up, complaints also go up, I believe that marketers can keep the former on the rise and the latter on the decline through segmentation.

Even wide segmentation slices can greatly simplify the email marketing message challenge, and boost performance. Not all subscribers are the same – you may have new buyers (never before purchased from your company), active buyers (customers who are currently using one of your products) and lapsed buyers. Tailor the message for each, featuring the information you know they need to make a decision. Present the information in a compelling and credible way, and you can shorten the research phase for them (and close deals faster). Further segmentation can be done by product line or category, and by allowing prospects to select information that is most interesting to them (what we call self segmentation).

The Internet has made the sale cycle longer – as prospects research online and learn about more options faster and more efficiently. Segmentation is a way to nurture your file for opportunities – and improve all your response metrics, deliverability included.

It’s not hard to do effective segmentation – but not doing it can cost a fortune in lost opportunity.

Stephanie Miller

VP, Strategic Services

Return Path Inc.