How regularly should you contact your customers?

For small business owners in Ireland, email and SMS marketing are vital tools for maintaining customer relationships and driving sales. But they come with a health warning. Send too many, and you run the risk of ending up in the junk folder.

Nobody likes spam and there’s a fine line between staying usefully in touch with your customers and alienating them. So how do you get this balance right? Is there a formula you can use to figure out the optimum amount of contact?

Sadly, no. There is no universally right answer to this question. But there are definitely better and worse types of answers. Each business is different, with different factors that play a part. What works well for one may not work for another.

Know your audience

The first step to determining the right frequency for your email marketing is understanding your audience. Different industries and customer bases have varying tolerances for email communication. If your customer base is made up of industry professionals or other businesses, then probably less is more. They know who you are and where to find you. It’s not necessary to constantly remind them.

However, a retail business may want to send more messages, knowing that it's competing with rival companies looking to capture as much of the market as they can.

Research industry norms

Different standards apply to different industries. But there is an average for your industry and it’s good to know what that is. For most businesses, sending two to three emails or SMS messages per month is safe. This frequency keeps you on your customers' radar without overwhelming them – but it’s a good idea to monitor what your competitors are doing.

One survey of 2000 consumers in the US asked how often they would like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business. They found that 86% said they would prefer to receive emails once a month, 61% once a week and only about 15% opted for every day.

Segment your audience

Not all customers are the same. Segmenting your email list based on customers' past purchasing behaviour, interests or how they subscribed can help you tailor the frequency and type of messages each segment receives. For instance, it might work well to contact frequent buyers, or those who've opted in for ‘daily deal’ type summaries, more often than those who've shown preference for a monthly newsletter.

Know how to read your metrics

Monitor engagement levels and adjust your activity accordingly. Understand how things like open rates, click-through rates and unsubscribe rates work and use them to gain valuable insights into how your customers respond to your email frequency. If you notice a decline in engagement or an increase in unsubscribe rates, it might be time to reduce your email frequency.

Ask for feedback

Giving customers control over how often they hear from you can significantly improve engagement and satisfaction. Include options for email frequency, such as weekly, monthly or only for major promotions, in the subscription settings. This approach respects your customers' preferences and helps maintain a healthy relationship with them.

Quality matters

The quality of your content is just as important as its frequency. Sending fewer, more valuable emails is more effective than bombarding customers with frequent, less meaningful messages. Focus on providing value in every email, whether through exclusive offers, informative content or engaging stories about your business.

There's no universal rule for how often you should send marketing emails and SMS messages but by following the guidelines outlined above, you can find a frequency that works for your business and your customers. The right balance will keep your brand visible without overwhelming your audience, creating a win-win situation for both you and your customers.

If you would like to discuss marketing tools, strategies and much more with a V-Hub expert, book a call today and get tailored digital advice for your business.