Finding the Right Email Frequency for Your Customers: Tips and Strategies

[NooraK]

How often is too often to send emails to your customers?

I try to stick to just two emails a month. I send my longer, TT newsletter at the beginning of the month, and an outlet targeted email around the middle of the month.

This month, I sent my regular newsletter on May 4th, and I sent an email about the pink products on the 13th. Now, we've got this great Fathers' Day special, and I'd love to promote it, but I don't know if I want to send yet another email.

I know I get multiple emails from other companies, more often than twice a month, but I also delete a lot of them without reading them. I don't consider them spam, and don't mark them as such. I did sign up for the newsletter, so it doesn't bother me to see them weekly. But I also know not everyone is like me.

What do you think?

 

[chefheidi2003]

I did not vote in your poll but that is because here are my feelings on it..and they really don't fit into your poll. I think that more than 2 a month is a lot. BUT..if I were the person recieving the email since it is something special would not think that it is was too much. I think that you should put Father's Day Special in the subject line though. From my longenberger lady I get a weekly email because they have weekly specials and I do not think that that is too much.

 

[Krista Burson]

I send a newsletter at the beginning of the month, an update about half way through the month. BUT I will send "specials" also such as the cool and serve tray, and the father's day special.

 

[aried]

I was wondering about sending the father's special also because I just sent out the outlet specials email this week.

 

[chefsteph07]

I think that just sending "random" emails for no reason is alot. A newsletter (which, I don't send faithfully every month) and then if there are any upcoming specials like the Father's Day special is good. This month, I have sent out the June special (on May 1), then I updated my website and put all new things in there over the weekend, so I sent a "visit my site" email and then detailed everything, and this afternoon I sent out the Father's Day one. If we wouldn't have had the FD special, I would not have sent any more out this month.

 

[kcjodih]

I only send one out a month. On the RARE occasion I'll send two - like once or twice a year if I run an open house or mystery host show to meet a goal but that's it. If I get more than one from a company I start deleting them without opening them, regardless of the subject line, but that's just me.

 

[raebates]

I promise my customers that I will only send one email a month. The exception is a reminder in December about the cut-off for shipping by Christmas.

 

[PampChefJoy]

It's funny you bring this up because I am planning to roll out a weekly newsletter offering to add to my line up. The "Weekly Dish" will have a recipe, plus a summary of the upcoming host/guest specials. It will not be image intensive. It is more of a sell the recipe and sneak in a blurb about the other stuff while I've got your attention.I am on a few food sites newsletters and most are weekly - one is daily - and it gets cluttered but you know what, I RARELY delete those until I've had a chance to read them because there is good recipe stuff. If I lead the newsletter with a recipe, there is a good chance the customer is going to save it somewhere for future reference! And my contact info will always be right there.From a customer standpoint, I would actually add checkboxes to give them the option to be added to the monthly newsletter, weekly newsletter, etc. so you are contacting them on the frequency they want.

 

[cheflorraine]

I hesitate to send out more than 2/month (TT newsletter at the beginning of the month, and then the last couple months the trifle bowl and HWC specials). But the idea of a weekly recipe email wouldn't be bad... most people do love reading recipes! I think I'd have to start asking customers about their preferences for email contact frequency.
That would probably mean that I'd have to start using my own 'customer care cards' rather than using the company ones... more printing