How Often Should You Email Your Clients and Prospects?

This article is sponsored by VerticalResponse, a direct marketing self-service provider and proud supporter of the OfficeArrow community.

At VerticalResponse, we get this question all the time: How often should I email the clients and prospects on my recipient list? Should it be twice per month, twice per week, once per quarter? The truth is that we don't have a perfect answer to this question. What we do know is that it all depends on the relationship you've built with the folks on your list.

Over-mailing your recipients is a very effective way to lose subscribers! A bored or annoyed recipient is one step away from becoming an "unsubscribe" and you really don't want to alienate your subscribers.

Under-mailing your recipients can be equally dangerous, especially if you've spent a lot of time and money to convert new leads to newsletter subscribers. Don't wait too long before sending an initial welcome email because you want your recipients to get familiar with your content and get used to seeing your information in their inbox.

In addition, the sooner you get your recipients to whitelist your from address (list it as an acceptable address from which to receive mail in their email client), the better your chances will be for ensuring that your emails are received in the format you intended. You may also find that you waited to communicate with them too long and by the time you've emailed them, they've moved or changed email addresses. The result? Your hard work to capture new subscribers has left you with a "Bounce" - an email that has not gone through to the recipient.

Here are some suggestions:

• Hit 'em quick. As soon as members subscribe, make sure you email them and begin a relationship so recipients get used to seeing your email.

• Do what you promised. Did you tell people that they'd get a weekly newsletter? Email them weekly so they expect it.

• Keep it relevant. If you promised "useful" tips, give them information they can't get anywhere else. Go ahead and put offers in the email if you must, but the main objective should be to deliver a piece of valuable information that helps your recipients in some way.

• Keep a schedule. If you get too busy and can't get your email out on time, don't lag more than a few months in emailing your subscribers. They may forget they signed up and unsubscribe, or worse yet, complain to their Internet Service Provider about you.

• Retailers beware! Most retailers email more frequently during the holiday season, and that's ok. As a matter of fact, this is what consumers expect and even in some cases need for the shopping season. But don't neglect them in the summer months; you may lose them as a result.

• Pick a day. Tuesdays and Wednesdays seem to be popular days to mail for many businesses, but your best bet is to "test" emailing one day versus another. Don't completely discount emailing later in the week, weekends or on Fridays (especially if you're promoting an event that is happening on the weekend and you'd like to send a reminder). At VerticalResponse, we have many event customers and realtors that email closer to the weekend of the event, or to refresh the memory of someone who may be viewing properties on a Sunday.

The bottom line is that, in order to keep your list clean and responsive, you'll want to keep your bounce rates and unsubscribes low. An opt-in subscriber is a valuable asset; so make sure you cultivate these relationships so they continue to grow. Do what you promised, keep the email regular (however you define that) and keep it relevant. You'll have a happy recipient who can't wait for your email.

Watch your business grow with email marketing! With VerticalResponse, you can create emails in minutes, no technical experience required. Choose from over 300 designs, type your copy, select your recipients and send...it's that easy! Sign up for a free account today and receive 250 free emails just for being an OfficeArrow member.

For more information on email marketing, visit the experts at VerticalResponse.