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Figuring out how often your customers want to hear from you can feel overwhelming, but we promise it doesn’t have to be. In fact, working out when and how often you should send email can actually be fun once you get the hang of it. Really.
Why is it important for your business to send email?
When you send email for your business, you’re building credibility and strengthening your relationship with customers. Sending email with promotions or invitations to events can also act as a catalyst for bringing both current and potential customers into your store, whether it’s online or on Main Street.
These benefits are reason enough to send email, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. A strong email marketing strategy allows you to highlight new offerings, drive repeat website visits, and reward your most loyal customers.
When and how often should you send email?
The answer to this question depends on how far along you are in your email marketing journey. If you’re just starting out with your email marketing strategy and aren’t sure how often to reach out, a good rule of thumb is to send email two to three times a month when you have important or relevant information to share with your customers.
You can experiment with sending more often, but keep a close eye on your unsubscribe rate, as it may go up if you send email too frequently. Before sending an email, make sure to ask yourself whether this information will be useful or interesting for the customers who are receiving it.
So what day of the week or time should you send your email? If it’s a general email that isn’t tied to a specific event or time frame, Tuesday between 10 and 11 a.m. is best. We realize that seems like a very specific guidance, but we promise the data backs it up. You also want to think through who your customers are and when they are most likely to read their email, as another day of the week or time may make more sense for them.
How do you know if you’re reaching your audience? And how can you listen to your audience?
If you’re already sending email, your own data can tell you a lot about the right time to send. In the Campaigns tab of the Square Dashboard Marketing section, you can review your email open and clickthrough rates. Outside of a survey, this data is the best way to “listen” to your customers.
Both rates can provide you with a pretty clear picture of what’s working and what you might want to change. For example, if open rates are high and attributable purchases doing well, keep doing what you’re doing. If open rates are declining, or you’re seeing a high unsubscribe rate, try sending email less frequently, or changing up the day and time that you send it out.
It’s important to note that in the United States, the average open rate is 20 percent and the average clickthrough rate is 3.3 percent. Open and clickthrough rates can vary by industry, so it’s worth taking a look to see how you compare against your specific industry.
Also, a subject line with a clear call to action that conveys urgency can cut through the noise of your customers’ inboxes and may help increase your open rates.
