Email marketing is conceivably the most flexible of all marketing strategies. Marketing alone takes planning and research within time frames based on important events, broadcasts, radio, and TV. Scheduling and deliveries are held prisoner to outside forces, needing the cooperation and coordination of many players. Nevertheless, with email campaigns, information of any kind, whether global or local, company or individual, bulk or individual, goes out within seconds of a request, promotion, or announcement, anywhere and at any time.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

Having the power of instant access does not give anyone the right to email their clients or prospects impulsively, bombarding them with every kind of innovative reminder, sale, or update. Beware, you may well find yourself trashed and spammed. Your email campaigns need to have a reason and purpose, in other words, what is the relevance of your message to your targeted audience. What good is it if your graphics are great, your content is sharp and your call to action is clear, if the message doesn’t matter to the receiver? We know how frustrating and annoying that can be on both ends. When any message is valuable and relevant, everything changes.

Frequency Standards

How much is too much? Unfortunately, there seems to be a great many responses to that question: "How often should I send out a campaign?"

• Send at least two emails per month to each subscriber

• Never send more than once every 72 hours

• Distribute newsletters at least once every quarter.

Is there a correct response? That depends solely on your campaign’s relevance. The email marketer walks a tightrope, ever knowing the stark reality of bordering on the line of too many emails, and at the same time, not wanting to be labeled as a spammer. So, what is too many? Are your messages going out just to remind them that you still exist? Remember, one size does not fit all, as one campaign is not relevant or meaningful to all. Demographics alone are not the key. The right content, targeted to the right group, work seamlessly together as they finely target their audience, and with noticeable up sell success.

Data Driven Campaigns

Every marketer knows the value of accurate customer data. The more specific and finely tuned the data is, the more targeted and relevant your campaigns will be. We create surveys and opt-in lists to capture personal data, getting us closer to our targeted goals and direction. For we know, that the more we know about our client or prospect, the closer we get to a conversion rate. We use behavioral tracking tools, measuring every live open and click response. When a client lands on our site, web analytics takes over, tracking the clickstream data of website traffics, harvesting more data. It seems to never end.

Relevance and Demographics

Data must not only be demographically accurate, but specific and personal, as well. For instance, someone buying WOK cookware would be likely to buy books on Chinese WOK cooking, with possible interests in Sushi and Japanese cookbook recipes. Here is where it does not matter what their age, profession, or gender might be. The important focus is on their recent personal buying habits. Another point to make is that they probably would not mind if they received a couple of emails within a week, offering sales on items that compliment what they bought. That email would be highly relevant to them.

The argument can be made for the crucial relevance of demographical profiles, which will always hold a high place of importance in the marketing mix and plans of every campaign. However, it is important to note that your subscribers are the ones in the driver’s seat. The mouse is in the power of their hands – open, delete, or spam.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How much is too much? Capturing live and accurate data, coupled with a finely tuned demographical profile, enables the marketer to send a relevant, valuable targeted campaign message to the right people at the right time. The more relevant the information, the more anticipated the response. Frequency may not always play an important factor in this scenario.