I'm ready to move beyond the quarterly newsletter. What now?
Dear Emma,
We currently send a quarterly email newsletter, and it's great. But I'm trying to convince my colleagues that maybe it's time we move beyond a quarterly newsletter and stay in touch a bit more. Can you give me some ideas of what other people are doing, and maybe even arm me with some ammunition as to why sending, say, monthly is better than waiting three months between mailings?
Sincerely,
Quarterly Quandry in Jacksonville
Dear Quandry,
Most people who advise about such things would suggest that sending a bit more frequently is important for several reasons. First, by waiting three months between send-offs, you're naturally going to have some of your list drop off, either because they've lost interest or changed email addresses, or both. Some of them will have relocated to Bali.* Such infrequency also hurts your chances of growing your list - after all, your emails are part of how you generate interest among current and new recipients; if you're only sending four times a year, that's not much of an opportunity to spur growth.
We'd argue that while email may be the thing that ultimately augments or even replaces your print quarterly newsletter, its more important role is helping you stay in touch with your audience in between those quarterly updates. Email is fast. It's spontaneous. It's like a fast, spontaneous cougar but without all the growling or fur. And unlike those big infrequent newsletters, the cougar-like emails you send in between can be short, focused campaigns about a specific event, announcement or promotion. Like the Event You Should Totally Attend email, the Hey We Have News Email (known in haughtier circles as The Press Release), and the We're Having a Sale So Bring 12 Friends email - short updates triggered by something you're doing that's newsworthy.
Then set some basic goals for your future frequency (maybe your goal is to send at least once a month, for example) and let those trigger events help shape your actual timing, remembering that it's important to make sure you send only when you have something meaningful to say (Emma's Email Marketing Rule #1). If it happens to be once a month, then great. If it's once a week, also great. If it's three times a morning, you might consider Emma's Email Marketing Rule #7 - Avoid Emailing People Three Times a Morning.
Hope that helps, and if this A has spurred another Q, by all means send it our way.
Cheers,
Emma
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*Based on an informal poll of Emma staffers and their plans for the next three months. The proper HR authorities have been notified, rest assured.