Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

While you mention open/CTR, but you haven't mentioned the ultimate goal: increased revenue. So, if you're unsure if what you're doing is working, then it's likely time to experiment to learn more. For example, an A/B Split test with email frequency, subject line, offer, call to action, new information, follow up calls, etc.

Others' statistics are likely not relevant to your business, because of the huge number of variables.

another factor related to e-mail frequency might be job function. A potential user probably has a different appetite for data than an economic buyer.

Hi Joy!

I have a lot to say, but I'm going to attempt to keep it as short and concise as possible. I've also included some links from my personal swipe files, as this topic is simply too large for a forum post.

You should know that you are about to jump into a never-ending project. Aside from paying someone to do it all, a quick and dirty solution does not exist.

So to answer your question:

- No, there isn't an industry wide cadence that works for all audiences.

- Yes, there is a cadence that is best for your business. But you have to test your campaign and engage your audience in order to learn what it is. Oh, and it is likely to change over time so you need to constantly test, tweak, measure, and test again.

The answers responses above are very good, especially the ones who state you need to:

1) Perform A/B testing
2) Ask your audience

A/B Testing:

In a nutshell, A/B testing is comparing your audience's response to "this" and "that". Which gets more engagement, the picture of an ocean sunset or the pic of a family on the beach? The button that says "Click Here" or "Get Offer Now"? Emails sent in the afternoon vs late morning? Monday or Friday? And so on.

There are dozens of things to test. Here is a good list of stuff to test from hubspot.com:

*Hubspot.com - 25 Little Marketing Experiments That Deliver Big Results: https://bit.ly/1oaFGdr


Before you run out and start changing button colors and text links, here is a small but important list of A/B testing tips.

1) Test one thing at a time. One Thing! If you test more than one change, how are you to know what worked? Yes, it takes time but it will save you in the long run.

2) Test the largest sample you can. More people = more variety = more accurate results.

3) Test each item to statistical significance, which translates to statistical confidence. You want to aim for a confidence level of 95%-98%. Basically, this means you tested enough people and received enough engagement to safely declare a winner.

4) Be prepared to trust the data. You may get successful results that are counter-intuitive. That's okay! If you aren't ready to trust the data over your own preferences, then testing is a waste of time.


How do you do all this testing?

Luckily, a lot of email providers and programs have decent A/B testing and reporting capabilities. Check with your current email provider first. In addition, you can check out companies who either specialize in, blog about or offer testing within their services/products such as:

Optimizely.com - https://www.optimizely.com/ab-testing

Unbounce.com - https://unbounce.com/landing-page-articles/what-is-ab-testing/

Mailchimp.com - https://kb.mailchimp.com/article/how-a-b-split-testing-works/

Litmus.com - https://litmus.com/email-testing

WhichTestWon.com - https://whichtestwon.com


A few people have suggested hiring a marketing research consultant. If you neither have the time nor someone on your team to manage this, you should get help. Just know that most consultants are likely to use the very tools and services already available to you.

Either way, it's never a bad idea to educate yourself.


Here's where the bulk of my links come in.

* KISSmetrics Beginner's Guide to A/B Testing Links:

A/B testing: An Introduction - https://blog.kissmetrics.com/ab-testing-introduction/

A/B testing: Email Campaigns that Convert - https://blog.kissmetrics.com/ab-testing-email-campaigns/

A/B testing: Exceptional Web Copy - https://blog.kissmetrics.com/ab-testing-web-copy/


More great resources...

* Hubspot.com

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-a-b-test-emails-video

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketers-forget-running-ab-tests


* Marketingland.com

https://marketingland.com/5-email-ab-split-test-ideas-you-havent-tried-4968...

https://marketingland.com/the-abcs-of-ab-testing-42554


* MarketingProfs.com:

Six Tips for Mobile-Optimized Email Marketing : https://bit.ly/X0k3BE

If A/B Testing Can Help Win Elections, What Can It Do for Your Business? : https://bit.ly/X0jOqb


I sure hope this helps! Dont be afraid to talk to some of the folks at the sites I mentioned. Most have affordable services and tons of resources to help you get started.

Good Luck!

-Blaine Wilkerson

P.S., Many of these links discuss how to ask questions, poll your audience, and fine-tune your campaigns based on feedback. But here are some links to the top survey services, consultants, and courses I know of. All come highly recommended from top online authorities.

*SurveyMonkey.com - Online Survey Services : https://www.surveymonkey.com

These 2 Guys may seem a little "Internet Marketey", but they are the real deal:

1) * Ryan Levesque - Survey Funnel Formula: https://www.ryanlevesque.net .

Video Link for Ryan Levesque (describes his survey funnel method): https://youtu.be/UXlqldH37aM

2) Jeff Walker - Product Launch Formula: https://jeffwalker.com .

Jeff's new #1 bestseller book, "Launch:..." at amazon.com (my affiliate link): https://bit.ly/1stppki , or just go to https://amazon.com and run a search for his book.

Have Fun! You can reach me here, or on Twitter if you have questions (see my profile for the twitter link).