Email Marketing Frequency Best Practices: How Often Should You Send?

Email marketing frequency best practices might sound like a dry topic. But getting this wrong costs real money. I learned that lesson when I watched a client’s open rates tank 40% in three months because they ramped up to daily sends without warning their list.

The truth is, email marketing frequency is the single biggest factor in whether subscribers stick around or hit unsubscribe. And most businesses get it wrong in both directions.

In this guide, I will walk you through the research on optimal sending frequency, share what I have learned from running hundreds of campaigns, and give you a practical framework for finding your perfect cadence.

Why Email Frequency Matters More Than You Think

Your email frequency is not just about convenience. It directly impacts your revenue, your sender reputation, and whether your messages even reach the inbox. Let me break down why this deserves more attention than most marketers give it.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Here is a stat that should make you pause: 69% of consumers unsubscribe because they receive too many emails. That makes frequency the number one reason people leave your list.

But the damage goes deeper than lost subscribers. When people mark your emails as spam, your email deliverability suffers. Your future emails start landing in junk folders, even for engaged subscribers who want to hear from you.

I remember helping a retail brand untangle this exact problem. They had been sending daily promotional emails during Q4. By January, their inbox placement had dropped below 70%. It took three months of careful frequency reduction to rebuild their sender reputation.

What the Data Actually Shows

The flip side is also true. Send too rarely, and subscribers forget who you are. Your emails start looking like spam because the recipient does not recognize your name anymore.

There is a sweet spot in the middle where engagement stays high, revenue grows, and your list stays healthy. The trick is finding it for your specific audience.

What the Research Says About Optimal Email Frequency

Let us look at what large-scale studies actually found. Because when it comes to email frequency, opinions are cheap. Data is what matters.

The Sweet Spot: 1-2 Emails Per Week

Campaign Monitor analyzed over 2 billion emails and found that sending every couple of weeks hits the optimal balance. Meanwhile, research from Return Path showed that once-a-week frequency achieves a 0.32 read rate. That means nearly one in three emails gets read.

Weekly newsletters specifically earn a 37.75% average open rate according to 2025 benchmarks. That is solid performance for any channel.

The 7-Emails-Per-Month Study

A joint study from the University of Toledo, Indian School of Business, and Indiana University analyzed over 53,000 emails. Their finding? Seven emails per month maximized sales and revenue.

Industry-Specific Variations

Your industry matters here. About 40% of ecommerce brands use weekly emails as their core strategy. Most online stores send 2-3 emails per week when you factor in newsletters, promotional campaigns, and cart reminders.

B2B newsletters typically perform better with lower frequency. Business audiences often prefer bi-weekly or monthly content that is dense with value over frequent lighter touches.

Signs You Are Sending Too Many (or Too Few) Emails

Numbers from studies are helpful, but your own metrics tell the real story. Here is how to read the signals your audience is sending you.

Red Flags for Over-Mailing

• Declining open rates over time: If your open rate drops steadily month over month, fatigue is likely setting in.
• Unsubscribe rate above 0.3%: For ecommerce, benchmark unsubscribe rates run 0.20-0.30% per campaign. Above that signals a problem.
• Spam complaints rising: Even a small increase in complaints can damage your sender reputation.
• List growth stalling: When unsubscribes outpace new signups, you have got a frequency problem.

Track these key email metrics to track weekly. Small changes are easier to fix than dramatic declines.

Warning Signs of Under-Mailing

• Low brand recognition: Subscribers do not remember signing up when they see your email.
• High spam complaints on first emails: Long gaps between messages make your emails look suspicious.
• Flat revenue from email: Infrequent contact means fewer opportunities to convert.

How to Find Your Ideal Email Frequency

Here is my tested approach for dialing in the right frequency. It works whether you are starting fresh or optimizing an existing program.

Start With a Baseline

If you are not sure where to begin, start with one to two emails per week. This lands in the safe zone for most audiences and gives you room to adjust.

Use an email marketing calendar to plan your sends in advance. Consistency matters as much as frequency. Subscribers develop expectations and habits around your schedule.

Segment Your Audience by Engagement

Not everyone on your list wants the same amount of contact. Your VIP customers, the ones who open everything and buy regularly, can handle 2-4 emails per week. They want to hear from you.

Less engaged subscribers need fewer touchpoints. I usually recommend reducing frequency by 50% for anyone who has not opened in 30 days. This protects your deliverability while keeping the door open for re-engagement.

A/B Test Different Cadences

Testing frequency requires patience. You need at least 30 days of data to see meaningful patterns.

Use Preference Centers

The simplest solution? Let subscribers choose. A preference center where people select their desired frequency reduces unsubscribes and increases satisfaction.

Set this up when building your email list. Tell new subscribers exactly what to expect: “We send 2 emails per week with tips and occasional promotions.” Then let them adjust if that does not fit.

Email Frequency Best Practices for Different Email Types

Different email types have different rules. Here is how I break it down for clients.

Newsletters

Weekly or bi-weekly works best for most newsletters. This gives you enough time to gather valuable content without letting too much time pass between touchpoints.

I have found Thursday mornings around 8-9am perform best statistically. But test this for your audience. B2B subscribers might engage better Tuesday mid-morning.

Promotional Emails

Keep promotional sends to 2-6 per month for most brands. Going beyond one promotional message per day doubles your unsubscribe rate according to MailerLite analysis of 12 billion emails.

During sales events like Black Friday, you can temporarily increase frequency. But warn your list ahead of time and offer an option to snooze those emails.

Transactional and Triggered Emails

Good news: transactional emails do not count toward your frequency limits. Order confirmations, shipping updates, and password resets are expected and welcomed.

Automated sequences like welcome series or cart abandonment can be more frequent than regular broadcasts. These emails are triggered by subscriber behavior, so they feel relevant rather than intrusive.

Advanced Strategies: Frequency Optimization Tactics

Once you have got the basics down, these email marketing strategies take your frequency game to the next level.

Maintain Consistent Scheduling

Consistency builds anticipation. When subscribers know your newsletter lands every Tuesday morning, they look for it. Random timing feels like interruption.

I worked with a consultant who switched from random sends to a fixed Wednesday schedule. Open rates jumped 12% in two months with no other changes. The predictability alone made a difference.

Quality Over Quantity Always Wins

If you do not have something valuable to say, do not send. One genuinely useful email beats three mediocre ones every time.

Ask yourself before each send: “Would I be disappointed if I missed this?” If the answer is no, consider combining that content with your next email instead.

Monitor and Adjust Based on Metrics

Pay attention to tracking email open rates and click-through rates over time. A single campaign metrics matter less than trends across weeks and months.

Set up monthly reviews of your email performance. Look at open rate, CTR, unsubscribe rate, and revenue per email. Compare current month to previous month and same month last year if you have the data.

Set Clear Expectations from Day One

Most frequency problems start at signup. If someone expects monthly updates and gets daily emails, they will unsubscribe fast.

Be specific in your signup forms and welcome emails. “Join 10,000 marketers who get actionable tips every Tuesday” sets a clear expectation. Honor it.

Common Email Frequency Mistakes to Avoid

I have seen these common email marketing mistakes tank otherwise solid email programs. Do not make them.

• Sending without a calendar: Flying blind leads to inconsistent frequency and missed opportunities.
• Treating all subscribers the same: Your engaged buyers and window shoppers need different cadences.
• Ignoring unsubscribe feedback: When someone leaves, they often tell you why. Listen.
• Going daily without permission: Unless subscribers explicitly opted into daily emails, this will backfire.
• Never testing or adjusting: Your optimal frequency today might not be optimal next year as your audience evolves.

The CAN-SPAM Act does not regulate how often you send. But just because you legally can email daily does not mean you should.

Putting It All Together: Your Email Frequency Action Plan

Here is your step-by-step plan to optimize email frequency starting this week:

1. Audit your current frequency: How many emails did you send last month? What types?
2. Check your metrics: Are open rates, CTR, and unsubscribe rates trending up or down?
3. Set a baseline: If starting fresh, begin with 1-2 emails per week.
4. Segment by engagement: Create separate cadences for highly engaged versus less active subscribers.
5. Implement a preference center: Give subscribers control over their frequency.
6. Test for 30 days: Make one change, measure results, then adjust.
7. Document what works: Build a reference guide for your specific audience preferences.

Email frequency optimization is not a one-time project. It is ongoing refinement based on what your specific subscribers respond to. Start with research-backed defaults, then let your data guide you.

The brands that get this right build email lists that grow steadily, engage consistently, and drive real revenue month after month. That is the goal we are all working toward.

Ready to improve more than just your frequency? Check out our guide on improving email deliverability to make sure your perfectly timed emails actually reach the inbox. Or explore our full collection of email marketing strategies to level up your entire program.