How Often Should You Email Your List? Here’s What to Consider
You’ve built an email list (yay!), and now you’re ready to start showing up in your subscribers’ inboxes. But then the panic hits…
How often should you email your list?
Once a week? Every day? Only when you launch something?
If you’re stuck in email frequency limbo, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions email marketers and business owners ask — and the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all.
So let’s break it down: how often should you email your list, and what do you need to consider to find your perfect rhythm?
Why Frequency Matters
Before we dive into the numbers, let’s talk about why this matters.
Email too little, and people forget who you are — or worse, mark you as spam when you finally pop back in their inbox.
Email too often, and you risk annoying your audience, leading to higher unsubscribe rates.
The sweet spot? Staying top-of-mind without being overwhelming.
Key Factors to Consider
Here are the top things to keep in mind when deciding how often to email:
1. Your Audience Expectations
Ask yourself:
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What did you promise when they signed up?
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Did you say “weekly tips,” “monthly updates,” or “occasional promos”?
Stick to whatever cadence you promised — consistency builds trust.
Tip: If you didn’t clarify expectations, it’s not too late! Let them know what to expect in your next email.
2. Your Content & Value
Do you have something valuable to say often — or just occasionally?
Quality always beats quantity. It’s better to show up once a week with helpful content than to send fluff just to hit a schedule.
If Can you only create great content twice a month? That’s your frequency — and that’s fine.
3. Your Goals
Are you nurturing, selling, or launching?
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For nurturing, 1x/week is a great standard.
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During a launch or promo, it’s okay to email more frequently — even daily — as long as it’s clear and valuable.
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For newsletters, weekly or bi-weekly tends to perform well.
Just be transparent. If you’re ramping up frequency for a launch, let your subscribers know what’s coming.
4. Your Capacity
What can you realistically maintain?
There’s no point in committing to 3x a week if you’ll burn out in a month. Start with what feels doable — and build from there.
Pro tip: Batching and scheduling emails in advance can help you stay consistent without the stress.
What the Data Says
While your strategy should be based on your own audience and business, here are some general benchmarks:
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Once a week tends to be the sweet spot for most businesses
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2–4 emails per month keeps you top of mind without overwhelming
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Daily emails can work for certain niches (like e-commerce or launches) — if they’re valuable
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Less than once a month can lead to poor engagement and higher unsubscribe rates
A Simple Frequency Formula
Not sure where to start? Try this:
Email your list once a week.
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It’s consistent.
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It builds familiarity and trust.
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It gives you room to mix up your content: tips, stories, promos, Q&As, etc.
Then, test and adjust based on your data: open rates, click-throughs, unsubscribes, and replies.
Final Thoughts
There’s no magic number — the right frequency is the one that fits your audience, your content, and your schedule.
Start with consistency, focus on value, and stay human. Your subscribers are real people — they’ll appreciate emails that are useful, thoughtful, and aligned with what they signed up for.
