"In the holiday email season of 2008, retailers turned up the gas on their email campaigns, hoping to salvage what was predicted to be a flat or down consumer spending season," says Loren McDonald in an article at MarketingProfs. If handled haphazardly, that's a risky strategy that increases the likelihood of spam complaints and unsubscribe requests. But if managed carefully, he argues, you can increase your email volume to some recipients without losing their goodwill.

The trick is to think in terms of sending the right message to the right subscriber at the right time—a formula that might actually call for more than one email each week. Yes, you heard it right: increased frequency can be good customer service.

"Targeting increases relevance," says McDonald. "With increased relevance, you can afford to send more frequently, because your chances are higher that your subscribers will welcome these emails that clearly reflect their interests, wants or needs."

One word of warning, though: always respect pre-established preferences. "No matter when or how you offer it," he notes, "stick to what you promised."

"Don't ask yourself, 'How often should I email?'" McDonald concludes. "Instead, ask, 'What demographics, preferences and behaviors can I use to drive a ... program that maximizes the LTV of my customers?'"

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