There are those who believe in monthly publications and there are those who reach out every week. Some are on a strict schedule and some blab out when they have something to say. Is there a wrong and right way to attack this question? It really depends on a few elements.

Voice – are your articles casual and comical?  Are they formal and packed with detailed information? 

Length – do you prefer to send out one or two quick tips or longer articles?

Audience – do you write for consumers or other businesses? A niche readership or a wide audience?

All of these can come into play. Let’s look at a few examples.

  • A small business that mostly caters to a specific consumer niche can send out casual quick tips 1 or 2 times a week. A quick tip email is usually no more than 3 paragraphs.
  • A medium sized business that addresses other companies can send out longer and more detailed articles once a month.
  • A business that offers many different services can send out a 3-part combination of quick tips,  plus one short promotional piece for a sale or event plus a more formal monthly newsletter.

Some businesses actually offer their readers a choice – do you want weekly tips or a monthly newsletter? Using multiple lists in Constant Contact, you can have a “monthly news” list, a “weekly tips” list, etcetera.

Another beautiful feature of Constant Contact is the ability to schedule ahead. If you have lots to say, and can write several posts and articles ahead of time, then by all means, get it all down now – but don’t send it all now. Schedule your campaigns on a consistent basis, whether it’s weekly, every other week, monthly or quarterly. Some find it helpful to plan out their campaign dates right in their calendar.

What you DON’T want to do is write on a very infrequent basis, sending just a few newsletters throughout the year. If someone doesn’t hear from you in over a month, the assumption is that your business has gone under. Keeping in contact on a regular basis sends the message that you care about them to reach out and educate them. Ignoring them sends out exactly that message – and who likes being ignored?

How often is too often? A store that has a different weekly sale should send out a promotional piece exactly once a week. An organization that puts on monthly events will want to create one major piece plus 1 reminder of the registration deadlines. An e-commerce business will want to keep their customers up to date with one informational newsletter a month plus 1 short promotional piece on their product of the month.

Regardless of which tactic you take, always use your customers’ preferences as your guide.  The best piece of advice is simply to ask your fans.