For this blog, I am going to focus on email marketing, since with direct marketing, few businesses have the budget to send out multiple messages in a week or in a month. Email marketing is low cost and lends itself to frequent emails.

How often is too often?
First, know your audience. Are they the type that are okay with multiple messages? If your audience is aged thirty or below, they might not be as aggravated as the over fifty crowd with weekly emails.

Second, examine your message. What are you sending out – discounts, general information or information that is time sensitive? Send general and industry information out, as a reminder of what you have to offer, every few months. . Send time sensitive information more frequently and in a timely fashion so that it can be utilized properly.

Third, what is your industry? An industry with frequent changes that could impact a customer’s life lends itself to frequent updates. For example, a business that is about Social Media, could send weekly updates on important tools and links because things change so frequently in that industry. The same is true for other industries such as a mortgage or a finance industry.

Watch your email marketing reports. If you are sending out weekly messages and notice a high number of opt-outs, you may be sending emails too frequently. A low open rate can also point to adding mailings. An easy way to decide how often to nurture, is to ask. A simple poll on your Social Media site asking how often they would like to receive messages is a simple and easy way to discover what your audience wants.

Author's Bio: 

Candy Sugarman earned her degree in Psychology from U.C.L.A. and worked in a variety of industries utilizing a wide-range of skills, for the last two decades. She began her virtual assistant practice in 2007 by offer real estate agents administrative support and internet marketing. Intrigued by the increase in popularity in Social Media, Candy earned her Certification in Social Media marketing from VA Classroom. With a love of learning, she quickly sought out and obtained her certification in Social Network Design, Online Video skills and as well as Virtual Event Specialist Certification.

With a deep desire to help entrepreneurs and small business owners understand and master online marketing, she created PlayBig Online Marketing. Due to the fast-paced changes in the online marketing world, she is able to use her ability to adapt and learn quickly to offer the very latest and best to her clients. Never content with the status quo, she is always searching and learning ways to improve processes, systems, and create automation whenever possible to deliver to her clients the very best in an efficient and successful manner.