For most small shops, one campaign a week is a good ceiling and one a fortnight is a good start. The right number is the most you can send while every email still has something worth saying, and without unsubscribes and complaints climbing.
Start with what you can keep up. Two campaigns a month, every month, beats eight in November and none in January. Consistency trains the list to expect you, and mailbox providers read steady engagement as a good sign.
Once that rhythm is steady, add a send when you have a real reason: a launch, a restock, a seasonal moment. The campaigns page shows how a monthly calendar is put together.
A shop with a welcome series, an abandoned cart flow and a post-purchase flow is already emailing the right people at the right time without a campaign. That means campaigns can be fewer and better, because the buying moments are covered.
If you have no flows, sending more campaigns is the wrong fix. Build the flows first. The ecommerce guide sets out which ones and in what order.
Any one of those is worth acting on. Complaints matter most, because Gmail and Yahoo now use them directly to decide where your email lands. The sender requirements guide explains the thresholds.
Want this checked on your own account? The free audit does it by hand, in five working days.
Get the free auditSee pricingFrequency does not have to be the same for everyone. Recent buyers and regular clickers can hear from you weekly. People who have not opened or clicked in months should hear from you less, then be asked whether they still want to, then be suppressed.
That one change often improves results more than any decision about the whole list.
It is normal to send more in the run-up to Christmas, around Black Friday if you take part, and before a launch. Tell people in advance, keep the extra sends useful (delivery cut-offs, gift guides, restocks) and return to your normal rhythm afterwards.
For most small shops, more than one or two campaigns a week to the whole list starts to cost more in unsubscribes than it earns. Engaged segments can take more.
It can be, if flows are covering the buying moments. It is the minimum to stay recognisable.
There is no universal answer. Test two days on your own list and keep the one that earns more.
Yes, from the customer’s point of view. Suppress people from campaigns while they are in a flow that is emailing them heavily.