How often should I email my leads?
Match frequency to the lead's stage
New leads who just showed interest can handle more frequent emails—every few days—because they're actively evaluating. Once they've been in your list for a month or two without engaging, drop to weekly or every other week. For cold leads you're trying to re-engage, a monthly check-in is usually enough.
The right frequency also depends on your industry. A local service business might email weekly, while a B2B software company might send twice a month. Watch your open and click rates: if they drop sharply, you're probably emailing too often.
Quality and relevance beat volume
Sending more emails won't help if they're not useful. Each email should have a clear reason for being sent—a tip, a new offer, a case study, or a direct question. If you can't explain why a lead should care, don't send it.
Give leads an easy way to control frequency. A simple 'update your preferences' link lets them choose weekly, monthly, or only major announcements. That keeps your list healthy and reduces unsubscribes.
- Active sequence: every 3–7 days for 2–3 weeks.
- Long-term nurture: weekly or biweekly.
- Re-engagement: monthly for 3–6 months.
- Always include an unsubscribe link and honor opt-outs immediately.
Common mistakes
- Emailing every day because you think more touches always mean more sales—it often leads to unsubscribes.
- Going silent for months and then sending a hard sales pitch, which feels jarring to leads.
- Ignoring engagement metrics and continuing the same frequency even when opens and clicks are falling.
