Marketing Automation & Workflows:
What’s the Optimal Frequency for Automated Email Campaigns?
Send often enough to drive outcomes—never so much that you burn trust. This guide shows how to set evidence-based frequency caps, intent-driven bursts, and quiet-hour rules that maximize revenue and minimize fatigue.
The optimal frequency is segment- and intent-based: set a default cap of 1–2 sends/week for prospects, allow short, rule-bound bursts (up to 3–4/week) during high intent (trials, pricing activity), and throttle to 1–2/month for low-engagement or re-engagement segments. Enforce global caps, quiet hours, and channel coordination (email + ads + SDR) and adjust weekly using a fatigue score (unsubscribes, complaints, delete-without-open, engagement decay).
Principles for Cadence That Performs
Cadence Models: Which Fits Your Program?
Pick a default model, then layer intent rules and fatigue controls.
Fixed vs. Engagement-Based vs. Intent-Burst vs. Lifecycle
| Model | How It Works | Best For | Pros | Watchouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Cadence | Same day/time each week (e.g., 1–2/week) | Newsletters, broad awareness | Predictable, easy to govern | Ignores spikes in intent; can under/over-send |
| Engagement-Based | Frequency expands/contracts by recent opens/clicks | Mixed B2B databases, long cycles | Fits attention; lowers fatigue | Needs reliable tracking and decay windows |
| Intent-Burst | Temporary burst when high-intent behavior fires; auto cool-down | Trials, pricing visits, event countdowns | Timely, revenue-driven | Requires strict caps to prevent spammy feel |
| Lifecycle-Governed | Caps by lifecycle stage (Prospect, MQL, Customer, Nurture) | CRM-integrated teams with clear stages | Aligned with sales; easy to report | Stage drift can break rules without data hygiene |
Recommended Caps by Segment
Use these as starting points—then tune weekly with fatigue and conversion data.
Baseline Caps (per 7 days)
- Cold Prospects: 1 send/week; pause 21 days after 0 engagement.
- Engaged Prospects (clicked/visited in 30 days): 2 sends/week; +1 if in an active evaluation track.
- High Intent (trial, demo request, pricing depth): Up to 3–4 sends/week for ≤2 weeks; enforced cool-down to 1/week after.
- Customers (education/adoption): 1–2 sends/week, excluding product/system notifications from the cap if essential.
- Re-Engagement: 1 send every 2–4 weeks; sunset after 90 days of no activity.
30-60-90 Day Cadence Optimization Plan
- Days 1–30: Set Guardrails — Define global weekly cap, stage-based caps, and quiet hours. Implement an audience suppressor for customers, open opportunities, competitors, and recent unsubscribers. Stand up a fatigue score with thresholds (tighten caps when unsub >0.25% or complaints >0.02% in 7 days).
- Days 31–60: Wire Signals & Tests — Connect web/product events to MAP; enable intent-burst rules with automatic cool-down. A/B test 1 vs. 2 emails/week on a holdout group; measure pipeline per 1k sends and unsub risk per 1k sends.
- Days 61–90: Personalize & Govern — Add send-time optimization by time zone, introduce opt-down (weekly/monthly/product-only), and publish a weekly Cadence Scorecard for execs (frequency, fatigue, revenue impact). Lock change control for exceptions.
Cadence Governance Matrix (Phases, Owners, Outputs)
| Phase | Primary Focus | Owner(s) | Key Outputs | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Guardrails | Caps, quiet hours, suppression | MOps + Compliance | Global/week caps, stage caps, opt-down center | Unsub & Complaint Rates |
| 2. Signals & Testing | Intent triggers, cool-downs, holdouts | MOps + Analytics | Burst rules, SLR tests, weekly scorecard | Pipeline per 1k Sends |
| 3. Governance | Change control, access, reporting | MOps Lead | Exception process, dashboards, quarterly review | Fatigue Index & Deliverability |
Client Snapshot: Cutting Fatigue, Growing Revenue
A B2B software company moved from 3 fixed sends/week to stage-based caps with intent bursts. Unsubscribes fell 38%, complaint rate dropped below 0.01%, and pipeline per 1k sends rose 27% by prioritizing hot signals and enforcing cool-downs.
Tie your cadence strategy to RM6™ and align with The Loop™ so frequency supports journey stage, not inbox volume.
Frequently Asked Questions on Email Frequency
Quick, practical answers for better cadence decisions.
Set a Cadence That Builds Pipeline
We’ll model fatigue, wire intent signals, and implement stage-based caps with clear governance—so every send earns attention.
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