• by David Goetzl , April 20, 2010

Email marketers are constantly debating frequency -- how often to send messages. It's a balance in looking to drive sales without turning off customers. On a panel at MediaPost's Email Insider Summit, Responsys executive Heather Blank indicated the answer is rather simple: do what feels right.

Certainly, don't have a quota. If there's something to say, say it -- if not, don't send.

"There is no magic frequency number, if you have a relevant story send it," she said. "If you don't, suppress it."

She continued:

"Stop planning your email calendars based on a number. If you're sitting around talking about what are we going to come up with for our fourth email this week, it's probably not a relevant story and you probably shouldn't send it."

Consumers certainly would agree.