Keeping your existing customers engaged is often more profitable than constantly chasing new ones. But striking the right balance with communication frequency is crucial. Too little, and they forget you. Too much, and they’ll tune you out – or worse, unsubscribe. We see this challenge time and time again with Australian SMEs.

There’s no magic number, as it depends on your industry, customer base, and what you’re communicating. However, we can offer some practical guidelines to help you optimise your approach. Think about ‘communication value’ – every message needs to offer something worthwhile to the recipient.

• Segment your audience: Not all customers are created equal. Those who purchase frequently will likely appreciate more frequent updates than those who haven’t engaged in a while. Use your CRM data to tailor communication based on purchase history, website activity, and stated preferences.
• Map the customer lifecycle: Communication needs change as customers move through different stages. New customers need onboarding support. Active customers benefit from exclusive offers and product updates. Lapsed customers require re-engagement campaigns.
• Consider channel preference: Some customers prefer email, others SMS, and some social media. Respect their preferred channels. Don’t bombard them with the same message across multiple platforms. We’re seeing a rise in preference for concise SMS updates for time-sensitive information.
• Test and analyse: A/B testing different frequencies is vital. Try sending weekly versus bi-weekly newsletters, or varying the number of promotional emails. Closely analyse open rates, click-through rates, and, importantly, unsubscribe rates.

Generally, for most Australian SMEs, a weekly email newsletter providing valuable content (not just sales pitches) is a good starting point. Supplement this with targeted SMS messages for promotions or important updates. Regularly review your data – what worked well this quarter might not be effective next quarter. Looking ahead, as customer expectations continue to evolve, personalised, value-driven communication will become even more important.

To improve your customer retention, start by auditing your current communication schedule. Identify areas where you can segment your audience and deliver more relevant, valuable content. A small investment in refining your communication strategy can yield significant returns in customer loyalty and lifetime value.