The short answer
Most SMB email programs fail for the same reason: they're calibrated to the platform's notification rhythm, not the buyer's interest curve.
Send when the buyer is most likely to engage with the message you've sent. Don't send because the calendar says it's Tuesday.
How often should I email?
There isn't a universal answer. The right cadence depends on whether your buyer's interest in your product compounds or pulses.
- —Compounding interest (SaaS · subscription · content businesses) — weekly cadence works. The customer expects you.
- —Pulsed interest (services · seasonal businesses · high-consideration purchases) — monthly cadence usually beats weekly.
The most common mistake: weekly cadence applied to pulsed-interest businesses. The list opens fewer emails over time, gets bored, unsubscribes.
What's the right list-building strategy?
Trade something the buyer actually wants for the email — not a generic "subscribe to our newsletter" prompt.
Three options that consistently outperform:
- —A useful artefact — a calculator, checklist, comparison guide, or short report the buyer can use immediately
- —An ongoing analysis — a regular post or breakdown that the buyer can't easily get elsewhere
- —Early or exclusive access — first dibs on new product, pricing, or content
What about legal compliance?
Australia: Spam Act 2003. Three rules:
- —Express consent — the recipient agreed to receive marketing from you. Pre-ticked boxes don't count.
- —Identification — every email identifies who's sending it.
- —Unsubscribe — every email contains a working unsubscribe mechanism.
What about technical setup?
Three things that matter more than the platform you choose:
- —SPF + DKIM + DMARC — DNS records that let receiving servers verify the email is genuinely from you.
- —Custom domain — emails from your own domain perform better than free webmail addresses.
- —Warm-up cadence — if you're starting a new list, ramp send volume gradually.
What do I send if repeat purchase isn't the goal?
For service businesses · high-consideration B2B · one-time purchases, the email program isn't a repeat-sales engine. It's a referral engine.
Educate the audience well enough that they recommend you. The metric isn't open rate. It's whether subscribers actively share emails with people who match your ideal customer profile.
How does this connect to RAMMP?
Email cadence and content land at two ADORE milestones — The Reality (milestone 05 / Onboarding) and The Moment of Truth (milestone 06 / Pricing).
Run the diagnostic across the full journey first. Then design the email program against the leaks the diagnostic surfaces.
What to do next
Find your trust leaks → `/rammp-web-dude`.
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