What is frequency segmentation?

Frequency is a balancing act. Too little and you're forgotten. Too much and you're blocked.

Under-sending loses mindshare. If subscribers only hear from you quarterly, they may forget they signed up. When your email finally arrives, it feels unfamiliar. The relationship grows cold between touchpoints.

Over-sending triggers fatigue. Daily emails can feel like a bombardment. Even engaged subscribers develop blindness to your messages. Complaint rates rise. Unsubscribes climb. Engagement metrics drop as people stop bothering to open.

The deliverability connection: Mailbox providers track engagement patterns. A sender whose emails consistently get ignored looks like noise. A sender whose emails consistently get opened looks valuable. Your frequency shapes those patterns.

Optimal frequency varies by:

Industry norms (news daily, B2B software monthly)
Content type (transactional immediate, promotional periodic)
Subscriber expectations set at signup
Individual engagement levels

Think of it like tides. Some harbors need constant traffic to stay vibrant. Others thrive with less frequent but more significant arrivals. The right cadence depends on what your harbor can handle and what cargo you're delivering.