Ok so it's really called drip marketing, I also refer to it as "overtising." We've found that a lot of companies are actually overdoing eMarketing efforts to the point where it becomes annoying to the end user.

Personally, we believe once a week to your customer base is excessive (Godiva are you listening?), every two weeks is doible.

We like to send our eMarketing out quarterly or occasionally if we just want to put out an additional touch out to them we'll create a unique piece certain times throughout the year just to say hello with a very unobtrusive sales angle, just something short and sweet like this.

We're on some lists though that hit us several times a month, below are some stats:

• PotteryBarn: July-August 24 times: You read that right the sent us an HTML email 24 unique times — out of control.

• We have other companies: in the range of 10-12 times a month — come on, that's still a bit much.

Honestly this to us is water torture marketing that can have the opposite effect on obtaining new business. Consistent, not in your face but "hey we're here if you need us" marketing seems more effective then getting strong-armed in your email.

Our advice, don't overdo it, be consistent but be realistic about how and when you eMarket to your database. Switch it up with a similar direct mail piece or a phone call a week or two after your initial eMarketing effort. By mixing up how you touch your clients from a marketing standpoint will help your overall ROI.