Is There a Best Time to Send Emails?
The ultimate goal of email marketers is the ability to send out promotions and offers at appropriate times. But the “when” is what stumps many business owners. They send out campaign after campaign with few opens and click-throughs to figure out when to catch their customer at the best time.
Digging into the data archives of well-established Email Service Providers (ESPs) is a great way to uncover some helpful do’s and don’ts. In this article, we’ve collected a few tips and tricks to show what these companies have already figured out based on much testing.
Sending emails at their optimum time won’t guarantee an open, but it builds the foundation for a successful campaign.
Which day of the week works best?
The number one best day of the week to send an email is Tuesday. Most studies show that Tuesday averages out to be the best day for opens and clicks. Most show that this day tends to be the day to capture some eyes.
If your campaign requires two emails a week, then send the second email on Thursday.
Not many studies show Wednesday as the best day to send, but if you miss the mark on Tuesday, Wednesday is probably your next best bet.
Do timezones affect anything?
Many studies mention timezones when sending out emails. The general recommendation is to send to the time zone where most of your audience is. In the United States, the Eastern Time Zone gets much love because it covers about 50% of the country. If your customers are local, send to the local time zone at the optimal time of day.
What’s the prime time of day?
In order of priority, 10-11 a.m. is the best time to send out an email, followed by 8 p.m Tuesday to Midnight. Many people check their emails right before bed, so the chances for click-throughs are likely during this time.
The next best time is around 2 p.m. Corporate workers that are looking for distractions tend to detach from work mode.
Finally, 6 a.m. works well. 50% of the people surveyed started their day emailing from the bed.
Take your email campaigns to another level.
The reality of when to send your emails amounts to who your audience is. Sometimes the demographics, hardware used, or type of audience can yield unusual results.
The above email delivery times are great recommendations, but to fine-tune your email campaigns for your customers, try sending campaigns at 10 a.m., 8 p.m., 2 p.m., and 6 a.m. on each of the optimal days; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as test runs. Monitor the metrics from your Email Service Provider for these days and chart which day optimal for your company.
Your email time isn’t always the culprit.
Many business owners and marketers neglect the email subject line.
Subject lines can make or break open rates.
They’re probably more important than the email copy. Marketers should create compelling subject lines that entice viewers. However, they should be careful of spammy and “sales-like” subject lines likely to get flagged by corporate firewalls.
Don’t drown your audience with too many emails.
Some marketers send so many emails each week that their audience suffers from email fatigue. They get bored, annoyed, and they don’t respond to offers.
Don’t neglect mobile users.
Over half of a website’s traffic is through mobile devices. Does your email design make it harder for mobile phone users to view? Make sure your email works for mobile devices. You’ll be glad you did.
If all else fails, get help.
If you’re still confused about sending your emails out and need to expedite results, contact an email pro. Email marketers that run campaigns for other businesses know the terrain and can free up time to concentrate on higher priority projects. Ultimately, this saves time and money.
For more information on email service providers or sending emails, contact one of our specialists at Cooperata.
