Email timing matters a lot because it affects your email campaigns' open and click-through rates big time.
When you send your email during rush hours, it is likely to get lost in a stack of other emails that went out at the same time as yours did. It is every advertiser's worst fear. Emails, without a doubt, are the most effective way to engage with your audience, but the million-dollar question is when is the ideal time to send them?
Sending emails at a specific time may not work for everyone. Therefore, it can be tricky to decide when to send out an email campaign.
But, worry not! This guide explains the best time to send emails that work for your business.
Why does time zone matter for an email?
Did you send your email at the wrong time mistakenly? Will it affect your email marketing campaign?
Yes, big time!
Email marketers keep the time zone differences in focus to send emails because it can increase interaction when sent promptly. So, if there is a prominent time zone difference between the sender and recipient, it will affect the open email rate and CTR.
Assume you sent an email announcing an online deal. According to several email tool statistics, it's a common misconception that online customers are night owls. Hence, businesses miscalculate their email campaign, sending them late at night, losing 50% of their target audience.
Knowing the significance of email timing, you may increase open and click-through rates. So it's best to consider the time zone differences when delivering your emails.
Discover the secrets behind the best time to send an email
Let’s say you run a successful eCommerce store. Your audience will vary in terms of location, gender, job occupation, and so on. Devise an email strategy that targets multiple groups when sending emails.
For instance, a person who goes to work is likely to respond between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. because they read emails first thing in the morning.
When sending emails to college students, they may not check their email early in the morning. Instead, they may open emails at midday or even later in the afternoon
Factors to consider when choosing a time to send emails
To better understand when to send emails, first, you need to understand various factors.
1. Demographics
Do not overlook the demographics of your target audience before sending an email.
Email marketers need to observe the relationship between emails and the target audience’s behavioral patterns based on their geographical locations. For instance, sending an email on Sundays is not recommended in the USA because the open rates will be low. It might be valid for western countries, but it may work best for your audience in the Gulf States (as Sunday is a working day for them).
2. Types of products offered
Are you offering B2B or B2C solutions? The service or product you offer will affect the time to send emails.
For instance, if providing B2B products or services, you may consider sending emails on Tuesdays. But if your products and services are entertainment industry-based, Friday or weekends are better options to send the emails.
3. Email frequency
Sending too many emails is annoying to your subscribers. Sending too few emails fails to have the desired impact on the audience.
So what to do?
When sending emails, consider the email frequency which works best for your audience, helping meet the business goals. For instance, the audience prefers to receive marketing emails weekly. So it's best to use trial and error methods to discover the right frequency of emails to send.
4. Seasonal changes
Did you know that seasons can have an impact on your emails too? The season’s onset is peak time for planning your new email campaigns. For instance, open email and click-through rates double during winter onset because your target audience expects sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, etc.
So chances are, during the seasonal changes email open rate increases.
5. User experience
User experience is another factor that affects the best time and day to send an email. Your product or service also impacts shaping a good or bad experience.
But a user-friendly email has a higher chance of open rate and click-through rate. Suppose you send an email to entrepreneurs on your list. Entrepreneurs prefer to check their emails on their smartphones, so making sure that your emails are mobile-friendly will enhance their experience while on their way to work.
Best days of the week to send an email
The midweek days are considered the prime days to send your emails, i.e., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Tuesday: According to various email tool statistics, emails sent on Tuesday have the highest open rate of 18%, increasing site traffic.
Wednesday: The mid-week day consistently meets the open rate and click-through rate goals.
Thursday: Is considered the second-best day to send marketing emails after Tuesday. You can choose between Tuesday and Thursday to start your email campaign.
You’d be surprised to learn that Fridays and Mondays are not preferred for sending emails, but they are still a better option than weekends. Friday’s open and click-through rates (CTR) are higher than Monday.
Why?
Because people are preparing for the working day, they skim emails instead. Sometimes they may even delete the emails without opening them! Therefore, you must avoid email marketing mistakes that decrease your conversion rates.
Based on the best days to send emails, take a detailed look at the best times to send emails.
1. What's the best time to send an email on a Friday?
On Fridays, open rates are typically high in the morning between 10 and 11 a.m. In contrast, the second-highest open rate is around noon at 2 p.m. You can plan to send newsletter emails on Fridays, catching people just before they leave for the weekend.
2. What's the best time to send an email on a Tuesday?
Most studies suggest that 10 a.m. is the best time to send marketing emails on Tuesday. The open rate remains steady throughout the afternoon, but it declines after 6 p.m.
It may happen because subscribers fall into a weekly habit of skimming their email and not reading in detail. Set up an A/B test to get a better hang of the time - send the first email at 10 a.m. and the second when you feel customers are active. It’s easier to track results that way.
3. What's the best time to send an email on a Thursday?
According to a study conducted by Mailchimp, 10 a.m. is the peak time for the highest open rates on Thursday. According to WordStream, 8-9 a.m. is the best time to send emails. So it suffices to say that the best time to send emails might vary between 9 and 11 a.m. But after 1 p.m. a decrease in the open rate is observed because it’s lunch hour in most workplaces.
4. What's the best time to send an email on a Monday?
According to the statistics, 10 a.m. is the best time to send emails on Monday. If looking for a little extra boost in open or click-through rates, you can also send emails between 5 and 7 p.m. But, avoid sending emails in mid-afternoon.
5. What's the best time to send an email on a Wednesday?
Wednesday’s email open rates are relatively high at 10 a.m. However, the open rate drops sharply after 6 p.m. because people prefer to switch off their devices when commuting home.
6. What's the best time to send an email on a Saturday?
Saturday open rates are somewhat similar to the weekdays, with the highest open rates observed at 10 a.m. and a gradual fall in the afternoon and evening as individuals unplug to enjoy their weekends.
7. What's the best time to send an email on a Sunday?
Click-through rates are consistent even on Sundays at 10 a.m. with a decrease in the afternoon and early evening.
Email campaign mistakes to avoid
Not every day is your lucky day to start a new email campaign. Indeed, you’d want to avoid bad days and risky days too.
Which is the worst day to send a campaign
Sending email campaigns can be tricky, so you must take notice of the following details to avoid any severe email campaign mistakes.
The worst days to send emails are on Saturday and Sunday for obvious reasons. People are in a relaxing mood or spending time with friends and families. So their routines and activities divert their attention from checking inbox, therefore decreasing the open rate.
Which is the worst time to send a campaign
Most studies have found that the worst time to send email is at night between 6 p.m. - 5 a.m.
It happens because people coming home from work may be uninterested in reading emails or making purchases after a long day.
So, if you want your email subscribers to interact with your emails, avoid sending them after work hours and particularly late at night.