Is there a perfect time to send an email campaign?

The expression, “timing is everything” is considered by many as a cliché, but actually proves to be quite true when it comes to email marketing.

I mean, you worked so hard on creating the perfect newsletter; the design, the content and the writing are just the way you like it. You also worked day and night perfecting your recipient lists. Everything is exactly where it should be- so why should even one set of eyes miss all of your hard work just because you didn’t get the timing right?

Timing is everything

So when is the right time to send email campaigns? The answer depends on different aspects of your company, such as the field your company specifies in, the crowd you are addressing, the country and language you’ll be using, etc. Even so, there is a generalized formula to get you started.

Best day practice for emails – Avoid the first days of the week

No one comes to work happy on the first day of the week after a long weekend. Most of your recipients check their email at work, and the first thing they do after a long weekend is take care of that long list of mail waiting for them. You don’t want your newsletter to be just one of many emails waiting for your client, otherwise you run the risk of it being sent to the trash right away. Instead, you want to stand out and grab your customers’ attention. So whether the week starts on Sunday or Monday in your target country, try and avoid sending email campaigns on that day.

The rest of the workweek is when you want to distribute

Many email marketing companies have come to the same conclusion: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the best days for email marketing (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday if your week starts on Sunday). Afternoons are best, although that clearly depends on the product or service you are trying to market.

Late morning hours 9:00-10:00 should be avoided for the same reasons as first days of the week are – opening percentages are lower at those times.

Again, check for yourself, but according to a number of different surveys it’s clear that the best time to send email campaigns is around lunchtime, when most people take a little break from work and focus on other things such as checking their emails and reading newsletters.

What happens on Sunday?

It’s a known fact that online activity drops drastically during the weekends. Most people prefer to spend their weekends with their families as opposed to shopping online. Nevertheless, there’re always those that don’t have time during the stressful week to check their email, and use the weekends to catch up.

Sunday is tricky to define: on one hand, many users will completely ignore emails as they’re just looking to rest and have some fun. On the other hand, Sunday is the best time for online shopping, when you have all the time in the world. You’ll have to decide for yourself which kind of customers you are targeting and how Sundays will affect their shopping habits.

Event marketing – Timing is everything

If you’re marketing events, you have to take into consideration the time it takes for an average user to open your emails. Social networks are now taking over the ‘instant media’ and many people are starting to neglect their email.

Your emails will still be read, but the average read lag has grown from three days to five, so if you’re marketing an event in the near future, take that into consideration.

Walk in your reader’s shoes

Study your audience, what are your readers’ habits? When do they work and when do they shop? When would they like to receive and read your newsletter?

You don’t have to guess, AB Testing allows you to find out what your readers like. Divide your recipients into two lists and distribute your newsletter to the two groups at different times.

With ActiveTrail’s system you’ll receive an advanced report which will allow you to come to your own personal conclusions: when is the best time to send email campaigns.