Email remains an important avenue for marketers to reach their audiences. And that’s where the big question comes in: When is the best time to send an email campaign? Well, we could promise you the answer in this blog, but the truth is that the perfect timing does not exist – whether that’s for a break-up, starting a new habit, or sending your email campaign. What we can promise however is an in-depth look at what research says about the best time to send, what role your audience demographics play, and how to use these insights to improve your email open rates.
Why does sending at the “perfect time” matter?
As marketers, we know how much time and effort goes into crafting a click-worthy newsletter. From strategy to the subject line, it’s no mean feat to nail the brief and create an email that even you (yes, you. We know how selective you are) would want to read.
But all of that goes to waste if you send it at the wrong time and it never lives to see the blue light of day.
Furthermore, sending it at the right time can result in:
- A higher open rate
- Better engagement
- A lower bounce rate
- A better sender score
So even though perfect timing doesn’t exist, timing is still incredibly important when sending email campaigns. In fact, research by Engine Mailer shows that 24 hours after sending, email open rates drop to just 1%. That means if your audience doesn’t open your email within the same day of sending, it’s unlikely that they’ll open the email at all.
What are the least popular days and times for sending emails?
There are certain times and days that are less popular for email sending among marketers. This is primarily based on conventional wisdom surrounding customer behaviour.
Mondays
Blue Mondays are the least popular day for sending.
Why? Well, if you put yourself into the shoes of your customers it becomes quite clear. Adjusting to the beginning of another work week involves clearing email inboxes and deleting anything that doesn’t pertain to work or appears to be unimportant.
However, Mailer Lite’s 2022 study which analysed over 2.5 million of their email campaigns has shown that Mondays have the second highest open rate within the first 2 hours. This is corroborated by Campaign Monitors 2022 report which shows Mondays as having the highest open rates. In addition, we’ve found that our property-related campaigns do particularly well earlier in the week as people can plan around viewings etc.
Night time
Does the early bird catch the worm when it comes to email marketing? It would appear so as emails have a better chance of being opened if they are sent during office hours – between 7am – 7pm.
Furthermore, it is widely regarded as poor etiquette to send emails late at night and after working hours. Although this is dependent on who you are sending the email to. If you know your audience is most active at night, this rule is one to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Weekends
In general, people spend less time checking their inboxes on weekends. Statistics reflect this as email engagement numbers fall over the weekend with Saturday and Sunday showing some of the lowest open rates. Once again, this rule hinges on your audience and the content of your email.
Friday
When it comes to email sending is it a FriYAY or a FriNAY?
Well, according to Campaign Monitor, second to the weekend, Fridays have the lowest open rates. On the flip side, Omnisend’s numbers show that Fridays have high click-through rates. Moreover, we’ve found that lifestyle content does well on a Friday compared to a Monday.
Takeaways: There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the worst time to send an email. It all depends on who your audience is and what their preferences and behaviours are.
As an agency, we closely monitor our campaigns within their respective industries, in order to gauge audience reactions and optimise engagement rates.
Which days should you send?
Now, that we’ve looked at the least popular days for sending, let’s explore the days that are believed to be the best to send. To do this we’re examining the findings of 5 studies that conducted original research using their own email databases.
The studies which we’ve drawn our information from are:
- Sendinblue’s User Data Study (2022)
- Omnisend’s Best Time To Send Emails Research (2022)
- Moosend’s Best Time To Send Email Analysis (2022)
- HubSpot’s Best Time To Send An Email User Research Report (2022)
- Campaign Monitors How to Find the Best Time to Send an Email Newsletter to Your Audience (2022)
Best days for sending email campaigns
Sendinblue: Tuesday, Thursday
Omnisend: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Moosend: Thursday, Tuesday
Campaign Monitor: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Hubspot: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Takeaways: The common denominator in each of these findings is that Tuesday has the highest open rates. Tuesday featured as a top day in all 5 studies and overall midweek is also a good time to send email campaigns.
What time should you send?
Sendinblue: 10am or 3pm
Omnisend: 8am, 1pm, or 4-5pm
Moosend: 1-2pm
Campaign Monitor: Time is not indicated as part of the study
Hubspot: 9am – 12pm
Takeaways: While the results for time were quite varied, midday is generally regarded as a good time for sending. It is speculated that people check emails while taking lunch. The same thinking can be applied to sending emails in the early morning or late afternoon when people tend to habitually check their inboxes.
So, when is the best time to send an email?
It depends.
While the research shows us that Tuesday at 12pm is the best time to send, this is completely dependent on your email campaign’s demographics.
You need to bear in mind who the people subscribed to your email list are, what a typical day in their life looks like and how you can add value to their lives with your email.
Additionally, the best thing you can do as an email marketer is test your own best days and times to send.
Closing thoughts
Sending email campaigns at the right time is crucial for ensuring that your carefully crafted message is seen and engaged with by your audience. While there may not be a definitive “perfect time” to send, the research suggests that midweek, particularly Tuesday, is a good bet for achieving high open rates. Additionally, midday tends to be a popular and effective time for sending emails.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that these trends may not hold true for every audience, so it’s always a good idea to experiment and track your own metrics to see what works best for you.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your email open rates and engaging with your audience like never before.
And if you need any help with creating a stellar email marketing campaign, send us an email at info@stratitude.co.za