Time is money, especially when getting subscribers to notice and open your emails. Every email marketer has probably wondered when it is the best time to send their newsletter to the subscribers. However, there are a lot of variables to consider when figuring out the best day of the week to send your emails.
We'll give you some tips on determining the best days and times to send your newsletters and some suggestions for improving your overall email marketing strategy.
Why Does Email Sending Time Matter?
You've worked so hard to develop persuasive copy, an attractive subject line, and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) for your next campaign. Why, then, aren't your emails being opened or clicked on? You might not be sending emails at the appropriate time.
Every customer's inbox is a crowded place. Emails that arrive at the top of their inboxes tend to receive more engagement than those at the bottom.
Sending your emails at the proper time can help you increase the number of opens and clicks. Even if your entire email list opens your message, you won't get a good return on investment (ROI) without clicks through. If you send emails at the wrong time, your subscribers may not have enough time to read your emails or respond to your compelling CTAs.
Understanding customer behavior, habits, and time zones can assist you in determining the best day and time of the week to send your email. It’ll ensure that your message is seen first when your email subscribers check their inboxes.
Email Send Times: B2B VS B2C
People don't use their work and personal email accounts the same way. Some people don't use their personal email addresses very often but they check their work emails daily. Some only do so during business hours or a few times per day.
You'll need to ask yourself certain questions to determine the best time to send your email blasts:
- Do you send email newsletters to private or business addresses?
- Do your email subscribers check their inbox first thing in the morning or during their lunch hour?
- Is it more likely that your messages will be read during the week or on weekends?
- Do your contacts check their emails via their phones or computers?
If you've created marketing personas, they'll come in handy to figure out how your subscribers interact with your emails. Use these data to establish email marketing benchmarks and determine the best time to send messages.
What’s the Best Day to Send Your Email Blasts?
Your sending schedule is primarily determined by whether you're a B2B or B2C company, and your industry. However, study suggests that you should avoid sending your weekly newsletters on certain days if you want to achieve the highest open rates.
The Worst Day of the Week for Sending Emails
Research shows that the days with the highest open rates are Tuesdays through Thursdays. While engagement rates are slightly higher on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Wednesday is a good backup option. If you're sending emails twice a week on these days, make sure Tuesdays and Thursdays are in the mix. Sending emails on Tuesday and Wednesday or Wednesday and Thursday will overwhelm your customers, and they will not read your emails. This isn't good.
Midweek is also when people receive the most emails. Perhaps it would still be better to send your emails on a different day of the week to have less competition in their inbox.
The Worst Day of the Week for Sending Emails
According to our research, Saturdays and Sundays are the worst days for email engagement. Everyone is out socializing, visiting their families, or running errands. Weekends will not be a priority for emails, so avoid them as a general rule.
Is It Better to Send an Email on Fridays or Mondays?
Fridays and Mondays have long been considered bad days for sending emails. However, according to recent findings, Friday outperforms Monday in open and click-through rates. On Mondays people are either planning their week or sifting through the weekend's emails. So, stay away from Mondays. Always focus on your target audience and monitor when they check their emails.
Choosing a Date for Your Email
The best way to determine the right day is to conduct A/B tests on your list. Look at engagement data, previous open rates, and click-through rates as a starting point, and develop some hypotheses based on what you've learned so far.
If you send weekly promotional emails or newsletters regularly, make sure to send them on the same day each week. As a result, your audience will come to expect your content at that time, which builds trust and anticipation.
Do not hesitate to send your newsletters later or at a different time during holidays or special events. While consistency is important, it's always better to send at a different time and get a high open rate than to stick to your sending schedule and have your emails go unread.
When Is the Best Time of the Day to Send Your Newsletters?
Every day people check their email multiple times: 63.3% of subscribers interact with their personal email accounts throughout the day. So when do they check their email accounts?
Remember that just because someone checks their email it doesn't mean they can act on it, so getting the timing right is still crucial for good engagement.
Here's how to pick the best time to send your emails:
- 6–8 am
Some people check their emails first thing in the morning or during breakfast. They read their emails on their phones most of the time, so make sure your emails are responsive and mobile-friendly.
- 10–11 am
Many studies show that the best time to send emails is between 10 and 11 am, regardless of location.
- 12–2 pm
This is an excellent time to send emails targeting office workers. People check their emails during their lunch break before returning to work in the afternoon.
- 6–9 pm
Most people's workdays end between 6 and 9 pm. Few people check their emails during their commute, while many do so after work.
- After 10 pm
Avoid sending emails at this time because they won't be read immediately and will end up at the bottom of the inbox list the next morning.
What Are the Differences between Countries?
Is it better to send an email early in the morning or late in the evening? That is dependent on the location of your users. There are fundamental differences in conversions across countries and cultures.
Compared to the US, UK, and Germany, people in France and Spain are 10% less likely to open emails at lunchtime. Evening is the most popular time for French and Germans to check their emails, but only 12.3% of Spaniards will look through their email inboxes at that time.
People in the US and Spain are 10% more likely than those in the UK, France, and Germany to check their emails right before bedtime.
Factors to Consider When Deciding When to Send Emails
As shown by various studies and research, the best days and times to send emails may vary quite a lot. When choosing the best time to send your emails, keep the following factors in mind:
1. Demographics and Audience Behavior
It's critical first to understand your audience and demographics. The best time to send an email to one segment of your audience may not be the best time for the other. Study your audiences' behavior patterns in various geographic locations.
Sending emails on Sunday is generally not recommended due to low open rates. However, if you're targeting middle eastern countries, sending emails on a Sunday will work in your favor because Sunday is a working day in those countries.
2. Your Products and Services
Tuesday is the best day for B2B solution providers. However, if you work in the entertainment industry, Friday or the weekend might be a better option.
3. Email Frequency
Your readers may become irritated if you send too many emails, and if you send too few, you may not have the desired impact. Make sure to spread your emails evenly. According to Marketingsherpa's research, subscribers prefer to receive marketing emails at least once a week.
4. Seasonal Variations
Seasons have a significant impact on email open rates. Weekends are typically avoided by marketers when sending out email blasts, but you can try your luck if you learn that a particular geographical region is affected by monsoon or snow. As people will be stuck at home with their weekend plans canceled, your email will likely be opened and read.
Conclusion
Now that we've discussed data from various sources, we know that the best time and day to send an email depends on your target audience and the services you want to promote.
Here's a quick summary:
- Sending emails early in the morning or late at night will do you no good.
- Sending during business hours is the best option.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best days to send emails.
- Sending emails during rush hour is not a good idea.
- Always mind your audience and the geographic area you're targeting.