The best time to send marketing emails is usually on weekdays between 9 AM and 3 PM in your audience’s time zone, with late morning and early afternoon performing well, but your own test results should have the final say.
You deserve better engagement rates from your email campaigns in 2023. One of the keys to achieving that is sending the correct mail at the right time.
But, in the ever-changing digital landscape, how do you determine the best sending times for your specific audience? Well, with this guide crafted based on thorough research, you’ll know some killer insights to improve your emails’ open rates.
So, whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or an email enthusiast, this article is a must-read to elevate your email strategy.
Best Email Send Times At A Glance
| Send window |
What to expect |
Tip |
| Weekday mornings, 9 AM to 12 PM |
Strong opens, since many people check their inbox first thing |
Send in your audience’s local time zone |
| Weekday early afternoon, 12 PM to 3 PM |
Good engagement through the middle of the day |
Test against your morning sends |
| Nights and weekends |
Lower open rates and engagement |
Avoid unless your data says otherwise |
| Peak inbox hours |
Your email can get buried among many others |
Shift send times slightly to stand out |
| Too many sends in a short period |
Email fatigue and unsubscribes |
Keep a steady, predictable frequency |
The Science Of Email Timing: Why Timing Matters For Email Campaigns
The timing of your emails could become a culprit if not explored potentially. The email marketing best practices show sending emails at the right time can significantly improve open and click-through rates.
If you receive an email at a time when you’re not checking your inbox, there is a high chance that you’ll overlook it. On the other hand, if you receive an email when you’re online, you’re more likely to engage with it.
Timing can also affect the way your audience perceives your brand. Sending an email at the wrong time can be spammy or annoying, damaging your brand’s reputation.
How to improve the email open rates
Improving email open rates is crucial because it can significantly impact your campaign’s success. Low open rates mean your emails are not reaching the target audience, wasting time, effort, and resources.
Vice versa, high open rates mean your emails are resonating with your audience, leading to increased engagement, conversions, and revenue.
A cold email outreach tool can be a game-changer for your email strategy. Here’s how:
- With features like automated sending and tracking, you can optimize your sending times and improve your open and response rates.
- One of the pain points of cold emailing is finding the right time to send the message. With cold email software, you can use data analytics and AI-powered algorithms to determine the best sending times for your audience. This can increase your chances of getting your email opened and read, leading to better engagement and conversions.
- In addition, cold email software can also help you personalize your messages and target the right audience segments. By creating customized email templates and using data from your CRM, you can tailor your messages to your recipients’ specific needs and interests.
- With features like automated follow-ups and lead nurturing of the cold emailing software, you can focus on other essential tasks. In contrast, your software takes care of your cold email outreach. This can help you scale your email marketing efforts and achieve your business goals more efficiently.
The Most Optimal Sending Times To Maximize Your Email Engagement
Having studied all that above, how do you determine the best time to send your emails? Fortunately, there are some general rules you can follow.
-
Understand your audience’s behavior
Consider factors like time zone, work schedule, and daily routine. You can also use data from past campaigns to identify patterns in your audience’s engagement. You can find the sweet spot that works for your audience by analyzing your data and experimenting with different sending times.
Also, sending emails in the morning works well because people often check their inboxes first.
According to Hubspot research,
the most suitable time for sending an email has been between 9 AM to 12 PM and from 12 PM to 3 PM.
This data reflects the fresh morning time and throughout the afternoon.
-
Be mindful of the wrong timings as well
The importance of timing and segmentation is everything. You can’t play the email marketing game on your terms without knowing the adverse impacts.
Keep in mind the following insights:
- Sending emails during non-business hours, such as in the middle of the night or on weekends, can lead to lower open rates and decreased engagement.
- In addition, sending emails during peak hours when your audience is likely overwhelmed with other emails can also decrease the chances of your message being noticed and read.
- Sending too many emails frequently can lead to email fatigue and cause your audience to tune out or even unsubscribe from your communications.
The ultimate solution is to research and experiment with different sending times to find what works best for your specific audience. You can also segment your audience and tailor your messages to their preferences and behaviors to increase engagement rates.
How To Test Your Own Best Send Time
- Pick one variable: test send time only, keeping the subject line and content the same.
- Split your list: send the same email to random segments at two or three different times.
- Use local time zones: schedule by each subscriber’s time zone if your email tool supports it.
- Measure the right result: compare opens, but also clicks and conversions, which show real interest.
- Repeat before deciding: run the test over several campaigns so one unusual day does not mislead you.
- Segment by audience: B2B and consumer lists, or different regions, often have different best times.
For more ways to improve results, see our guide to improving email deliverability.
You can also compare top email marketing software and targeted email marketing strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to send an email?
Research from HubSpot cited in this guide points to 9 AM to 12 PM and 12 PM to 3 PM as the strongest windows. Use those as a starting point, then test with your own audience, since the best time varies by industry and time zone.
What day of the week is best to send marketing emails?
Weekdays generally outperform weekends for marketing emails, because many people check their inbox as part of the workday. Test different weekdays with your list, since results vary by audience.
Does email send time affect open rates?
Yes. An email that arrives when subscribers are checking their inbox is more likely to be seen and opened, while one that lands overnight or in a crowded inbox is easier to miss.
Conclusion
Elevating your email strategy with insights into the best sending times is a boon for businesses of all sizes. Optimizing your email-sending times based on your audience’s habits can increase engagement rates and unlock more significant opportunities for growth and revenue.
However, it’s important to remember that every audience is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. That’s why looking at studies as a starting point and using your data to validate your choices is crucial. With this approach, you can create a truly customized email strategy that resonates with your audience and drives results.
Hence, take steps to experiment, track your results, and fine-tune your approach. By staying on top of the trends and continuously refining the strategy, you can stay ahead of the competition and achieve even greater success.
Elevate your email strategy today and discover the power of optimized sending times for your overall business success!
