Best Time to Send Marketing Emails: Advice For 2024

Now it’s getting challenging to grab the attention of customers who receive tens of promotional emails daily. Therefore, the success of email marketing will depend not only on what you send but also on when you send your emails. This article will provide you with advice for different countries on the best times to send marketing emails.

What is The Best Time to Send a Marketing Email?

Understanding your audience’s behaviors is key to determining the best times to engage them. Each email list comprises individuals with different habits that vary by target market.

For example, stay-at-home mothers may check emails mainly in the evenings and on weekends, while young professionals are more active during weekday mornings. By tailoring email timing to match your audience’s preferences, you increase the chances of capturing their attention and encouraging desired actions.

First, let’s examine the email engagement volume over a seven-day period as summarized in the diagram below:

Source: Sendinblue

According to Sendinblue’s study, emails sent on Tuesday and Thursday have the highest open rates, while those sent on Tuesday and Wednesday achieve the highest click-through rates.

But those numbers are just an average for all business emails. Let’s get more specific. The data below shows the best times to send emails, broken down by industry and type of email.

For B2B and B2C business

B2B

Best Days:

• Tuesday
• Thursday
• Wednesday

Best Times:

• Early Morning (8 AM - 10 AM): Many professionals check their emails first thing in the morning.
• Late Morning (10 AM - 12 PM): Just before lunch, people tend to go through their inboxes.
• Early Afternoon (1 PM - 3 PM): After lunch, people often check their emails again.

B2B professionals are often busy at the start of the workday. Sending emails during these times increases the likelihood of immediate attention.

B2C

Best Days:

• Tuesday
• Thursday
• Wednesday
• Saturday (sometimes effective for retail or leisure-focused emails)

Best Times:

• Mid-Morning (10 AM - 11 AM): Consumers often check their emails during mid-morning breaks.
• Afternoon (1 PM - 3 PM): People tend to check their emails during afternoon lulls.
• Evening (7 PM - 9 PM): Consumers may check their personal emails after dinner and before bed.

B2C audiences have more varied schedules. Targeting the start and end of the workday, as well as the early afternoon, can reach a broader audience.

For Different Email Types

Promotional Emails

• Best days: Tuesday and Thursday
• Best times: 9 AM to 11 AM, 1 PM to 2 PM
• Rationale: These times align with the start and end of the workday when people are more likely to check their emails.

Newsletter Emails

• Best days: Friday or Monday
• Best times: Late evening (after 9:30 PM)
• Rationale: People often relax and catch up on emails during their free time.

Transactional Emails

• Send immediately: after a purchase, password reset, or other triggered event.
• Rationale: Timeliness is crucial for transactional emails.

Informational Emails

• Best days: Tuesday and Thursday
• Best times: Mid-morning (10 AM to 12 PM)
• Rationale: These emails often contain important information that requires immediate attention.

Surveys and Feedback Requests

• Best days: Tuesday or Thursday
• Best times: Late afternoon (3 PM to 5 PM)
• Rationale: People might have more time to respond after work.

For Different Industries

Source

Why These Times?

• E-commerce: Consumers are often browsing for products during their workday.
• Software/SaaS: Decision-makers in B2B are likely to be available during the afternoon.
• Marketing Services: Professionals in this industry often have long work hours.
• Offline Retail/Hospitality: Targeting the morning can help influence in-store visits.
• B2B Professional Services: Professionals are likely to be checking emails at the start of their workday.
• NGOs: Reaching donors at the end of the workday can be effective.

How to Calculate the Best Time to Send Marketing Emails

The information in the above section is just general guidelines. The best way to determine the optimal sending time for your specific audience is through A/B testing and careful analysis of your email marketing metrics. Now, we will guide you on how to figure out the best time to send emails for your own marketing strategies:

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into calculations, it’s essential to grasp the key metrics:

• Open Rate: Percentage of recipients who opened your email.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of recipients who clicked a link in your email.
• Conversion Rate: Percentage of recipients who completed a desired action (e.g., purchase, sign-up).

Analyze Existing Data

• Check Email Analytics: Use your email marketing platform to review data on open rates, click-through rates, and conversions by time and day.

• Identify Peaks: Look for patterns to determine when your emails perform best.

• Consider Audience Behavior: Analyze when your audience is most active based on website traffic or social media engagement.

A/B Testing

• Create Multiple Email Versions: Send the same email to different segments of your audience at various times.
• Track Performance: Compare open rates, click-through rates, and conversions for each group.
• Iterate: Continuously test and refine your sending times based on the results.

Consider Time Zones

• Identify Audience Locations: Determine the primary time zones of your audience.
• Optimize Sending Times: Ensure emails arrive during peak hours for your target audience in their respective time zones.

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When Not to Send Marketing Emails

Timing is crucial in email marketing. Sending emails at the wrong time can reduce engagement, lower open rates, and increase unsubscribes. Here are some general guidelines on when to avoid sending marketing emails:

Time-Sensitive Considerations

• Weekends: People are generally less likely to engage with marketing emails during their leisure time.
• Holidays and Observances: Avoid sending emails on major holidays or days of remembrance.
• Late Night: Sending emails too late at night can be intrusive and disrespectful of recipients’ time.
• Immediately After Negative Events: Refrain from sending marketing emails immediately following significant news events or natural disasters.

Audience-Based Considerations

• Overwhelming Frequency: Bombarding recipients with excessive emails can lead to email fatigue and unsubscribes.
• Irrelevant Content: Sending emails that don’t align with the recipient’s interests or preferences is a waste of time and resources.
• Poor Timing for Specific Audiences: Consider the time zones of your audience and avoid sending emails during their off-peak hours.

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Conclusion

Choosing the best time to send emails is vital for boosting engagement, open rates, and click-through rates. Poor timing can reduce effectiveness and increase unsubscribes. To find the optimal time, analyze your email analytics for engagement patterns, consider your audience’s behavior and preferences, and account for time zones. A/B testing different send times with various audience segments can also help refine your strategy and ensure better interaction with your emails.

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