The Best Time To Send An Email To Cold Prospects

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There is much debate about this topic.

A quick google search will bring back a hundred different answers all clouding the debate even further.

If you google the same question a month later, chances are you’ll find even more answers.

At Connect 365, we’ve done the research, put in years of experience, and put together some answers so you can learn from our mistakes and not yours.  

Let’s dive in to get the best answer for your business.

Measuring the Success of Your Cold Email Outreach

How do you measure? Typically, we look at the open rates for email outreach campaigns.

While someone opening your email is great… it’s just a first step, it doesn’t ultimately do anything!

An open rate can quickly turn into a deleted email or an unsubscribe.

Ask yourself this question. If you’re an owner of a clothing boutique, do you want a customer who comes in to browse your collection or do you want someone who is looking with the intent to buy?

As marketers, we have placed so much emphasis on open rates over the years that we’re missing the key factors that bring action: engagement and action. So instead, we should be looking at reply and response rates.

Replies and response rates represent the people who aren’t just there to window shop. These are people who are interested and seeking information and want to make a connection with your business.

A reply turns a cold lead into a warm lead and that’s what we want… a simple reply.

When is the Best Time to Send An Email to Prospects?

The answer to this question is simple – the right time!

I know, I know, and, we truly wish it were that simple.

But the answer to what the “right time” is... just isn’t going to be the same for every business.

It takes a little more thought to come up with the answer, so let’s get into it...

“An average of 121 business emails are sent and received each day.”1

How do you cut through all that clutter and actually reach cold prospects, let alone get them to open, and then reply to your email outreach?

Knowing the right time is half the battle and the right time depends on many different variables.  

•  The typical workday of your target audience.
• The day of the week.
• The time of the year. People are busy during the holidays and may not have time to focus on your email outreach depending on the message
• The number of previous emails sent.  
• The demographics of your prime prospects and target audience.

Want to learn the best systems for getting leads and clients this year? 

Join The Marketing Lab 100% free! We host weekly group coaching sessions on different marketing, sales, and growth strategies to grow your business.

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The Best Time of Day To Send Email

Morning, noon or the wee hours of the night. What is the best time of day to send email outreach?  

Like we said before, it varies by industry, demographic and so much more. But, here’s a quick recap of what some industry leaders use as the best rule of thumb when it comes to what time of day to send email outreach.  

Well-respected industry leader, HubSpot, has found that “the highest click-to-open rates are 21% at 10am, 22% at 1pm and then spike at 6pm. 

The data coincides with when most audiences begin and conclude their day and have the most time to check emails. HubSpot sends their corporate emails out between 8 and 9:30 am.”2

But remember it’s not all about the open rates. Prospects can easily open and delete your email outreach. 

A recent study from Yesware, “revealed that the ideal time blocks for email outreach that receive the highest number of replies are 1-3pm and 9-11 am.”3

And, this makes sense. People typically take lunch from 12 to 1pm. To ease back into work after lunch, many people start by checking and responding to emails.

Same thing in the morning. The day typically starts with coffee and office chat and then we slowly ease our way into the day by checking and responding to emails.

By the end of the day, comes an end to email replies. According to Yesware, “the numbers start to dip, and the worst times for email response are between the hours of 8pm and 7am.”3 At that point many people are done for the day and have activities after work that they want to partake in. Let them enjoy their evening and save your email outreach for another time.

The Best Day of the Week to Send Email

Day of the week definitely matters, but just like time, you’ll find that data can be specific to the individual situation, so make sure to listen to your audience and their habits     

Here are what some of the industry experts are saying:4

According to Co-Schedule3, Tuesday is by far the best day to email.

•  MailChimp found their highest open rates on Thursday with a second peak on Tuesdays.
•  WordStream suggests that Thursday and Tuesday are the best days.
•  HubSpot found that Tuesday is the best day to send email outreach to cold prospects, followed by a tie for Monday and Wednesday.
• MailerMailer found Tuesdays win for opens with Wednesday coming in a close second.

While the varying days can be confusing, the trend does point to a Monday through Thursday workweek and suggests staying clear of the weekend to send your email outreach.

How Often Should You Email Your Prospect List

One important point that we like to stress at Connect 365 is quality over quantity. You don’t want to bombard or piss off potential prospects.

According to a Direct Marketing Association report, “most marketers (38%) send two to three emails per month. Eight percent send 6-8 emails per month and 9% send only one per month.”5

This is another variable in the world of email marketing outreach that needs to be assessed based on your individual situation.

Want to learn the best systems for getting leads and clients this year? 

Join The Marketing Lab 100% free! We host weekly group coaching sessions on different marketing, sales, and growth strategies to grow your business.

Join The Family Here

One More Thing About the Best Time to Send An Email to Cold Prospects

No matter what time, or day or frequency… if your content is not eye-catching and attention-grabbing, you’ve lost your cold prospects.

Always remember that you only have about 8 seconds to catch someone’s attention in an email.

Since the average person reads 300 words per minute, this gives you roughly 40 words to reach your prospect and make a lasting, first impression.

Luckily, you can test, test and test again to determine what variables are right for you. It’s all about tweaking and finding the right combination.  

Want More? 

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