When is the Best Time to Send Emails?
When I start getting jazzed about email marketing with clients–because YES email marketing is still a thing and it is awesome–I always get the same question first:
What's the best day and time to send email?
Now here's the super annoying answer: It depends.
So many different things factor into when to send an email that it's impossible to give a "one size fits all" perfect day and time.
Let's figure out how to determine the best option for you using my favorite thing: DATA!
1. Review current email stats and analytics
If you're currently sending email marketing campaigns, this is the best place to start.
Review the last six months of data. Do you notice any particular trends in open rates or click through rates (CTR)? To start, review similar types of emails to look for patterns. After reviewing our sent email data, I noticed we had different categories of email:
- Segmented email to special groups
- Event based emails (live events and conferences)
- Webinar invitation and reminders
- Blog notifications to subscribers
- Wide audience - sharing a guide or major resource
Take one category and look for patterns: Is there a day or time that seems to get better response?
It's difficult to weed out this data because of varying factors like topic, audiences, and busy/slow seasons. That's why it is a good idea to narrow down the field and review your criteria closely.
Download the free Email Marketing Guide here and start improving your email campaigns.
2. Review Buyer Personas
Understanding your buyers may unlock some of this information.
Knowing how, when, and where they check or process email is key.
We have two very different buyer personas: a marketing coordinator and a busy CEO. I can dive deep into my analytics and take a sample from several real contacts in my database who fit these personas. I can see what browser they use, what mobile device or desktop, when they open each email I send (or if they don't open it at all), and I can tell when they're most actively engaged on our website or blog.
Take a good sample size of just 1 buyer persona to get started, and see what kinds of trends you find. If you notice that most people are highly active in the morning or on a Sunday afternoon, then use that information the next time you send an email campagin to that segment.
3. A/B Test
If you're not doing this already, A/B testing will help you understand what works best if you're curious. I encourage you to test a wide sample.
When it comes to A/B testing make sure you're comparing similar content. So compare event invitations to other event invitations and newsletters to other newsletters.
Another good way to test your open rates is to vary your blog post publishing schedule to see what works best. Try a new date/time for a month and compare against past performance.
4. Just Pull the Trigger
When all else fails and you don't have any of the information available to make an informed decision, just schedule the email and view it as a test. Now you're beginning to gather data.
I know that this question is at the top of many people's minds when it comes to optimizing your email marketing. But in the end, there are many more important things to consider and make right that actually make a difference in your email performance.
Download the free Email Marketing Guide here and start improving your email campaigns.
This post originally appeared on the SpinWeb Blog.