In this day and age, gaining the attention of consumers who receive countless promotional emails on a daily basis is becoming increasingly harder to do. That said, many wonder why there are still marketers who waste their efforts sending out emails at all. What most do not realize, however, is that the success of email marketing no longer relies simply on what is being sent — it also very much relies on our email marketing send times.
Just like posting or sharing content on social media, the timing of email marketing (for it to get the most interest from a target audience) needs to be well thought out. Most marketers who initially come across this technique are usually skeptical until they try it and see the results for themselves. So, if you’re a marketer looking to get your email marketing campaigns noticed, then here are a few things that we believe are worth considering before you send out that next email blast.
While there’s still some debate surrounding this topic, many marketers agree that in order for promotional material to get noticed, we should try out email send times that are during or around the consumer’s lunch break. This is because it’s the time that most people tend to check their email accounts.
We get that most people would rather see more accurate numbers, but the data on this is a little conflicting depending on who you ask. So far, the standard practice for when to send an email is as follows:
When it comes to time periods; 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM see the most click-to-open rates. In general, this data reflects when most people tend to start their day, take a midday break, and towards the end of their day.
Additionally, gathered research has also indicated that certain days of the week can affect what kind of user behavior we are more likely to encounter based on our email marketing send times.
For instance, a GetResponse report states that while Thursday gets the highest email open rates, it’s Tuesday that has higher click-through rates. What this information should tell you is to send updates and newsletters on a Thursday and opt to send promotions on a Tuesday. Of course, we need to keep in mind that these numbers will still vary and depend on who our target audience is. Simply put, the time and day that a stay-at-home mom will check her email is different from the time that someone with a desk job will check theirs.
As we covered in the Do's and Dont's of Email Marketing the best practice is to always keep the target audience in mind. Draw on relevant data to get the best results…. emphasis on the word “relevant.” Even if we have the email addresses of everyone in the city, without having demographic information, then any email we send out will be ineffective. This will ensure that the campaign is no different than the average flagged spam.
Another thing to keep in mind is the recipient’s attitude towards our brands. What pushes them to buy our products? Not understanding these elements is a shot in the dark. Many customers tend to sign up for emailing lists because of the promise of a free item, coupon code, or exclusive membership deals.
Thus, knowing when to send an email also involves data gathered from engagement metrics, surveys, and research that tells us what persona our consumers have.
Because there’s no universal magic number to rely on, we suggest that you run tests to determine the best time to send an email blast. This can all depend on your audience. Begin by trying out the previously mentioned standard time practices (10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM). Then, gather and analyze the data received from these tests in order to determine when the most traffic was seen on the website, as well as click-through and open rates.
Keep in mind that studies have shown that over 20% of subscribers tend to open their emails within an hour that they’re sent. Thus, it would be beneficial to schedule mail to be sent out 30 minutes before a particular peak time.
Use Google Analytics to check the data on how much traffic emails have contributed to the site. Data on this can often be found under the report on referral traffic from emails. Run tests on different peak times and different days to get the most accurate data on the best marketing email send times.
The first email marketers did not have the luxury of automated systems, unlike the tools that are made available today. Research has shown that the use of automation software for marketing campaigns has seen at least an 80% increase in leads and over 70% of sales conversions. These types of software make it easier to send customers newsletters, product launches, unique offers, discounted sales, and promotions that they would not be able to find elsewhere.
Emails can be personalized based on what that target customers want to see, and the times in which open rates are higher, allowing us to communicate with them better. The great thing about utilizing automation software (such as MailChimp or SendInBlue) is how easy it is to use. It cuts down on the time spent manually sending out emails, building templates, posting content, or gathering our subscriber data.
Furthermore, tools like our email finder are a great and innovative way to get in touch with relevant audiences. With the right contact list, automating is the ideal way to determine the email send times to use — especially when testing out a new demographic. It's also an amazing tool to leverage when we already know who and when to send out our marketing emails. The best part? You can plan everything in advance and like clockwork, your chosen software will get it to the right recipient on time.