Send it: the best time to deliver an email 13 Jan 22

We'll bet a coffee that your inbox is rammed full of emails. So, when's the best time to send you one?

Great question. There's plenty of research on the subject of when to send an email vs. the highest open rate.

What day of the week is "best" to send an email?

Some experts suggest any day between Monday to Thursday, where others feel Monday and weekends should be avoided. Experian (in an admittedly dated report) demonstrated that Saturdays had a reasonable open rate.

One day that is almost universally agreed on is Tuesday. Seems logical: folks are in the middle of the work/school week in an email checking mindset.

What time of day is "best" to send an email?

Optimum time of day research returns an interesting mix of results. Enginemailer reports that within four hours of sending an email, the open rate drops to 8% as your message gets swallowed up or crowded out. After a day, it’s 1%. Their recommendation: between 9am-11am on a Tuesday.

WordStream suggests 8-9am on a Thursday. Superoffice points to 3pm as the best time. Most suggest avoiding rush hour, though commuters may be free to check their messages. As with all marketing, it depends on your audience and message.

There's valuable insight in this research. Our advice: amalgamate and test.

Ask yourself what your users’ typical day might look like, when might they be checking their inboxes, and what contribution does your product or service make to their lives. Blend your insight with the research and A/B test: 9am-11am Tuesday vs. 1-3pm Thursday. Compare open rate + click through metrics.

Get in touch to see how we can help. If you'd like to know more, check out our comprehensive guide: Rethink Email Marketing.