What Is the Best Time of Day for Email Marketing?

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Time is very important when it comes to email marketing. If you send your email at the wrong time, it won't work as well, even if it has a great subject line, interesting content, and an appealing call to action (CTA). So, what is the best time to send your email ads?

The truth is that there isn't a single answer that works for everyone. The "best time" will depend on your goals, audience, and business. Though, after much study, testing, and research, trends have shown up that can help you choose the right time to hit "send". 

We'll talk about the best times to send emails, why timing is important, and how to find the best time for your audience in this article.

Why Timing Matters in Email Marketing

Timing is very important because it has a direct effect on your open rates, click-through rates, and, finally, your conversion rates. 

Just think about your own mailbox, when you're busy or sidetracked, an email might get missed or lost in a stack of other messages. If it comes while you're checking your email, on the other hand, you're much more likely to notice it.

When you send emails at the right time, people are more likely to not only open them but also interact with what's inside.

The best times of the day to send emails (based on data)

Different studies in different fields have shown that emails tend to work best at certain times. However, every group is different. Let's look at it by day:

1. Mid-Morning (9 AM - 11 AM)

How it works:

Marketers who send emails agree that the middle of the morning is one of the best times to do it. By 9 a.m., most people are settled into their workday and check their email before getting started on their chores.

This is a great time for business-to-business (B2B) marketing because many professionals clean out their accounts and respond to important emails first thing in the morning. By mid-morning, material that is relevant and at the right time is more likely to get their attention.

Best for:

• B2B marketing
• Informational emails
• Signing up for newsletters

2. Early afternoon (12 pm to 2 pm)

How it works:

People often check their work and personal emails during lunch. This is especially true for people who work in B2C (business-to-consumer) fields. 

Sending advertising emails or product updates in the early afternoon is a good idea because people may be more relaxed and willing to shop or look at new content at this time.

But keep in mind that this time may or may not work for your business. For instance, people with more organized jobs might not be able to check their email as much during lunch.

Best for:

• B2C marketing
• Product promotions
• Ecommerce sales

3. In the middle of the week, late afternoon (3 PM - 4 PM)

How it works:

Many people take a break at the end of the workday to check their email. People may check their email for a short break around 3 p.m., when they start to feel tired in the afternoon. You can get people's attention right before they end their day by sending emails at this time.

This window of time is good for sending emails with reminders, new products, and special deals. Just don't send your email too late, or it might get lost in the pile of work that needs to be done.

Best for:

• Reminder Emails
• Special deals
• Invitations to events

4. Early morning (6 a.m. to 8 a.m.)

How it works:

Checking emails in the morning is a habit for some people, either before going to work or on their way to work (though we don't recommend doing it while driving!). 

When you send emails early in the morning, they will be at the top of the recipients' inboxes when they wake up. This can work especially well for daily newsletters or deals that end soon.

There is a chance that people who don't check their email first thing in the morning or who aren't busy at that time might not see your early morning emails.

Best for:

• Daily newsletters
• Time-sensitive promotions
• Early risers or specific industries (e.g., health, fitness)

5. Evening (7 PM to 9 PM)

How it works:

Many people check their email before going to bed at night after a long day. This could be a good time to reach your audience if they are more likely to interact with material when they are at home or having free time. 

Emails sent in the evening can work well for businesses that deal with leisure, like shopping, entertainment, or travel.

Make sure you don't send your email too late, though, or it might not be read until the next morning, when it might be hidden by better ones.

Best for:

• Entertainment or leisure content
• Retail sales or discounts
• Travel deals

Best Days of the Week for Email Marketing

Survey of 150+ Marketing and Advertising Professionals in the U.S

The day of the week is just as important as the time of day when it comes to the success of your email marketing.

• It has been shown over and over again that the best days to send emails are Tuesday and Thursday. People are likely to be settled into their habits and have time to respond to marketing messages on these days in the middle of the week.

• Wednesday: Wednesday is also a good day for email marketing, just like Tuesday and Thursday. It's a good choice for people who send out emails or regular updates because it keeps your message fresh during the week.

• These days, Saturday and Sunday, can be hard. Some people are very interested in your business on the weekends, especially if you're a B2C company, but others might not even check their emails. If the people you want to reach are busier on the weekends, like in retail sales or recreation, then Saturday and Sunday might work.

• Monday: It's not always a good Monday. A lot of people clear out their inboxes at the beginning of the week, which means that your email might get deleted without being read. But if you're sending material about productivity or newsletters about business, Monday morning might still work.

• Friday: On Friday, a lot of people are getting ready for the weekend, so texts might not get as much attention. But for businesses that have sales, events, or ads over the weekend, Friday can be a good day to send out last-minute offers.

How to Find the Best Time for Your Audience

General data can help you figure out the best time to reach your audience, but the exact time will depend on their habits, preferences, and business. This is how you can find the best time:

• You can use A/B testing to see which times and days of the week get the most opens and clicks on your emails. The best way to learn how your individual audience acts is to test it.
• Divide Your Audience: If your audience is diverse, you might want to divide your email list into groups and send emails to each group at different times based on how often they engage with your content.
• Look at past campaigns: Check out how well your past email efforts did. How many people opened and clicked on which ones? This information can help you plan your future time.
• Know Your Audience: Think about the habits and way of life of the people you want to reach. Busy workers might check their emails first thing in the morning, while younger, more tech-savvy users might be more interested in late evening.

More Resources

Conclusion: Timing Is Important, but Content Is King

Yes, time is very important for email marketing to work, but content is still king. If the content doesn't offer worth, relevance, or engagement, even the best-timed email won't do well. Focus on writing catchy subject lines, making your messages more personal, and including calls to action (CTAs).

When you send emails at the right time and with good material, you have the best chance of connecting with your audience and getting results.