Timing is Vital With Email February 05, 2019, | Posted by Samantha

There is no shortage of debate in the world of email marketing; whether it’s a question of strategy, the best way to test, the impact of color theory, or any number of other variables, there is someone who has an opinion about it. One of the standing debates in the email niche is whether the time of day that a recipient gets an email matters, and to what extent it makes a difference. At Site Impact, we have long taken the position that it does--but the data shows that, just like all things email, the variable isn’t one-size-fits-all. The time of day that your recipients get your email can make a big difference in open rates, as well as click-through rates, and it can also impact other important metrics. Today we’re going to look at the question in a little more depth.

Why time of day and day of week matter

The answer to the question of why time of day that a person receives an email plays a role in engagement is simple: think about your own approach to email. There are certain times of day that you are definitely more inclined to actually read your emails and consider the contents, as opposed to merely screening for what’s most interesting or relevant to you in the moment and deleting everything else. There are days of the week, as well, that tend to lend to more time for email and greater willingness to act on offers; it’s easier to make a sale when someone has spending money burning a hole in their pocket than it is when they’re paying bills or waiting eagerly for the next paycheck.

Careful: there are still variables to consider

The reason that this is a subject of debate at all in the email marketing world as opposed to a closed question is that the best time of day and day of the week varies from one audience to another and one industry to another. The time that’s best to reach stay-at-home moms is not going to be the same as the best time to reach working bachelors. The key to understanding this best practice--targeting your audience at the best time for them to be receptive--is to know your audience first. This is especially true when you have already figured out that your brand has more than one key audience to target; segmenting your lists by demographics and buying history etc. also means you should be sending at the best times for each segment.

While the debate rages on, the fact remains that by sheer behavioral evidence, there is a best time of day and best day of week for you to reach out to your subscribers; which day and time it is will depend on a number of variables, but it is definitely true that you’ll find better returns and conversions depending on when you send. By putting the data you already have to good use, you can make your offer to the people you want to buy at the optimum time to get their agreement. Contact Site Impact to learn how we can help you figure out the best time to reach out to your prospects and customers to get them to convert.