What is the best time to send a newsletter by email?
What is the best time to send a newsletter by email?
When asked about the best time to send emails, e-mail marketing specialists often responded: "Tuesday through Thursday mornings, between 8 and 10 o'clock in the morning." It is a general knowledge throughout the industry that people tend to open their emails in the mornings. But as customers become increasingly mobile, emails open at all times, on all devices. Let's visit some current email marketing trends that are creating changes in opening rates and how they will affect your next email delivery.
A reference study by email marketing of Experian in all industries found that the recipients are surprisingly active late at night. Unique opening rates averaged 21.7 percent from 8 pm to 11:59 pm and 17.6 percent from 12 am to 4 am. In addition, this night group was more likely to click, with opening rates of 4.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. These night owls also had the highest click rates for all times of the day. Admission by email was also the highest in the group from 8 pm to 11:59 pm. In addition, more than 54 percent of emails now open on a mobile device. A 2016 Deloitte mobile consumer survey found that 40 percent of consumers check their phones within five minutes of waking up. Once the day is over, more than 30 percent of consumers check their devices five minutes before going to sleep. And about 50 percent check their devices in the middle of the night. With consumers constantly active on their mobile devices, especially outside of standard hours of nine to five hours of work at an office desk, it is essential to perform tests outside of the traditional hours of the morning.
As for the best day of the week, emails sent on Monday had the highest return on investment (ROI), but emails sent on Friday had a higher click rate. Ironically, Saturday and Sunday had the lowest volume rates, but the highest open rates and studio clicks. So even though the weekend was not the most popular time to send emails, those who opened were much more likely to participate with the emails they received, and click or buy.
Based on these findings, you may want to experiment with sending your emails at unconventional times, such as 11 pm or 6 pm and on weekends, to see if better results are obtained.
1. Look at the trends.
Industry trends are an excellent starting point when you think for the first time about the best time to send your email. At Constant Contact, we regularly analyze customer email results to gather industry-specific data to help you know your position.
In addition to updating it in the average opening, clicks and bounce rate of each month, we also have this useful graphic that identifies the main schedules to send an email according to the general trends of the industry.
According to the data, a clear trend in many industries is that the higher opening rates usually occur at the beginning of the week. Monday morning is the optimal time for many different industries, which makes sense as many of your subscribers will approach the beginning of a week renewed and committed after the weekend.
Tip: Try to send your next newsletter by email early Monday morning before your subscribers' weeks are filled with plans and commitments.
2. Think of your audience
Looking at the data again, it is interesting to see which industries work best later in the week. Hotels, inns and B & Bs, for example, show better results on Wednesday mornings, which could be the result of subscribers making plans for midweek weekend getaways.
In addition, religious organizations receive the best results at noon on Thursdays, an hour that is probably closer to a next service.
When you think about the best day or time to send an email, focus on your audience. What do you know about your routines? When does your message have the best chance to reach them when they have a moment to spare?
Remember that a growing number of people are checking emails on their mobile device. People do not need to be sitting at home or at work in front of a computer to check their emails. This means that you will have to think differently about how to reach your audience with your email campaigns.
Tip: You do not have to rely on speculation alone. It is very likely that you already have a lot of data about what works best for your audience in your email reports. While many factors influence email opening rates, be sure to look for patterns that point to optimal times/days.
3. Think of your campaign.
In addition to thinking about your audience, think about the time you are sending them. Because most of your contacts will visit your inbox every day, timely messages will often give you the best results.
If your restaurant has a special snack on Thursday, you can experiment with sending emails the day before, or even send last-minute reminders on the day of the special. Some of your subscribers will seize the opportunity, and those who miss the opportunity will likely join you the next time they have the opportunity.
Tip: Show that your message is well synchronized within your subject line. If you have an event to come, add the date in the subject line to create a sense of urgency.
4. Set expectations
For many companies, one of the most important aspects of synchronization will be to choose a moment and stick to it. Ideally, your contacts expect to hear from you and be attentive to your next message.
Maria Sadler of Looking Stylish, has seen excellent results with this kind of consistency. She sends her Friday Bulletin each week to the contacts they expect to hear from her.
Tip: Make it clear when your contacts can expect to hear from you when they register. Add a brief description of your newsletter to all your registration forms and be sure to mention when you will send your messages. Then make sure you fulfill and keep your promise!
Warriors of the weekend
Less promotional emails are sent on weekends. This has created an opportunity for some companies to get some love via email when there is less competition.
Experian's email marketing study found that recipients were more responsive to the promotional emails they received on weekends, when the volume of delivery was the lowest. The single opening rate for Saturday and Sunday was 17.8 percent for both days, the highest percentages of the week.
Before changing all email releases to Saturday and Sunday, we recommend that you try the weekends first. (Remember that the opening rates these days are even lower). Try splitting your list in half and sending the same email to group A on Sunday and group B on Monday or Tuesday. Repeat this a few times to see when you get better results.
Mobile affairs
The same study conducted by Experian to which we referred earlier found that not only 54 percent of all emails are seen on a mobile device, but that this percentage is increasing. Because mobile click rates are lower, you want to make sure that your call to action is clear and direct, and that your links are easy to detect and click (no matter what time of day you are sending).
E-mail opening rates may also depend on the device the recipient is using. Tablet users, for example, are more likely to open emails outside of business hours (5 to 8 a.m.), while desktop users are more likely to open during business hours. Our email analysis function tracks the devices your readers use to open their emails, so use this data to determine how most of your subscribers open their messages and time their campaigns accordingly.
Finally, when considering the importance of sending mobile devices in your email, remember that if your customers can not read your emails, they will probably not continue interacting with them, which will affect their future campaigns. Litmus discovered that by testing an email design that does not respond or respond, they were able to increase clicks by 130 percent.
Try sending a split test in the middle of your list in the morning during work hours and the other half at 7 or 8 pm and notice any difference.
Time is not everything
If you notice a drop in your opening rates, other factors may be contributing to the decline. Here are some additional email marketing tips to help you with your opening and click rates:
Test your email to make sure it is being processed correctly in multiple browsers and email service providers (the simple email editor offers multiple previews of your emails in different browsers and email service providers).
Check your email list. How old are you? Are there emails that should be deleted? How can you grow your email list effectively?
Are you effectively shaking your subject line? The subject line is your only chance for someone to open your email. Make sure you know the best practices when creating this magic line. See how you can use the A / B tests to increase the effectiveness of your subject lines.
Frequency. Are you sending too often? Make sure you play well and segment your lists, so you are not bombarding your recipients with unwanted emails.
So, when is the best time to send an email? As you can see, there is no correct answer. Start to try different tactics and see what works with your readers.
