Although a considerable amount of research has been completed on the best time and day to send emails to achieve maximum impact, the results are generalisations which may or may not be relevant to your target group.
Statistics from MailChimp, for example, show that the highest click-through rate applies to emails classed as concerning hobbies. In comparison, marketing & advertising email click-through rates are much lower (around 16%). In addition, Omnisend data shows us that the best day for email opening and click-through together is a Thursday, although click-through is highest on a Sunday.
In order to make sense of these sorts of statistics, it’s essential to acquire a good knowledge of your audience, including their buying persona and buying habits. The increased use of mobile phones, changing work habits, and a 24/7 approach to accessing online content means that almost any time can be appropriate to send your message, depending on your audience. Here, we take a look at what to focus on to ensure your email campaign send-outs are as successful as they can be.
An intimate knowledge of the people you want to attract to take advantage of what you’ve got to offer is critical. Use the information you have about your audience to help deduce when they are most likely to be on their devices and have a few spare minutes to check their emails. Studies show that with the rise in accessing the internet through mobile phones, many people are choosing to check their emails as soon as they wake up, or the last thing before sleep. This means that an email sent at 11 pm or 5 am may well stand a good chance of being read, particularly as the competition may wait until more conventional hours in order to send their communication.
Discovering the time which works best for your emails can often be achieved through the use of A/B testing. Try sending one-half of your audience emails early in the day, the other half receiving theirs later on. Check the outcomes and then switch your emailing schedule to the time which gets the best response. It’s worth repeating A/B testing periodically, using reduced ‘test percentage’ of your mailing list, as audience habits can shift through time and in response to external variables such as the holiday season, hours of daylight or even the weather!
Mobile phones are frequently used to access emails and other online content, so it’s vital that your emails are in a format which is suitable for the small screen (responsive emails). Short, exciting titles, concise content, clear calls to action, and a layout that’s easy to follow can all go a long way towards persuading your audience that your email is worth reading. An email sent at an unconventional hour (remember that outside of working hours people are more likely to check emails on their phones than on a desktop or laptop) in a responsive format could well provide the response rate you’re looking for.
When it comes to contemporary email marketing, quirky sending times could well be the key to sustainable success!
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