One of the early mistakes new email marketers make is assuming they can send at any time and expect the same results. Finding when to send your emails, or the optimal email timing for your audience, is key.
We wish it were as simple as picking a time out of the air. That would mean even a midnight send could yield great sales, open rates, and purchasers. But it's just not true. When sending an email, you need to find the time when your specific audience is free and actually available to give your brand attention. There's no point asking someone to purchase if they can't dedicate more than five minutes to you, because they'll skim your email and be distracted by something else before they can commit.
So with so many hours in the day, and so many different people in your database, how do you actually land on the right send time?
Let your website data set the benchmark
Your website and Google Analytics show you exactly when customers are already on-site. At a granular level, you can pin down the weekday you get the most purchases, and the time on that day those orders usually land. Use this as your benchmark:
If your most popular purchase time is around 8 am on a Saturday, you shouldn't be sending at 9 pm on a Tuesday, unless the data suggests otherwise. Send at this ideal window to get an extra boost from what you already know works. You can also use this data to guide expansion; if the Saturday 8 am send performs, consider adding a Sunday morning send or a weekday morning send to the mix.
Test and test again to find your optimal timing
Once you've got an ideal send time from your analytics, don't treat it as your only option. A handful of proven send times keeps you relevant, especially around current events or special days. Use your benchmark, then test around it in rounds:
Think about who your customers actually are
Every brand has different customers, so no two ideal send times are ever identical. Map out a day in the life of the people on your list:
Using your demographics this way helps you identify a send time that actually fits how your customers live, not just when it's convenient to hit send.
The right send time isn't the one that suits you. It's the one your customers already have free.
Let's find the send time that actually converts.
Feel like your emails aren't hitting the mark no matter how hard you try? The Email By Design team can help you locate and test send times, so you find the one that works best for you.
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