AI-powered automation tools have made it easier than ever to schedule marketing emails. However, simply automating the process and expecting overnight success is a recipe for disappointment.

Timing is important to truly maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns' open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately your overall ROI. Whether you're targeting American consumers or Southeast Asian users, the optimal time to send your emails can significantly influence engagement and conversions.

The ideal send time can vary depending on factors like your target audience's demographics, time zones, and behavior patterns. A well-timed email can boost open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, your overall marketing ROI.

In this blog post, we'll delve into the science behind email timing, explore the best practices, and share data-driven insights to help you optimize your email campaigns.

Why Timing Matters in the Success of Email Marketing?

The timing of your marketing emails can greatly influence your audience’s response. A well-timed email stands a much higher chance of being opened and read, while poorly timed emails may get ignored or even end up in the trash.

Timing can impact several key metrics:

• Open Rates: This shows the percentage of recipients who open your email. Studies show that open rates can vary by as much as 17-28% based on timing alone.
• Click-through Rates (CTR): The percentage of recipients who click on a link within your email. A well-timed email can increase CTR by around 2-5%, enhancing engagement.
• Click-to-open Rate: This rate measures actions taken once an email is opened, critical for tracking conversions. A precisely timed email has a much higher chance of achieving a click-to-open rate that aligns with campaign goals.

By considering these timing metrics carefully, you can significantly enhance your marketing performance.

The Best Days to Send Marketing Emails

One of the first timing elements to consider is the day of the week. Different days tend to produce varying levels of engagement, influenced by both audience and industry.

Best Days: Tuesday and Thursday

Studies consistently indicate that Tuesday and Thursday are optimal days for sending marketing emails across most industries.

• According to research by Campaign Monitor, Tuesday emails see an average open rate of around 18% and a CTR of 2.5%.
• Similarly, Thursdays tend to perform well due to increased midweek engagement.

Midweek Gains: Wednesday

While Tuesday and Thursday are often the top choices, Wednesday is also effective, especially for B2B campaigns.

• Many professionals are focused on work during midweek, making them more receptive to emails related to their industry or job roles. This is especially true in the finance, education, and B2B sectors.

Less Effective Days: Monday, Friday, and Weekends

Sending emails on least effective days will not bring the expected results and it’s a red signal for your investment.

Here is the list of those days.

• Monday: People are often catching up on weekend emails and starting the workweek, making Mondays less ideal.
• Friday: Engagement tends to dip on Fridays as people prepare for the weekend, and emails sent late in the day are less likely to be opened.
• Saturday and Sunday: Weekends such as Saturdays and Sundays generally see lower open rates, with statistics showing that email open rates can decrease by 10-15% compared to weekday sends.

Most startups are thinking on weekends, users will open their emails and take immediate action. But this is wrong thinking by the way. As you know the best days to send marketing mail are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, adhere to this.

The Best Time to Send Marketing Emails

Once you’ve chosen the best day, determining the right time of day is essential.

Here’s a look at optimal time slots based on current research.

1. Morning (8-10 AM)

For most industries, the morning hours between 8 AM and 10 AM are ideal for sending emails.

• Tidio conducted the studies and indicated that morning emails achieve open rates of around 20-24%.
• People typically start their day by checking emails, and an email sent early in the morning can be among the first to reach their inbox, leading to higher open rates.

2. Mid-Morning (10 AM-12 PM)

The late-morning period is also a good time to reach your audience, especially for professional or B2B content. Schedule the emails between 10 AM to 12 PM according to different time zones.

• Many people check emails periodically during their workday, and late morning sees relatively high engagement rates.
• Make sure you pick the right tool and campaign type to interact with your users and get the results as expected.

3. Early Afternoon (1-3 PM)

If your target audience includes professionals or those working in a traditional office setting, sending emails during early afternoon hours can be effective.

• People often check their inboxes during lunch breaks or slower afternoon hours. This time slot works particularly well for B2C emails, with open rates averaging around 17-19%.

4. Evening (7-9 PM)

For some B2C campaigns, sending emails in the early evening can be beneficial, especially if targeting a younger audience who may check personal emails after work.

• However, this window typically has lower open rates for B2B content.
• Still, the evening slot can be effective for retail or entertainment-related emails, with engagement rates often peaking around 6-8 PM.

Consider the best time according to your specific audience and do not mix up two or more kinds of audience. First segment the audience (through preferences, dislikes, and demographics) and then send the emails to the campaign types.

Accounting for Time Zones and Geographic Differences

When sending global campaigns, it’s crucial to consider time zones. A time that works well in one region may not yield the same results elsewhere. Keep note of this.

For that you have to segment your audience by geographic location and adjusting send times for each time zone can lead to better results.

Using an email marketing platform that supports time-zone-specific scheduling is a helpful tool for ensuring your emails reach the inbox at the right time across different regions. You can use tools like Mailchimp, Brevo, ActiveCampaign, and ZohoCampaigns.

Here is the list of the different time zones.

• North America: Emails sent around 10 AM local time tend to perform well. Segmenting your list by East Coast and West Coast time zones is often beneficial to maximize reach.
• Asia-Pacific: In countries like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, emails sent early in the morning (8 AM local time) or later in the evening tend to see better open rates.
• Europe: Similar to North America, sending emails mid-morning or early afternoon can be effective. Make sure the recipients are ideally segmented according to their preferences and interests.

Industry-Specific Timing Insights

Each industry has different timing slots that generate better ROI in form of the improved CTR and open rates.

Here are a few insights into optimal timing by sector:

• Finance: Financial updates and wealth management business have the highest engagement midweek (Tuesday or Wednesday), particularly in the mornings between 9-11 AM.
• Retail & E-commerce: For e-commerce, midweek mornings (around 10 AM and 4-5 PM) tend to yield the best engagement. Many e-commerce brands also find success with emails sent on Tuesday and Thrusday evenings, with open rates up to 5-10% higher than weekday averages for some retail audiences.
• Healthcare & Wellness: Mondays and Thursdays are optimal days for sending wellness-related content, with emails sent early in the day performing best. Health-focused content tends to perform well when sent at the start of the week.

Your operating industry is very important to start the email marketing campaigns. Keep prioritizing the timing while sending the marketing emails.

Testing and Optimizing Your Email Timing

Just sending the emails is not enough to get the expected results like sign-ups for webinars or product purchases. You have to effectively measure the campaign results and find where you made a mistake or needed improvement.

A/B testing is a highly effective method for optimizing your email timing. By testing different send times, you can discover when your unique audience is most likely to engage.

Here are a few strategies to consider:

• A/B Test Days and Times: Experiment with different days and times to see which ones generate the best results for your audience.
• Test Resending Emails: If a recipient doesn’t open an email the first time, consider resending it at a different time or day to increase open rates. Some email platforms allow you to automate this process for unopened emails.
• Track Mobile vs. Desktop Opens: Many users check emails on mobile devices throughout the day. Monitor when mobile and desktop users are opening your emails to refine your timing further.

Prepare the complete report for email performance and revise the strategy for better results.

Leveraging AI and Automation for Optimal Send Times

Today’s email platforms often offer AI-powered tools that predict the best send times based on your audience’s past engagement behavior. AI tools are designed to manage marketing campaigns effectively and bring the complete visualization of how the results can be achieved.

• By leveraging these tools, marketers can increase open rates by up to 20%, according to research from Sendinblue.
• These tools analyze each recipient’s habits and auto-schedule emails at their individual peak engagement times.

Using AI platform tools for email marketing should comply with the user’s consent. There are other drawbacks that exist by solely depending on these tools. You can incorporate these tools for better results with a human effort.

Conclusion: Timing as a Key Driver of Email Marketing Success

Email marketing timing is as much an art as it is a science. With the right day, time, and strategic use of tools like AI-driven send-time optimization, you can significantly improve your email marketing performance.

While general rules, such as sending on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, serve as a solid starting point. A/B testing and audience segmentation can reveal the unique patterns that work best for your specific audience. By implementing a well-timed email marketing strategy, you’ll see higher engagement rates and stronger overall ROI from your campaigns.

Optimize your send times, analyze results, and make adjustments as you learn more about your audience. A well-timed email is a powerful tool that can help build stronger relationships with your subscribers and drive better business results.

RankOptim’s Solution for Email Marketing

Ready to maximize your email marketing results? With RankOptim’s advanced email marketing service, you’ll connect with your audience more effectively. Here’s how we elevate your campaigns:

• Personalized Send Times: Reach subscribers when they’re most active using AI-powered timing.
• Dynamic Content Optimization: Customize emails based on user preferences for higher relevance.
• Advanced Audience Segmentation: Tailor messages to target groups, increasing engagement.
• In-Depth Analytics & Reporting: Track open rates, CTR, and conversions in detail.
• Automation Beyond Basics: Personalize touchpoints without losing automation advantages.
• Continuous Optimization: Improve campaigns based on real-time data for lasting impact.

Transform your email marketing and see measurable growth! Contact us to learn more.