Optimizing The Day You Send Your Email Newsletter

Once you've sunk the time into crafty a comprehensive and compelling email, you'll want to ensure it goes out at a time when recipients are the mostly likely to actually open it. Here we look at how to utilize a built in email scheduler to be sure you're hitting send when it counts the most.

___________________________

Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

You’ve finally finished creating your newsletter email and it’s time to hit the send button. But is it really? It turns out that the exact day and time that’s optimum to send your email has been extensively studied, and thanks to the built-in scheduler now offered by Email Service Providers (ESPs), you can be sure to have your email sent at the time when it’s most likely to be opened.

So what’s the best day of the week to send your email newsletter? This is a critical decision because if you send it on the wrong day, you’ll have fewer of your fans open it. Why? Usually because the timing is bad and their attention is on something else. That’s why you want to be sure to pick the right day.

Here’s an excerpt from my Social Media Promotion For Musicians 2nd edition guidebook with info from gather.com that analyzes every day of the week as a potential email day. It turns out that there’s a compelling argument for almost every day except the weekend.

MONDAY: After a long weekend, many email users make it a priority to organize their inboxes. This means there’s a good chance that they’ll run across your message and open it. The problem is that many consumers don’t have the time because Monday is such a busy day as most people have to deal with the work backup from the weekend. If you choose to send an email on Monday, it’s best to do it late in the morning, preferably just before lunch, as this is when they’re more likely to have the time to check their inbox.

TUESDAY: By Tuesday, many consumers have organized their work week and have a little extra time to devote to checking their inbox. Like record releases, I’ve always felt that Tuesday is the best day to release or send anything. It’s usually a slower news day, everyone is over the rush and pent up obligations that Monday brings, and you’re not caught up in the business craziness that grows ever more intense as the week progresses.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY: By mid-week people are preparing for the weekend and how they’ll spend their personal time. On these two days, they often have a little extra time to spend in their inbox. The problem is that there’s still business that needs to be handled and only two days left to get it done. Depending on the recipient, they may hold your message off until next week, or forget about it altogether. If you choose, mid-week to send your email, keep your marketing message friendlier and less aggressive as subscribers plan their time off.

FRIDAY: People tend to receive less email on Friday, which in turn, increases the visibility of your message. The problem is that by the time Friday rolls around, some consumers are in such a rush that they may automatically ignore any email that doesn’t pertain to their job. If you do choose Friday, send your message early in the day so the recipient has more time to read it and take action.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY: Believe it or not, people do check their inboxes on the weekend, and open rates are 45% higher and click rates 10% higher than the rest of the week. The problem is that by sending emails on Saturday or Sunday, you run the risk of coming off as too intrusive and annoy your subscribers, which is a good reason to avoid the weekend. If you do choose the weekend, limit your mailings to subscribers who are the most responsive on these particular days, especially targeted fans that you want to remind about a gig. I’ve always found that Saturday was the worst day of the week to send something, while Sunday was one of the best days.