Email marketing is something that’ll never get old.
So, marketers are always trying to find ways of how they can make email marketing effective for their company.
It doesn’t matter how much the technology evolves; emails will still remain prevalent.
In fact, 73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email. Now that’s a number that no marketer can ignore.
However, there’s one belief that the majority of marketers believe in and implement it in their email marketing campaigns – Sending emails on a certain day of the week.
Now, this statement can vary from business to business, but yes, it’s not something that every marketer follows.
So, for this week’s myth busting article, I asked some experts about this email marketing myth, and it got some eye-opening responses!
You must send emails on a specific day to get an increased response rate
Let’s check out what experts have to say about the myth.
As a CEO, I believe this to be a myth. With the volume of information that we get on a daily, nay hourly basis, coupled with the variety of delivery methods, customers get notifications about emails almost constantly. They can get email notifications on their smartwatch and archive it without even reading it at no regularly specific time of the day.
Not to mention that companies also now span global audiences, so the time or date becomes inconsequential. What increases open rates is a combination of your brand reputation, interest in your products or services, and attention-grabbing, interactive content.
I don’t believe that sending emails on certain days matters as much as people think it does. I think one of the best ways to increase open rates is to use personalized marketing.
In the subject line you should use the customer’s name, what is in their cart, or a personalized deal based on data you have from previous shopping or from email list forms.
Since 72% of consumers exclusively respond or click through on personalized marketing, this is a fantastic way to increase open rates.
I truly believe the day and time you send emails, affect their open rate. I do not think it is a myth. You should send emails during work hours; when people are likely to open it at their desk.
Optimal times are the beginning of the workday and towards the end of workday. Ideal days are also Mondays and Fridays; being that they are the beginning and end of the week.
I believe this is a myth. I think what is more important for increasing your open rates is a clean email list (sending to the right people who opt-in and remove any bounces or spam) and a click-worthy headline.
In my point of view, this is a complete email marketing myth that sending emails on a specific day will increase open rates. According to a survey conducted by Campaign Monitor, 68% of Americans open emails based on who sent them.
If you want to increase your open rates it is always recommended to use personalization techniques because the open and click rate of these emails is higher. Other than this, focus on the subject line, design, and credibility of the email. You win half the battle when you craft a good subject line.
This was quite true 2 years back. But based on current data, it is so random these days.
There are times where our weekend emails get reverted because prospects were checking emails using their tablets while lying on the couch. There are times when our early morning emails (as early as 6AM) got immediate responses from our prospects.
I think everyone checks their emails regularly after getting up as a habit. But of course, the pitches need to stand out to get a response.
There is not one day of the week where all marketers should send out emails in order to achieve the best open rates. That is simply a myth.
However, individual marketers can increase their open rates by knowing the optimal days–and times–their specific customers are online and receptive. Brands should do their own research and benchmarking to understand what those days and times are, and not rely on simple, generalized maxims.
False. Just like with other forms of marketing, companies need to collect data through trial and error and strategic testing to gain a deeper understanding of how their target audience responds to their content.
From there, companies can take the data they’ve collected and look for trends and uncover what’s working and what’s not. Sure, there are industry suggestions out there, but the best time for a company to send emails is unique to their audience.
Companies will have different success with emails depending on the time, sector, product, and audience. For example, Business services companies might find that Mondays are great to reach the “work-mode Monday” audience, whereas fashion companies might find Fridays hit that “weekend feeling”.
The key is to experiment and measure, but only make conclusions when you have enough data. Open rates are affected by many variables so deciding the day after a particular email has a good open rate can send you in the wrong direction. The quality and relevance of the email are more important than the day it is sent.
How many times have you heard people suggesting the best day and time to send the mails? Wednesday at 3 p.m. seems to be the new top time.
The problem with the newest “best” day and time to send your mail is that everyone else is sending their mail during that time. Combine that with the fact that 85% of people open their emails 2 days after they receive it really makes you question the validity of all the said “best day.”
Not to mention that only 21% of purchases happen within 2 days of opening the mail whereas 32% of purchases occur after 2 weeks.
The best time is based on your list, so do your own test to find the best result.
I was a firm believer in this myth. I thought – data doesn’t lie, right?
One day, a fellow marketer on our team was about to send an email blast on a Saturday.
I pushed back hard against it, presenting data that overwhelmingly states you shouldn’t send emails on weekends, and that the best time for emails is Thursday mornings.
“No one reads work emails on a Saturday. It’s common sense!”, I added.
He decided to go ahead with it regardless.
Imagine my surprise seeing that the campaign’s performance was the same as previous campaigns we sent on “correct” days.
To increase open rates, you don’t have to send emails on a specific day. You should rather alternate the days, experiment and see which days work best for your audience.
It also depends on the topic of your email and the main goal of your mailshot.
For example, if you’re looking to increase your sales, you might want to send the emails in the mornings in the mid-week or if you’re looking to create awareness about a new blog then you might send at times when people are in a more relaxing mood.
According to marketing statistics, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best days to send emails. These are the key transition times of the day that tend to work best.
I truly believe in those statistics – they never betrayed me in my marketing campaigns, not only in email, but in organic social media postings, as well.
Obviously, the weekends are the least popular days for sending/reading emails. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are your must-go days. You are in the middle of the workweek and so, you are most focused on these days. Not like Monday, where you are after two lazy days, and not like Friday, where you start unfocusing. And let’s not forget that there are nations with a workweek from Sunday till Thursday (Jewish, for example).
This is definitely absolutely bogus! Anyone who’s done email marketing has definitely seen higher open rates and higher CTRs to their landing pages based on experimenting with the ideal day (and time). Even after honing in on the right date and time, you will certainly come across a plateau if you stick to that time and don’t continue experimenting on at least a quarterly basis.
To add another layer on top of this—your audience isn’t one-size-fits-all. I know this is cliche but, all cliches are based on truth. Your audience can be (and should be) segmented into different buyer personas and those personas will have their own “ideal day and time” that they’d like to receive emails.
This “rule” is probably a great starting point for someone who does email marketing for the first time. Later though, you will find that experimentation is king. Nowadays we can easily track open rates and the impact of when an email is sent.
To gain a competitive advantage and personalize your email experience it’s crucial to test which sending time yields the highest open rates.
While there is some truth to this myth, algorithms love consistency and creating content on a regular basis is also a great practice for you to get into as a marketer or business owner.
However, I’m not convinced when it comes to ‘open rates’. Think back to the emails you opened or didn’t. Was it because it landed in your inbox at a particular time? Were you sitting around waiting for the latest marketing message from Acme company, knowing that it arrives at 9 am every Monday? Unlikely. The reason we open emails is because we trust the source and we know they are going to share something important, interesting, or entertaining with us – or sometimes all three.
So, building a reputation for sending valuable content is far more important for your open rates than sending emails at the same time each day, week, or month.
Various factors affect your email open rates, and sending an email on a specific day does not guarantee magic for your business. The time and date of sending an email can indeed affect your open rates. The more you understand your audience’s habits, the better able they will be to engage with your next campaign.
Emails that are sent out at different times of day could have a significant impact on when people open them and how often those emails are clicked through. It is because our attention span changes throughout each day.
The way you word your emails can make or break open rates. When sending out an email, the content is not all that matters; from names to subject lines and preheaders – everything should be tested to understand what resonates best with each segment of your list.
I believe that sending emails on a specific day does have an impact on your open rate.
Knowing when to send an email to maximize open rates means having an understanding of your client- their lifestyle, how they spend their time, what frame of mind they are likely to be in when your email appears in their inbox.
The perfect day for a good open rate depends on the industry that the business is in as well as the client’s needs. I don’t believe there is one day that works best for every business.
For example, a travel and leisure business would do well to send an email on a Monday when people are daydreaming about being anywhere else but in an office, or on a Friday when people are planning their weekends.
It’s worth testing and tweaking until you find the day that works best for you.
After sending more than a thousand email newsletters and different campaigns in the span of several years, I can say that the day and the time you’re sending it out matters.
And it’s different for every industry, for every country, and if you can go as granular as you can – you will be successful – you will have more emails opened. Now, we all know that the open rate is not the only metric that matters, but you can’t have the others without this one.
Our statistics clearly show that, among other things, the biggest determinant of whether or not someone opens your email is whether or not your subject line conveys information in a way that appeals to them, which requires knowing your audience.
We have carefully monitored email open rates across a wide range of data points over time, and it is the subject line, followed by the first sentence of the email preview they see in their inbox, that determines open rates far more reliably than the day of the week.
Final thoughts
When it comes to email marketing, there’s no full-proof fact or tip that will prove effective.
So, this email marketing myth might be true in some cases, but it doesn’t work for every company.
Moreover, it’s the subject line and email body that matters. Putting it simply, I’d open an email with a relevant and catchy email subject line at any given point of the day as I’m constantly checking my emails.
Therefore, impactful and relevant emails will get answered, you just have to find your target audience and send smart emails.
Dhara Thakkar is a seasoned marketer at Salesmate. She thrives on trying new organic strategies to improve traffic & conversions, and has in-depth knowledge on how search works. When she's not working, you will find her travelling or binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S
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Creating and executing any kind of email campaign is a time-consuming task. On top of that, if you’re not utilizing email automation tools, then you might not get desired results.When it comes to emai
A drip email campaign is a set of pre-generated emails that you can send to your subscribers, existing or potential customers at fixed intervals using automation.
Email marketing is something that’ll never get old.
So, marketers are always trying to find ways of how they can make email marketing effective for their company.
It doesn’t matter how much the technology evolves; emails will still remain prevalent.
In fact, 73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email. Now that’s a number that no marketer can ignore.
However, there’s one belief that the majority of marketers believe in and implement it in their email marketing campaigns – Sending emails on a certain day of the week.
Now, this statement can vary from business to business, but yes, it’s not something that every marketer follows.
So, for this week’s myth busting article, I asked some experts about this email marketing myth, and it got some eye-opening responses!
You must send emails on a specific day to get an increased response rate
Let’s check out what experts have to say about the myth.
Table of content
1. Martin Luenendonk
CEO, FounderJar
As a CEO, I believe this to be a myth. With the volume of information that we get on a daily, nay hourly basis, coupled with the variety of delivery methods, customers get notifications about emails almost constantly. They can get email notifications on their smartwatch and archive it without even reading it at no regularly specific time of the day.
Not to mention that companies also now span global audiences, so the time or date becomes inconsequential. What increases open rates is a combination of your brand reputation, interest in your products or services, and attention-grabbing, interactive content.
2. Bryan Philips
Marketing head, In Motion Marketing
I don’t believe that sending emails on certain days matters as much as people think it does. I think one of the best ways to increase open rates is to use personalized marketing.
In the subject line you should use the customer’s name, what is in their cart, or a personalized deal based on data you have from previous shopping or from email list forms.
Since 72% of consumers exclusively respond or click through on personalized marketing, this is a fantastic way to increase open rates.
3. Lily Ugbaja
Founder, DollarCreed
I truly believe the day and time you send emails, affect their open rate. I do not think it is a myth. You should send emails during work hours; when people are likely to open it at their desk.
Optimal times are the beginning of the workday and towards the end of workday. Ideal days are also Mondays and Fridays; being that they are the beginning and end of the week.
4. Catherine Way
Marketing Manager, Prime Plus Mortgage
I believe this is a myth. I think what is more important for increasing your open rates is a clean email list (sending to the right people who opt-in and remove any bounces or spam) and a click-worthy headline.
5. Simon Brisk
Co-Founder and Commercial Director, Click Intelligence
In my point of view, this is a complete email marketing myth that sending emails on a specific day will increase open rates. According to a survey conducted by Campaign Monitor, 68% of Americans open emails based on who sent them.
If you want to increase your open rates it is always recommended to use personalization techniques because the open and click rate of these emails is higher. Other than this, focus on the subject line, design, and credibility of the email. You win half the battle when you craft a good subject line.
6. Daniel Martin
Co-Founder, LinkDoctor
This was quite true 2 years back. But based on current data, it is so random these days.
There are times where our weekend emails get reverted because prospects were checking emails using their tablets while lying on the couch. There are times when our early morning emails (as early as 6AM) got immediate responses from our prospects.
I think everyone checks their emails regularly after getting up as a habit. But of course, the pitches need to stand out to get a response.
7. Christine Elizabeth Cooper
VP of Marketing, KNB Communication
There is not one day of the week where all marketers should send out emails in order to achieve the best open rates. That is simply a myth.
However, individual marketers can increase their open rates by knowing the optimal days–and times–their specific customers are online and receptive. Brands should do their own research and benchmarking to understand what those days and times are, and not rely on simple, generalized maxims.
8. Maria Marchewka
Digital Marketing Strategist, Newswire
False. Just like with other forms of marketing, companies need to collect data through trial and error and strategic testing to gain a deeper understanding of how their target audience responds to their content.
From there, companies can take the data they’ve collected and look for trends and uncover what’s working and what’s not. Sure, there are industry suggestions out there, but the best time for a company to send emails is unique to their audience.
9. Stephan Cordova
CEO, FriendsWithA
Companies will have different success with emails depending on the time, sector, product, and audience. For example, Business services companies might find that Mondays are great to reach the “work-mode Monday” audience, whereas fashion companies might find Fridays hit that “weekend feeling”.
The key is to experiment and measure, but only make conclusions when you have enough data. Open rates are affected by many variables so deciding the day after a particular email has a good open rate can send you in the wrong direction. The quality and relevance of the email are more important than the day it is sent.
10. Avinash Chandra
Founder & CEO, BrandLoom
How many times have you heard people suggesting the best day and time to send the mails? Wednesday at 3 p.m. seems to be the new top time.
The problem with the newest “best” day and time to send your mail is that everyone else is sending their mail during that time. Combine that with the fact that 85% of people open their emails 2 days after they receive it really makes you question the validity of all the said “best day.”
Not to mention that only 21% of purchases happen within 2 days of opening the mail whereas 32% of purchases occur after 2 weeks.
The best time is based on your list, so do your own test to find the best result.
11. Cristian Ungureanu
Senior Growth Marketer, QuickMail
I was a firm believer in this myth. I thought – data doesn’t lie, right?
One day, a fellow marketer on our team was about to send an email blast on a Saturday.
I pushed back hard against it, presenting data that overwhelmingly states you shouldn’t send emails on weekends, and that the best time for emails is Thursday mornings.
“No one reads work emails on a Saturday. It’s common sense!”, I added.
He decided to go ahead with it regardless.
Imagine my surprise seeing that the campaign’s performance was the same as previous campaigns we sent on “correct” days.
12. Cristina Moraru
Digital Marketing Strategist, Media Training Ltd.
To increase open rates, you don’t have to send emails on a specific day. You should rather alternate the days, experiment and see which days work best for your audience.
It also depends on the topic of your email and the main goal of your mailshot.
For example, if you’re looking to increase your sales, you might want to send the emails in the mornings in the mid-week or if you’re looking to create awareness about a new blog then you might send at times when people are in a more relaxing mood.
13. Nikolay Krastev
SEO Specialist, Agile Digital Agency
According to marketing statistics, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best days to send emails. These are the key transition times of the day that tend to work best.
I truly believe in those statistics – they never betrayed me in my marketing campaigns, not only in email, but in organic social media postings, as well.
Obviously, the weekends are the least popular days for sending/reading emails. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are your must-go days. You are in the middle of the workweek and so, you are most focused on these days. Not like Monday, where you are after two lazy days, and not like Friday, where you start unfocusing. And let’s not forget that there are nations with a workweek from Sunday till Thursday (Jewish, for example).
14. Kenny Soto
Content Marketing Lead, FinchMoney
This is definitely absolutely bogus! Anyone who’s done email marketing has definitely seen higher open rates and higher CTRs to their landing pages based on experimenting with the ideal day (and time). Even after honing in on the right date and time, you will certainly come across a plateau if you stick to that time and don’t continue experimenting on at least a quarterly basis.
To add another layer on top of this—your audience isn’t one-size-fits-all. I know this is cliche but, all cliches are based on truth. Your audience can be (and should be) segmented into different buyer personas and those personas will have their own “ideal day and time” that they’d like to receive emails.
15. Julian Juenemann
Director, MeasureSchool
This “rule” is probably a great starting point for someone who does email marketing for the first time. Later though, you will find that experimentation is king. Nowadays we can easily track open rates and the impact of when an email is sent.
To gain a competitive advantage and personalize your email experience it’s crucial to test which sending time yields the highest open rates.
16. Melitta Campbell
Business and Confident Communiation Coach, MelittaCampbell.com
While there is some truth to this myth, algorithms love consistency and creating content on a regular basis is also a great practice for you to get into as a marketer or business owner.
However, I’m not convinced when it comes to ‘open rates’. Think back to the emails you opened or didn’t. Was it because it landed in your inbox at a particular time? Were you sitting around waiting for the latest marketing message from Acme company, knowing that it arrives at 9 am every Monday? Unlikely. The reason we open emails is because we trust the source and we know they are going to share something important, interesting, or entertaining with us – or sometimes all three.
So, building a reputation for sending valuable content is far more important for your open rates than sending emails at the same time each day, week, or month.
17. Danny Veiga
Founder, Danny Veiga Marketing
Unfortunately, I beg to disagree.
Various factors affect your email open rates, and sending an email on a specific day does not guarantee magic for your business. The time and date of sending an email can indeed affect your open rates. The more you understand your audience’s habits, the better able they will be to engage with your next campaign.
Emails that are sent out at different times of day could have a significant impact on when people open them and how often those emails are clicked through. It is because our attention span changes throughout each day.
The way you word your emails can make or break open rates. When sending out an email, the content is not all that matters; from names to subject lines and preheaders – everything should be tested to understand what resonates best with each segment of your list.
18. Natalie Alleblas
Owner, SEO Sleuth
I believe that sending emails on a specific day does have an impact on your open rate.
Knowing when to send an email to maximize open rates means having an understanding of your client- their lifestyle, how they spend their time, what frame of mind they are likely to be in when your email appears in their inbox.
The perfect day for a good open rate depends on the industry that the business is in as well as the client’s needs. I don’t believe there is one day that works best for every business.
For example, a travel and leisure business would do well to send an email on a Monday when people are daydreaming about being anywhere else but in an office, or on a Friday when people are planning their weekends.
It’s worth testing and tweaking until you find the day that works best for you.
19. Emanuel Petrescu
Toronto Digital Marketing Specialist
After sending more than a thousand email newsletters and different campaigns in the span of several years, I can say that the day and the time you’re sending it out matters.
And it’s different for every industry, for every country, and if you can go as granular as you can – you will be successful – you will have more emails opened. Now, we all know that the open rate is not the only metric that matters, but you can’t have the others without this one.
20. Sebastian Schaffer
CRO/Co-Founder, Dofollow
Our statistics clearly show that, among other things, the biggest determinant of whether or not someone opens your email is whether or not your subject line conveys information in a way that appeals to them, which requires knowing your audience.
We have carefully monitored email open rates across a wide range of data points over time, and it is the subject line, followed by the first sentence of the email preview they see in their inbox, that determines open rates far more reliably than the day of the week.
Final thoughts
When it comes to email marketing, there’s no full-proof fact or tip that will prove effective.
So, this email marketing myth might be true in some cases, but it doesn’t work for every company.
Moreover, it’s the subject line and email body that matters. Putting it simply, I’d open an email with a relevant and catchy email subject line at any given point of the day as I’m constantly checking my emails.
Therefore, impactful and relevant emails will get answered, you just have to find your target audience and send smart emails.
Dhara Thakkar
Dhara Thakkar is a seasoned marketer at Salesmate. She thrives on trying new organic strategies to improve traffic & conversions, and has in-depth knowledge on how search works. When she's not working, you will find her travelling or binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S