Discover the best time to send newsletters for maximum engagement

Highlights

You’ll learn about:

• A/B testing: Experiment with subject lines, CTAs and timing to discover what resonates best with your audience
• Segmentation by time zone: Customize send times based on geographical segmentation for maximum impact
• Automation: Use email marketing automation for timely and personalized communication
• Email types timing: Tailor the timing of transactional, welcome and follow-up emails for optimal engagement

Discover the best time to send newsletters and drive higher engagement today.

Keep reading to learn more!

Understanding email marketing is like a maze, especially when hundreds of marketers struggle to send the right email to the right customer and, more importantly, at the right time. The work becomes even more confusing when everyone offers insights into the best time to send an email newsletter. 

You always wish the answer was “Tuesday at 11:00 AM,” but the truth is that the answer depends on numerous factors. 

But why does knowing the best time matter so much? Finding the perfect moment allows you to jump into the conversation. When you send marketing emails at the right time, you trigger a conversation with your readers. 

So, what’s the best day and time to send email newsletters? Let’s find out now.

When is the best time to send email newsletters?

Send emails when you get the most engagement and click-through rate. While most sources advocate sending emails on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, it largely depends on your customer’s behavior and routine. 

For example, the best time for a baby toy company and a real estate company might differ. 

Let’s understand with another example:

Consider the email list for an organic skincare brand for women. The target audience comprises working and stay-at-home women who often have busy schedules and might only check their emails during lunch breaks or late evenings. Sending email newsletters on a Monday morning is not effective. Instead, schedule for mid-week afternoons or evenings for a higher engagement rate and responses.

According to many studies, the best email open rates are during the morning peak of 10:00 AM and the afternoon peak of 3:00 PM. This typically is in line with the natural tendency of professionals. People open their emails in the morning and then re-check them post-lunch. 

Again, the timing might slightly change depending on your target audience. For example, if you’re targeting young working professionals constantly on their phones, sending an email at 9:00 AM is ideal. 

Brevo researched to analyze the best time to send an email to different businesses:

Tuesdays and Thursdays have higher email open rates, but Wednesdays have a higher click-to-open rate. But why is Monday not considered ideal? On Monday, your customers are busy catching up with their work after the weekend. 

When talking about the best time to send a newsletter to desktop users, here’s why 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM are the best:

• People check their emails soon after reaching their office. They first open their official emails and then review their personal email address. 
• The afternoon peak occurs soon after lunchtime or when they leave their office. 

Best time to send an email newsletter by type

Newsletter emails

Send a newsletter during the daytime or late evening so people can read it at leisure. Avoid sending newsletters on Saturdays and Sundays because your customers are busy in their personal lives and may not read them. 

Mass emails

Sending mass emails to customers with different interests at just the right time can increase your open rate. Studies show that Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best days. The right time is between 10:00 AM and noon, when most people take a mid-morning break to check their inboxes. Consider your customers' locations when sending mass emails and tweak the timing accordingly. Pay attention to how your audience behaves and group your subscribers into a particular audience based on their online activity.

Transactional emails

You send transactional emails to customers when they purchase, subscribe to the newsletter or leave without checking out.

• Send a thank you message after the customer has made a purchase.

• When a customer leaves without checking out, send the first transactional email within a few hours of the customer leaving products in their cart. Send another 24 hours later and send the last one after one week. 

The best time for most transactional emails is right after the transaction. 

Welcome emails

Welcome emails are critical in establishing a connection with new subscribers or customers. Send these emails immediately upon subscription to capitalize on the recipient's initial interest. 

• Send the first email after the prospect signs up for your newsletter or service. This will help you stay top of mind with your customers. 
• Depending on how the customer interacted with your previous email, send a second email from the welcome series. 

Email follow-ups

Follow-up emails should match the context of your first interaction. If you're following up on a webinar, email within 24 hours of the event. Waiting 2-3 days after the initial contact works well for sales follow-ups. Getting the timing right helps you stay attentive without being too pushy.

Why does email timing matter?

Sending your email campaigns at the right time helps you:

Reach higher open rates

Open rates are critical metrics for email campaigns. When your email remains at the top of your customers' inboxes, they will open it. Sending it at the right time makes it more likely to grab the attention of your customers. 

Enhance click-through rates

Beyond opening the email, you want customers to engage with its content. Strategically timed emails sent at peak times are more likely to be read and fully clicked through. Sending at the wrong time means your contact has no time to read or click through your messages. 

Improve conversion rates

The goal of many email campaigns is to turn leads into customers. Sending emails at the right moment increases their chances of being open and engaged, improving conversions. Whether you want customers to purchase, sign up or take any other action, timing is key for guiding them from curiosity to commitment. Understand your target demographic's behavior and timings to reach customers who read and engage with your content.

Increase target audience reach

Properly timed emails ensure better engagement with your existing audience and extend your reach to potential new subscribers. Segmentation and timing adjustments cater to the customer's habits and preferences, allowing you to deliver your message.

How did Contentstack help Extu manage its email marketing campaign?

Extu sought a better content management system to handle multi-language capabilities and integrate with their proprietary technology. They chose Contentstack, which met all their criteria, including integration with digital asset management and translation services. Implementation occurred in three stages: pilot, integration and user adoption. Contentstack, as a content library, worked as a single source of truth and delivered through-channel email marketing campaigns on behalf of Extu’s 4,000 resellers every month.

Contentstack's automated translation and efficient content delivery significantly improved Extu's operations, reducing workflow steps by 21%, speeding up translated content delivery by 53%, and accelerating English content delivery by 21%.

After using Contentstack, Tara Yukawa, VP of Marketing Solutions at Extu, said,

“Using Contentstack has given us peace of mind, particularly with our internal users who are managing content in multiple languages that they might not speak. So, our users were able to reduce steps in their workflow by 21%.”

Read the complete case study here. 

Email newsletter timing strategies

Pick up a time and be consistent

No matter when you send your newsletter, the best practice is to keep the timing consistent. Why? Humans are creatures of habit and we crave consistency even when reading emails. When you maintain a regular and consistent email calendar, you foster long-term relationships and build trust. Your audience expects to receive the content simultaneously every day or week. If you choose Tuesday afternoon, send all your promotional emails only at the designated time. 

Run A/B test on different campaigns

A/B testing is another important tactic for improving your email marketing key performance indicators (KPIs). The experiment you conduct lets you discover what your audience likes and dislikes. A/B test your subject lines, call-to-action (CTA), color, fonts and every detail to improve your open and click-through rate. To find the winning formula, test every element of your email newsletter unless you crack the perfect combination. 

Segment your subscribers by time zone

The effectiveness of your email marketing strategy hinges on thoughtful consideration of different time zones. An ideal time in one region might not be ideal for another location, diminishing the impact of your strategies. For instance, 10:00 AM EST might be unsuitable for other parts of the world. To nail your best send time, segment your audience based on:

• Geographical segmentation
• Customized scheduling for every time zone

Use email marketing automation

Email marketing automation increases the effectiveness of your email campaign. With automation, emails can be set up depending on specific criteria, making sure they hit inboxes at the right times. For instance, set welcome emails to go out immediately when someone subscribes. Automated workflows personalize your content based on what customers do, sending timely follow-ups and tailored promotional offers. Automation provides consistent communication, nurtures leads and engages your audience more effectively—all while freeing up time and resources to focus on other important tasks.

Segment your audience and tailor the send times

Another strategy that can fuel your email newsletter’s success is delivering tailored material and improving customers’ lifetime value by 33%. Segment your target audience to learn their requirements, preferences and tastes. Research and experiment to create small segments based on what your customers like and hate. 

FAQs

What is the best time of day to send an email newsletter?

The best time to send an email newsletter is at 10:00 AM because your customers start working at this time, and they go through their business emails first.

What are the best hours for a newsletter?

The best times to send newsletters are generally mid-morning, particularly between 10:00 AM and 12:00 noon and about 3:00 PM. These are the best hours for recipients to pay maximum attention and interact with your email newsletter.

What are the best email newsletter times?

The best days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sending emails on these days yields higher engagement rates.

What time are people most active on email?

People read their emails more actively during the morning hours of 10:00 AM. This is when they have settled into their work routine and read emails. The afternoon, around 3:00 PM, is also a time of high email activity.

Learn more

Sending an email at the right time optimizes your engagement while ensuring visually appealing newsletters. You can enhance your email campaigns by implementing the recommended timing strategies and considering the insights shared in this article. Talk to us to discover how our tailored solutions boost your email engagement and drive conversions.