What is the Best Time To Send Emails? (2024)

When are you sending your emails?

Do you schedule them or let automation take care of them, regardless of when your messages go out? This isn’t the smartest approach. You need to know and abide by the best times to send emails.

These times weren’t selected at random. They’re backed by data consisting of hundreds of email audiences like yours. Without following these recommendations, your emails will get consistently lower open and click-through rates.

That’s a real shame, especially given the time and cash investment that an email marketing campaign so often requires. Something as small as sending an email an hour or two later or a day earlier than you usually do can drive major engagement.

If you have no idea when the correct time to send emails is, that’s fine. This guide is jam-packed with recent, data-backed insights that account for how audience behaviors have changed with today’s technology.

You can confidently communicate with your audience via an email campaign and drive the results you’ve always wanted with this information, so don’t miss it.

Data-Backed Insights: Best Time to Send Emails

Did we send emails at the exact times in the 2010s as in the 2020s? Nope, and that’s precisely why it’s so important to know your stuff. The best time to send emails changes; even the times I’m recommending now won’t always be the status quo.

But for now, let’s focus on the present and answer that most burning question.

When is the best time to send emails?

To answer this all-important question, I combed through the most recent data from the heaviest hitters in digital marketing (well, besides us at EngageBay, that is). I’m talking about OptinMonster, Moosend, Mailshake, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and more.

Of course, everyone has a different answer, so let’s delve deeper into their insights.

• Moosend recommends sending emails at 9 to 11 a.m., then later, between 1 and 2 p.m., if you miss the morning rush.
• EmailAnalytics confirms what Moosend said, citing 1 p.m. as its most recommended time and 10 a.m. as the second-most popular.
• OptinMonster recommended its times according to industry. Here’s a breakdown:
  • Offline hospitality or retail: 8 to 10 a.m.
  • Marketing services: 4 p.m.
  • Non-governmental organizations: 3 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • SaaS: 2 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • eCommerce: 10 a.m.
  • B2B professional services: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• HubSpot noted that 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. was the most popular time to send emails, according to a survey of more than 150 advertising and marketing professionals in the United States. The next best time to deliver emails was 12 to 3 p.m., followed by 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.
• Mailshake, like HubSpot, also recommends an earlier email time slot, 6 a.m., followed by 8 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

If you put it all together, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. are the peak engagement times, especially for B2B emails. That’s followed by 8 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

Let’s break it down into table form:

Understanding Your Audience’s Behavior

There’s a reason that not all the primary marketing resources above agreed on one concrete time to send emails. It’s because factors are at play, with your audience being the biggest.

The best time to send emails to one audience versus another can vary by factors such as your industry or message type. So, I figure it’s only fair we delve deeper into that.

Tailoring send times to your audience

Besides the above, audience demographics are an overarching factor in when you should send your emails. Let’s break it down further:

• Industry/job role: Some jobs rely on employees checking their emails frequently, but not all of them. If most of your audience can readily review their messages, you have a better chance of converting them during working hours.
• Age: Younger generations never go anywhere without their phones, whereas older generations are more than fine with putting the device down for most of the day. That means you have to connect at the right time, or you could miss your chance for that day.
• Location: You must also factor in the customer or lead’s location. If they’re halfway across the world, you have to build in time zones to ensure you reach them at a time that makes sense in their part of the world and not necessarily yours. Automation is excellent for this.

So, how do you know the best time to send an email to your particular audience? Well, since everyone is different, I can’t stress enough the importance of A/B testing.

If you’re unfamiliar, A/B or split testing compares the variables of an email against two audiences. One of the biggest variables to test is send time, in addition to the subject line, body content, graphics and imagery, and CTA buttons (including color, size, copy, and placement).

In this case, I recommend combining A/B testing with audience segmentation for the best results. Use behavior-based segmentation, such as B2B vs. B2C audiences or office workers vs. freelancers.

If this is your first foray into audience segmentation, EngageBay has got you covered. This cost-efficient tool for businesses of all sizes includes solutions for sales, marketing, and service. Within the Marketing Bay, you’ll find all the audience segmentation tools you need.

You can create Smart Lists and Static Lists, with the former updating according to triggers you set, such as email interactions, form submissions, or page views.

If you’d rather have more control, EngageBay lets you create custom filters for segmentation, or you can split your customers by behaviors. It’s up to you.

Once you’ve settled that part, EngageBay also includes email automation, so it’s truly an all-in-one tool for your email marketing needs.

Read more: What Is Average Email Click Rate? Formula and Case Studies

Best Days of the Week for Sending Emails

Okay, we’ve discussed the best time to send emails thoroughly, but what about the ideal days? I’m sure it won’t surprise you when I say there isn’t one specific day recommended for emailing, but several.

What is the best day to send emails?

Let’s go over each of the top days with recent data backing up why they’re great times to send emails.

Tuesdays

According to data from Mailmunch, open rates on Tuesday are up to 18 percent, which is higher than you’ll get any other day.

Some marketing resources believe Tuesday is the best day of the week for email marketing, while others give that crown to Thursday.

Whichever day of the two you prefer, there are sound reasons that it should be Tuesday. People are out of the beginning-of-the-week slump that Monday brings and ready to knuckle down and get the workweek out of the way.

They usually feel productive, hopeful, and energized. In other words, they’re an ideal audience to be receptive to your email marketing.

If you choose Tuesday to send an email, do it earlier in the morning, such as between 10 and 11 a.m.

Wednesdays

Look, sometimes you forget to check the calendar and utterly blank on which day it is. Then whoops, it’s Wednesday already. While it’s a nice feeling to be midway through the week, what’s not so lovely is if you planned on emailing your audience on Tuesday and forgot.

Well, not to fear. Wednesday is here!

Sandwiched between Tuesday and Thursday, the engagement rates aren’t as high on this day. However, it’s still a viable option if you didn’t get to email your audience the prior day but don’t want to wait until Thursday.

Thursdays

Moosend champions Thursday as the top day to email your audience. According to them, the highest rate of opens occurs on Thursdays, usually between 8 and 9 a.m.

Think about it from the perspective of your audience. The week is almost over on Thursday. It’s not quite Friday, but it’s so close they can taste it. It’s hard not to feel in a good mood on a Thursday, yet all productivity hasn’t dropped out of their days yet, either.

What happens after Thursday? Should you still send emails?

Well, you can, but the engagement rate will drop more and more until next Tuesday.

Friday around lunchtime (so noon) is your last chance to grab your audience that week. As it gets later into the day, they’re thinking about clocking out and starting their weekend, not checking emails.

And on the weekend, the open rates can drop to around 7%, making it not worth your time to send a message until next Tuesday at the earliest.

Avoiding email fatigue

Listen, trying to discern the best time to send emails and the right day can tire out anybody. You might start feeling like you’re pestering your audience rather than having conducive conversations.

Email fatigue is real, especially if your open and click-through rates remain low.

Fortunately, no rule says you only have to use email to communicate with your audience. Why not send a few SMS messages or engage on social media?

The beauty of a multichannel strategy is that you can reach your audience on the platforms they use the most.

Often, marketers find that very effective for driving campaign success.

Read more: How to Send an Outreach Email That Converts

A/B Testing, Device, and Time Zone Considerations

You know now how vital audience is when discovering the best time to send emails, so I want to explore further the considerations to bear in mind as you proceed.

How to find the best time for your audience

Remember how I talked about A/B testing and how you must compare different variables? That applies to every variable regarding email send times and dates. I’m speaking Tuesday at 7 a.m. versus Tuesday at 8 a.m., and so on for each day you’ve identified as viable for your audience.

Talk about time-consuming, right? I get you, but A/B testing is a necessity. It’s the only way to find your audience’s peak engagement date/time. Remember, you can use a tool like EngageBay to get there.

I’ve mentioned time zones a few times, but you have to give them the right level of consideration. That is, you should use time zone as a segmentation criterion, as it’s critical for global businesses to schedule emails based on their recipients’ time zones, not their own.

Oh, and then there’s another primary consideration: the reader’s device.

In 2023 alone, 1.7 billion people checked their email using a mobile device, a number I’m sure is climbing in 2024 and beyond. If your emails aren’t optimized for mobile devices, you lose a considerable share of potential customers.

How do you optimize your emails for mobile? Let’s review:

• Watch your font size. If it’s too large, it will render the rest of the email incorrectly. However, if your font is too small, no one on mobile devices can read it without squinting.
• Keep your subject lines within 50 to 60 characters. If you go longer than that, your message will be cut off, confusing your readers.
• While you can incorporate images into your emails, ensure they’re compressed so they don’t bog down the email load time or move other elements out of whack.
• Watch your email width. It will look squished on mobile devices if it’s too narrow, but if it’s too wide, it will be hard to read.
• Use whitespace or negative space, making your email elements easier to digest.
• Write short paragraphs of copy. A paragraph shouldn’t be longer than two or three lines, so your paragraphs don’t look bloated on smaller device screens.
• Use bullet points to break down more significant concepts and add formatting, especially subheads.
• A/B test your email before sending.

I also recommend a responsive design, which will load the same on mobile devices like tablets and phones as on desktop and laptop computers.

Read more: Essential Email Etiquette Rules When Sending Group Emails

Key Takeaways: Optimizing Email Engagement

I’m sure you’re itching to open your messages now that you know the best times to send an email. Fortunately, this section contains tips that will help you skyrocket your email marketing metrics.

How to improve your email open rates

Okay, so let’s jump right into it!

Write compelling subject lines

There are dozens of ways to make your subject lines better. You may ask a thought-provoking question that makes the reader stop and think. They eagerly opened your email and were excited to learn more.

Or you could play up their sense of FOMO. You could mention your deal in the subject line, such as “Our 50% Off Sale Starts NOW.” You might add a couple of emojis and maybe even the odd exclamation point when it feels right.

Just remember: 50 to 60 characters, max. That includes spaces, punctuation, emojis, and the whole nine yards.

Make your header work harder

An email header is like preview text that complements the message in your subject line. It can further incentivize your reader to open your email, but only if you fully use it.

Preview text should only be between 30 and 80 characters, or your message will be cut off.

Use personalization

One of the best ways to motivate more people to open your emails is through personalization. No, I’m not only referring to using the recipient’s name in the subject line, although that’s a good start.

Take your knowledge about the customer and use it, recommending products or services that you know they’d be interested in based on their browsing and purchasing history.

Consider dynamic email content that changes depending on customer actions.

Learn your timing

The best time to send an email is genuinely all conjecture. Yes, I know I’ve spent this entire time sharing statistics with you, but still, every audience is different.

The only way to know which days and times your audience will resonate is to test and experiment.

You might not feel like throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks, but it’s required here. You can use the results of your email experimentation to rule out specific days and times for emailing your audience going forward.

Ask for feedback

If your email open rates still aren’t spectacular, you should consider connecting with your audience and requesting they share feedback about your emails. Maybe they wish you would send your messages earlier in the day or later, or even on a different day altogether.

Use this feedback to improve your email sending, and your open and click-through rates should steadily climb.

Test and test some more

A/B testing isn’t a one-time effort. You need to do it with every email marketing campaign and message you send to ensure your audience will engage with the content. Get into the habit of split-testing your emails early so you can send them for timely occasions such as birthdays, professional anniversaries, and holidays.

Read more: How to End an Email Appropriately: Tips & Examples

Conclusion

The best time to send an email depends very much on your audience, but 2024 data has found that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 6 and 9 a.m., then later at 1 to 3 p.m., drive the most engagement.

Use those dates and times as your starting point, leveraging the data-backed strategies I shared to improve engagement. That said, don’t be afraid to experiment to see what resonates with your audience.

Additionally, incorporate A/B testing into your routine if you haven’t already, and ensure you personalize your emails. These keys to success will help you achieve higher opens and clicks.