Email providers are getting a lot better at sorting, categorising, and even segregating emails, especially ones that have been deemed as spam or marketing materials. In other words, your business just may be finding more of its emails headed to the dreaded spam folder than usual, depending on the time they were sent and opened. If you depend on email marketing to get your message across to the masses, then you absolutely have to know the best time to send an email via an email drip campaign. Realise that your clients will be living and even travelling to different time zones, so there isn’t going to be one best universal time. Even so, you can use the tips and tricks mentioned below to get a handle on your email marketing strategy.

Marketing Emails Sent Early in the Morning

Most people start their day in the morning. After a cup of coffee, a hot shower, and perhaps a hearty breakfast, your prospects are bound to be in a good mood, and thus more responsive to all sorts of sales pitches. In the morning, email recipients haven’t yet had to sit in traffic, nor have they been annoyed by their bosses or co-workers. On the other hand, not everyone checks their personal email first thing in the morning. Truly busy people will be focussed solely on work, so a misplaced email could become the instant source of their ire. In that regard, you may want to send emails out in the morning, – but not too early either. When consumers are still groggy and they are stressed about going to work, they do not want to read emails from companies selling them stuff – even if they are being offered great deals.

Emailing Leads Later in the Day

It is a good idea to send emails late in the day in anticipation of a huge sale, such as Black Friday. Shoppers will be anxious to get not only the most up to date information but also an advantage over other shoppers. In that regard, there really is no such a thing as sending a late email when consumers are anticipating midnight sales. But this strategy is very much the exception and not the rule. For most consumers, marketing emails sent too late in the day are not a welcome addition to their inboxes. Try not to send any emails to consumers that will arrive later than 8 or 9 PM, to be safe. A lot of times, people read emails only after they have unwound, enjoyed dinner, caught up with family and friends, and are getting ready to go to bed.

The Afternoon Rush

People, in general, have a handle on their workloads by the time the afternoon rolls around. By around three o’clock, they will be watching the clock, daydreaming about what they are going to have for supper as well as what shops they will need to drop in at before heading home. Well-timed afternoon marketing emails can appear at just the right time, and in the right place. On the other hand, they can either go overlooked or be ignored altogether. For instance, an afternoon marketing email sent on Friday afternoon might not even be seen until Monday afternoon. If you were advertising a weekend sale, your promotion probably would not have been seen by many shoppers. Try sending out afternoon emails in the middle of the week so that you will get the most eyeballs on each of your marketing campaigns. This will give shoppers time to read, plan for, and participate in promotions.

Finding the Sweet Spot – Timing Is Everything

So, there isn’t a right time to send emails, but there are other solutions. Some programs will allow you to detect what time-zone recipients reside in, allowing your company to stagger email blasts. You can also send out emails periodically, so they don’t bother readers no matter what time they are sent. Businesses that sent out daily emails almost always have something good to say – or goods to offer to customers – which leads them to not mind if emails are sent at 2 AM.

As long as your emails aren’t sent several times a day or at all hours of the night, most people will get around to reading your emails, even if they miss an important promotion. Base things around where your company is headquartered. So, if your company is in London, try sending out emails around 10 AM for optimal click-through rates. Otherwise, be open to any feedback that is given by consumers. Rest assured, if you are doing something well you will hear about it just as much as if you were sending out emails at all the wrong times. Customers will react to your marketing campaigns and let you know what is being done to capture their attention.

So the solution for any professional is easy when we talk about the best time to send emails. When you’ve found out the time when your leads and clients are most favorable to emails, schedule an email drip campaign and every email will be delivered right at the defined time according to the chosen timezone. This way, all the messages you send will be on the top of the Inboxes and recipients won’t miss an email from you.