Haiden Hibbert
75% of consumers prefer to hear from brands via email over any other form of communication, according to a recent report. What does this mean?
Newsletters are not dead, after all! Quite the opposite.
Sending emails and newsletters to your subscribers continues to be a great way to keep your audience engaged and grow your digital business. But to stand out and ensure your emails actually get opened, it’s important to hit send at the right time.
So, when are people most likely to check their emails? Let’s take a look at the best time to send a newsletter, as well as a few other things that can influence your open rates.
Table of Contents
When is the best time to send your newsletter?
Figuring out the best time to send your newsletter can be tricky, as it largely depends on your specific audience and their email engagement habits. However, several industry studies provide valuable insights into general email engagement trends that can help guide your decision:
- Mailerlite suggests sending newsletters between 11am and 12pm, or 6pm and 7pm.
- The 2024 Email Engagement Survey from Mailjet found that 55.2% of consumers check their email at some point during the morning hours (just not first thing in the morning).
- HubSpot‘s research resulted in a bigger range early on in the day – between 9am and 12pm.
- GetResponse, on the other hand, recommends sending two emails in a day to increase the change of subscribers seeing and opening them – one between 4am and 6am and another between 5pm and 7pm.
Newsletter tip: As you can see, the research is across the board for the best time to send your newsletter, so don’t be afraid to experiment with timing. Make sure to pay attention to open and click rates when you test out something new. Most email marketing tools also have A/B testing capabilities or optimal send time features that make this easy.
What about the best day to send?
Industry experts, including Mailerlite, Mailjet, and Wordstream, suggest that Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday are the optimal days to send newsletters. This makes sense when you consider the typical work week:
- On Mondays, people are often gearing up for the week ahead and may not want to be bothered with non-essential emails.
- By Friday, many people are winding down and looking forward to the weekend, making them less likely to engage with newsletters.
- Weekends tend to be busy with leisure activities, so newsletter engagement may be lower.
What influences the best sending time?
To help you determine the best time to send your newsletter, you’ll want to consider a few things about your subscribers first, including:
- Your business’ niche – Different industries have different peak times for email engagement. For example, B2B companies may find better success sending emails during business hours, while B2C companies might see better results outside 9-5.
- The demographic of your audience – Your target audience’s age, occupation, and lifestyle can influence when they are most likely to check their emails.
- The content of your newsletter – Consider what your newsletter is about and how it relates to your audience’s daily routine. For example, informational, news-driven content may do better in the morning when people are starting their day, while recreational or hobby-related newsletters might have higher engagement in the evening.
Other best practices
While sending your newsletter at the right time may improve open rates, it’s not the only factor to consider. Other best practices include:
- Crafting creative and compelling subject lines to grab your subscribers’ attention
- Optimizing your email frequency to avoid overwhelming your audience
- Providing engaging, valuable content that resonates with your subscribers
- Segmenting your email list to deliver targeted, relevant messages
- Ensuring your emails are mobile-friendly, as many people check their emails on their smartphones
- Analyzing your email metrics regularly to identify areas for improvement
- Offering exclusive content via a paid newsletter to your most-engaged subscribers
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Final Thoughts
While there are general guidelines, such as sending newsletters in the morning or evening on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, the best timing for your specific audience may vary, and it’s best to experiment to find the sweet spot for your subscribers.
And remember – email timing is just one piece of the puzzle! To truly engage your subscribers and build a loyal following, focus on creating valuable, relevant content and continuously refining your email strategy based on your unique audience’s preferences and behaviors.
If you’re interested in monetizing your newsletter, check out our guide on How to Create a Paid Newsletter with MemberSpace.
