Email campaigns are effective direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales opportunities. But not every email campaign works. To increase the likelihood of your emails being opened and generating sales, it’s essential to have compelling content and to send them at specific times when people are most receptive to your message. Let’s dive into the best time to send marketing emails.

Which Is the Best Day To Send Marketing Emails?

CampaignMonitor studied over 30 billion emails to collect data and found that Mondays had the highest open rates and Tuesdays had the highest click-through rates.

This gives you a starting point for your own campaigns. You’ll want to test the days with emails sent on other days as well and compare your open rates. You’ll also want to take note of your unsubscribe rates. You need to find that delicate balance of opens vs. unsubscribes. You’ll also want to keep in mind who your subscribers are.

For example, you might have a list of retired individuals who spend their days visiting with friends and playing pickleball. Sending them an email in the morning might not be effective because they aren’t in a place to respond to it. You’d be better off sending them a message in the early evening when they check their messages before they turn in for the night. The best time will depend on the customer personas that you have. Getting the time right might require some testing and noting when your open rates are the best.

Another study done by Omnisend that analyzed more than 2 billion emails showed that there is little difference between emails sent on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Open rates on Tuesday were 11.36%, just 0.03% higher than Wednesday’s open rate of 11.33% and just 0.07% higher than Thursday’s figure of 11.29%.

Additionally, Omnisend determined that while Tuesday is the best for open rates, Fridays are best for clicks and conversions. Obviously, you want to close deals, so knowing when the best conversion rate is important. Test different days to see what works best for your company and email list.

Which Is the Best Time of Day To Send Marketing Emails?

Just as there is a good day to send emails, there is also a best time to send them. As mentioned earlier, knowing your target audience is the first step. If you time it right, you can increase your chances of the email getting opened and the message being well received.

Omnisend’s study looked at emails sent throughout the day. It noted that the highest open rate was at 8 p.m. with a 59.46% open rate. This was followed by 2 p.m. when the open rate was 45.39%. Late at night was also good, with an 11 p.m. open rate of 40.66%. What was interesting about this study is that it was these hours in particular and not the hours immediately surrounding them that were the best.

Similarly, a HubSpot report from 2023 surveyed over 150 marketers who said their highest engagement for emails was between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.


Which Is the Worst Day To Send Marketing Emails?

Just as there is a best day to send emails, there is also a worst day to do so. This correlates to periods when people are busy with work or leisure and don’t have the time or energy to devote to an email blast. Omnisend’s research showed that Saturdays were the worst day to send an email, with only a 10.1% open rate. This is likely because people are busy with families on Saturdays and running errands to catch up on the week’s tasks. As you can guess, Sunday was also bad for open rates, with only a 10.27% open rate.

When it comes to conversions, the story changes slightly. While Saturdays are still the worst with a 4.97% conversion rate, Sundays were the third-best day for conversions with a 5.33% conversion rate. Despite Omnisend finding Tuesdays the best for open rates, they were second-worst for conversion rates at 5.13%.

Which Time of Day Is Worst To Send Marketing Emails?

According to Omnisend, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. are the worst times to send emails. But they aren’t the worst coming in at around 34% open rate. The worst time to send emails is in the early morning, with 4 a.m. being the worst and 3 a.m. coming in second. You can expect a 20% or less open rate at these times. However, click-through rates were best in the early morning, with 5 a.m. having a 5.79% click-through rate and 6 a.m. having a 5.31% click-through rate. The worst time for click-through rates is 8 p.m. with a less than 3% click-through rate.

As you can see, this is why it is important to test your company’s best time to send emails to get the best response that you want. You may be happy with high open rates that result in a lower conversion percentage or find that you are more profitable with lower open rates and higher conversion. Test your market and see what works best.


Tips To Get Higher Open Rates

Sending your email at the right time has a lot to do with the campaign’s success, but it isn’t the only thing to consider. Aside from timing things right, here are some tips to get the most out of your email campaign and get high open rates:

  • Create an enticing subject line: Pique the readers’ interest with the subject line.
  • Use reputable email marketing software: This will help you avoid spam filters.
  • Optimize your email for mobile: Most people will read email on their phone, so make it easy for them.
  • Segment your list: By segmenting your list, you can customize messaging to resonate with the specific audience.

Why Sending Marketing Emails Is Important

There are many reasons why email campaigns are important and why they should be part of your marketing strategy.

Increase Website Traffic

Good email campaigns can drive consumers to your website. The more visitors you have to your website, the better it may perform. With websites, it’s the law of numbers—the more eyes looking at your content, the more likely you are to make a sale. A good email campaign will promote content or specials on your website, sending people to visit the website to get the product or deal.

Build Loyalty and Develop Relationships With Customers

When you send an email, you’re telling customers about things happening with your company. This is a great way to develop relationships with your customers and those interested in your brand. Consumers begin to trust you when you send quality content in your emails. They see you and your brand often and feel better about doing business with you. Over time, loyalty is established and you can count on your email list to spread the word about your products and services when they can.

Increased Brand Awareness

When someone first signs up for your email list, they might not know a lot about you. They’ve seen enough to pique their interest about you but are eager to learn more. This is where an effective email campaign can help. As you send more emails, consumers become more familiar with what you do and what you sell. Not only that but the tone and vibe that your email gives will help customers better relate to your company.

Improve Sales

Waiting for people to visit your website and buy takes time and can feel quite passive. You don’t control when people visit the website and buy from you. Advertising can be pretty expensive. However, an email list is a cost-effective way to send a sales message to your followers to get them on your site to buy. When done right, an email campaign drives sales while boosting loyal feelings.


Bottom Line

Growing an email list takes time and you want to market to this list to optimize your company’s success best. You want the highest open and conversion rates possible while limiting the number of people who unsubscribe every time you send an email. Getting it right might take some time and testing on your part.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which two days are best for sending my marketing emails?

According to a few studies, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to send emails for the best open rates. Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays are the best days to send them to optimize click-through rates.

When is the best time to send emails to subscribers?

According to Omnisend, the best time of day to send emails is 8 p.m. followed by 2 p.m. To maximize click-through rates, the best time is early in the morning at 5 or 6 a.m. or in the evening at 5 or 6 p.m.

How often is too often for email marketing?

Most email marketers agree that sending an email more than two to three times per week is too much.