Is That Really the Best Time to Send B2B Emails?
by MGB2B
As B2B marketers we ask ourselves this question all the time. What’s the best day of the week? The best time of day? What are my odds?
If you do a search online, you’ll find hundreds of answers and lots of variation among them. Companies like Mail Chimp have charts galore on when people send emails. Some say your best bet is on a Tuesday. Others say Monday at 9am.
The reality is, if you’re looking at charts that show when people open their emails, the difference between Monday, Tuesday, and pretty much any other weekday (even Friday) is minimal. In fact, Fridays tend to have higher open rates, generally speaking, than Monday, Wednesday or Thursday.
But that’s actually irrelevant.
What is the best time and day for your company to send emails? It depends on what industry you’re in and who your audience is. But the problem is this: most B2B marketers have multiple audiences. And not all of them are checking email at the same time.
The fact is, there is no perfect time. But there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re not throwing darts in the dark.
- Segment Your Audience. Are you going after multiple verticals? You should probably send them separate emails with different types of insights.
- Think Like They Think. Once you’ve segmented your list, start thinking like your specific target audience. If I were an architect, when would I be most likely to check my emails? What if I were an engineer, or a contractor? Everyone has a different routine – it’s important to keep that in mind each time you send an email.
- Evaluate Your Message. Is your email about something that would be useful when they are preparing for their week on Sunday night? Is it a more casual, fun, entertaining message that might resonate more on a Friday? All of these things need to be taken into consideration before you hit send.
- Test It Out. Divide a segment into even smaller groups to test the timing, but keep the messaging exactly the same. Same subject line. Same visuals. Same links and body copy. What you find will tell you more than any chart you can find online. Watching your audiences over time and evaluating their behavior will help you find the day and time that’s right for you – and more importantly, right for them.