The Best Time To Send A Newsletter

People ask us all the time when businesses should send out newsletters to their subscribers. There’s got to be a specific time when people are most likely to open your emails, right? A time when you’ll get your highest click through rates, and make your most sales?

Long Story Short…

No, there isn’t one single best time to send out your emails. There’s no guarantee that your subscribers will open your emails if you pick a specific day and a specific time. Mondays at 9 am aren’t necessarily better than Thursdays at noon.

BUT. 

Whether or not your subscriber will open and engage with your newsletter is based on if you send newsletters they look forward to receiving.

It doesn’t matter what time you send it—what matters is that you’re sharing content worth opening. And you can do that by knowing your audience, creating damn good content, and helping them in a meaningful way.

No matter whether you’re a service-based business or a product-based business, following these guidelines will allow you to reap the benefits of email marketing. 

Knowing Your Audience

When you build up your email list, you’re targeting a specific audience that is interested in what you have to offer. That means that your subscribers are already part of your ideal client demographic. As a result, you probably have a pretty good idea of what your subscribers want from you, what they need from you, and how you are uniquely positioned to help them. 

And if you don’t, it’s time to think about who’s subscribing to your email list and why.

Once you understand who’s signing up for your emails, you can get into the mindset of your subscribers to tailor your email marketing to them. Ask yourself when your audience would be most likely to open and read your emails—and then send your emails accordingly.

For example, if your target audience is busy moms, you could send your newsletter early in the morning before their kiddos get up. They might start looking forward to reading your emails with their cup of coffee in the morning. 

If your target audience is corporate employees trying to escape the 9-5 grind, you could email them at 6 PM when they get home from the office or at noon during their lunch break.

Content Your Subscribers Actually Want

Not only do you need to put yourself in the minds of your subscribers, but you need to actually deliver quality content.

Sending newsletters isn’t about beating an algorithm like we do on social media. Instead, it has to do with consistently sending content worth reading and opening—content your subscribers are interested in, look forward to getting, and that actually benefits them. 

Sending quality content often means providing free and valuable content! For service providers, maybe you help them increase their bottom line by sharing helpful advice or other tips and tricks. For e-commerce businesses, you could offer discounts, promotions, and early access they would never get elsewhere.

Even if you think you’re being overly generous, there’s really no limit to how much free information you can give away. When subscribers see what you can do for them for FREE, they’ll get excited about the idea of what you can do for them when they actually pay you.

It’s all about showcasing yourself as an industry expert and making sure you’re top of mind for your subscribers when there’s something they need.

E-Commerce Specifics

It’s worth noting that sharing sales and discounts aren’t the only thing e-commerce businesses can offer. There are plenty of other topics you can talk about that still get subscribers to open your emails!

Try sharing behind the scenes glimpses into your business or explain how your products are made. Share other valuable tips for using or cleaning your products, or showcase your personal favorite products that might be under appreciated. Another idea is to share your brand’s blog, which has the added benefit of driving traffic to your website. Don’t have a blog yet? Learn more about why blogs are worth having, no matter what type of business you own.

At the end of the day, just remember: Your emails can be memorable without having to provide discounts and monetary incentives every single time!

Sending Out Your Emails

Understanding your audience, and sending them quality content matters way more than what time you send your emails. Once you find a time that seems to work best (look at your data, friends!), try to stick with a consistent schedule so your audience can look forward to receiving your emails on a certain day/time.  

Any specific marketing strategy is going to depend on your business and figuring out exactly what your audience is looking for. Our email marketing intensive is the perfect way to zero in on an email strategy that fits your target audience—if you’re interested in email marketing support, get in touch with us.