The right message at the right time. It’s an art! Getting it right often means high conversion. One of the parameters is the exact time when you’re letting your mailing loose on your target audience.
If you’re looking closely at the statistics of an email campaign, you have to acknowledge that the first hour after your sending time your reading density reaches its peak. And that is what you need to get a click through and eventually a sale.
On top
In the second hour, your reading density is starting to drop, and finally gets into the really low numbers. The explanation is simple. The fresher your message is in the inbox, the bigger the chance it has to get read. That’s because your contact automatically reads what comes in. But also if he is cleaning up his inbox, the first few minutes he is much more open to different messages, and the chance of getting opened is higher. The further he is in his list of emails, the lower his motivation gets. Of course you’re subject line and preheader can entice him to choose your email from the pile, but entering the inbox at the exact moment your contact has his finger on the mouse is your ideal moment.
Young mothers
In a B2C environment it is often said that the best time to send an email campaigns is 17 o’clock. You’ll contacts will find your message in their inbox when they get home from work. But a young mom is very busy at that time picking up the kids from daycare or school. And when she gets home, her computer isn’t waiting, but the kitchen counter is. There has to get food on the table. The youngest still needs a bath and… before you now it, it’s already 10 o’clock before your contact gets to her inbox. If you remember the facts from the statistics above, you know that you’ve missed an interesting opportunity.
Pupils
Teens who leave school at 4 have an entirely different agenda. They use their smartphone to quckly check their Facebook and email before getting on the school bus, and continue surfing the web once they’re on it. When they get home, they eat. And then your window of opportunity has passed: their schoolwork is waiting.
The two target groups we describe here are just examples. But we think the message is clear. Maybe you should segment and differentiate your contacts on the expected time of opening as well. It’s no surprise that B2C campaigns that are sent on Sunday get high results!
