Perfecting Relevant Timing in Your Email Marketing

The relevant timing at which you send your emails can have a huge impact on how recipients perceive and engage with your content. Sending emails at the optimal time, when customers are most likely to be receptive, is a key facet of relevant timing in email marketing. By carefully considering the schedules and behaviors of your subscribers, you can significantly improve open rates, click-throughs and conversion rates.

Analyze data on subscriber activity.

Examine time stamps of when subscribers open, click and make purchases from previous emails. This data shows peaks in engagement at certain times of day and days of the week. You can also look at website traffic patterns to determine the periods when subscribers are most active. Studying this historical data reveals the relevant timing for your audience.

Segment your lists based on behavior.

Split your subscriber list into segments based on various demographic and behavioral indicators. Send different content to different segments at the times that work best. For example, send work-related content to professional subscribers during weekdays, and lifestyle content to moms on weekends. Tailoring timing to individual segments improves the chances your emails will be received when subscribers are ready to engage.

Furthermore, consider personal schedules. For recurring subscribers like customers or clients, relevant timing can be personalized based on their known routines. Send updates right before a client’s workday starts, reminders before an appointment, and promotional emails during evenings or weekends when likely not busy. Personalized scheduling builds credibility and increases the chances subscribers will act upon your emails.

Test different sending times for new campaigns.

For each new campaign, A/B test different sending times to determine which performs best. Send identical emails to split groups at different hours to compare open rates, click-throughs and unsubscribes. Over multiple tests, a pattern likely emerges showing the optimal sending window. Once found, default all future similar emails to that relevant timing.

However, remain consistent with schedules. While testing different times, stick to a consistent schedule within a campaign. Subscribers form habits around when to expect your emails. Irregular timings can cause recipients to miss or forget about emails. Once you identify the relevant timing for a list or segment, stick to a regular cadence sending all related emails at that time.

In summary, minor adjustments to the timing of your email marketing can make a big difference. Relevant timing means sending emails when subscribers are most likely to engage based on their routines, schedules and preferences. Analyze subscriber behavior data, segment lists, personalize to known routines, A/B test different schedules and maintain consistency once optimal timing is established. Integrating relevant timing into your email strategy simply involves paying attention to when – not just what and how – you communicate with subscribers.