Timing still crucial for emails

200327030-002Marketers who think they are being clever by sending emails in the early hours to ensure they are top of people’s inboxes when they arrive in the office, are sadly mistaken, according to new research.
The study, by email and SMS marketing specialists Pure360, shows that only 4% of emails sent between midnight and 7am then go on to be opened.
In fact, the best time to send an email is now during the so-called “post-work peak” as people are finishing up at work and heading home. Over a quarter (26%) of marketing emails sent in the most successful hour, 5pm to 6pm, are opened – 9% above average.
Pure360 head of marketing Abi Jacks said: “It’s easy to make assumptions about consumer behaviour and many marketers believe that sending emails first thing in the morning benefits their open rates.
“But in fact our research shows that they need to really get to know their sector audience and be aware of unexpected trends – such as the habit people have for opening emails that they receive as the time-pressures of the work day ease off on the commute home.”
The research is based on the analysis of 40,000 email campaigns sent by over 140 companies in 24 sectors, between January and December 2012.
Based on the research, Pure360 has identified the peaks and troughs throughout the day of when consumers are most receptive to being sent emails. It has identified eight time-frames:

The Inbox Abyss (midnight to 7am): Only 4% of emails sent between midnight and 7am go on to be opened. However, B2B marketing bucks this trend, with emails sent between 1am and 2am being opened almost half the time (45%).
The Practical Pinnacle (7am-10am): Before work starts is an effective time to send emails about issues that could have been worrying people overnight. Finance, healthcare and recruitment all have their most successful hour before 10am.
The Hike of Hope (10am-12noon): People are receptive to opening emails sent at the start of the workday on more relaxing, leisure-based topics. For instance, almost a quarter (24%) of hotel offers sent between 10am and 11am are opened.
The Lunchtime Ledge (12noon-3pm): There is a lull between noon and 3pm, however, emails sent on functional concerns such as green issues, energy and technology perform best during these hours.
The Gradual Ascent (3pm-5pm): There is a “gradual ascent” in opening rates for emails sent between these times. For instance, travel emails sent at 3pm are more likely to be opened (41%) than at any other point of the day.
The Post-Work Peak (5pm-7pm): This is the best time to send a direct response email across all sectors. Over a quarter (26%) of emails sent in the most successful hour, 5pm to 6pm, are opened.
The Little Rock (7pm-9pm): There is another smaller peak in opening rates of emails sent at this time. This is the best period to send emails on topics requiring a lot of consideration, such as cars, education and insurance.
The Steep Descent (9pm-midnight): There is a fall off in opening rates of emails sent in the evening, although leisure and travel emails sent between 10pm and 11pm remain effective, with over a third being opened.

Pure360’s research also shows that autumn is the best time of year to launch an email campaign. Over a fifth (21%) of marketing messages sent between September and November are opened, compared to a 17% average.
The most successful months for events, hotels, retail, technology and travel emails are all in autumn, indicating that people get through the post-summer low by planning activities for the future.
Jacks comments: “It’s interesting to see that autumn is getting marketers the best results. We regularly see high volumes of email campaigns being sent around key holidays but this research confirms that they’re not having the biggest impact.
“It’s worth marketers looking for times when inboxes aren’t so competitive and recipients aren’t distracted by holidays and festivities.”

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