Summary
The impact of a specific newsletter send time on sender reputation and deliverability is complex and multifaceted. While some sources suggest optimal send times (Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 AM - 11 AM), they emphasize the importance of knowing your audience, industry, and the need for testing. Several experts highlight that recipient engagement is a primary driver of sender reputation. Issues with ESPs possibly not sending at specified times due to technical issues are raised, which suggests offsetting from common intervals (:00, :30). Maintaining consistent volume is important for ISPs to identify traffic. Time zone segmentation provides optimal delivery based on recipient location. Some resources advise caution against sending at the same time everyday to avoid spam filters. More generally, sending emails only to engaged subscribers and suppressing unengaged recipients is seen as more effective than simply focusing on send time. Ultimately, the 'best' approach depends on individual circumstances.
Key findings
- Audience First: Knowing your specific audience and their engagement patterns is critical for determining the best send time.
- General Recommendations: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM are often cited as good starting points, but are not universally applicable.
- ESP Realities: ESPs might not send emails at the exact scheduled time, introducing variability.
- Offset for Congestion: Offsetting send times by a few minutes from common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) can reduce congestion.
- Engagement is Paramount: High recipient engagement positively influences sender reputation and deliverability.
- Volume Consistency: Maintaining a consistent sending volume helps ISPs establish a baseline for your traffic.
- Time Zone Awareness: Segmenting and sending by time zone optimizes delivery for local engagement.
- Vary Send Times: Sending at the exact same time every day could trigger spam filters.
Key considerations
- Audience Analysis: Thoroughly analyze your email data to determine optimal send times for your specific audience.
- Industry Context: Consider industry-specific trends and best practices, but always validate with your own data.
- ESP Technicalities: Be mindful of potential ESP limitations and plan sending strategies accordingly.
- Strategic Offsetting: Experiment with offsetting send times from common intervals to minimize delivery delays.
- Engagement Focus: Prioritize strategies to improve recipient engagement with your emails.
- Volume Monitoring: Closely monitor your sending volume and avoid sudden spikes or drops.
- Time Zone Implementation: Implement time zone segmentation within your email marketing platform.
- Time of Day Variation: Introduce random variation into your sending times each day to avoid being flagged as spam.
- A/B Testing: Use A/B testing to determine ideal send times for different customer segments.
What email marketers say
15 marketer opinions
Multiple factors influence whether specific newsletter send times impact sender reputation and deliverability. Some sources suggest general optimal times (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM), but emphasize knowing your audience and industry, testing different times, and analyzing your own data. Others highlight potential ESP inaccuracies in delivering at the specified time, suggesting to avoid common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) and to offset sending times to mitigate congestion. Accounting for time zone differences and segment calculation delays can also affect actual delivery. Consistently sending emails to engaged subscribers is also important. Ultimately, there is no universally 'best' time, and the optimal send time is unique for each sender.
Key opinions
- Optimal Days & Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM are often cited as ideal times, but this varies.
- Audience Matters: Understanding your specific audience and their behavior is crucial for determining the best send time.
- ESP Inaccuracies: ESPs may not send emails at the exact specified time due to segment calculation or system load.
- Avoid Common Intervals: Sending emails at :00 or :30 may lead to congestion, so offsetting send times is recommended.
- Engagement is Key: Engagement and deliverability are linked, sending only to engaged subscribers boosts sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Audience Analysis: Analyze your own email data to identify when your audience is most active and engaged.
- Industry Variations: Consider your industry and tailor your send times to align with typical audience behaviors within that industry.
- ESP Limitations: Be aware of potential ESP limitations in delivering emails at the exact specified time.
- Time Zone Optimization: Use time zone-based sending to ensure subscribers receive emails at optimal local times.
- A/B Testing: Continuously A/B test different send times to identify what works best for your audience.
- Engagement Based Sending: Send only to engaged users to ensure good sending reputation.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests avoiding sending at :00 or :30 minutes, recommending instead to pick less common times like :08 or :37 for better delivery.
30 Dec 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot shares that you should consider your target audience and industry when deciding on optimal email send times. They state that businesses in the real estate industry will have very different results than those in the tech industry, so it's up to the individual business to decide what's best for them.
26 Jan 2023 - HubSpot
What the experts say
7 expert opinions
Experts suggest that while send time can play a role, other factors are more critical for sender reputation and deliverability. Recipient reaction to mail (engagement), consistent sending volume, and sending only to engaged users are highlighted. Offsetting send times by a few minutes can help avoid congestion. While send time can be a minor factor in deliverability, more weight is placed on sending volume and engagement.
Key opinions
- Reputation is Based on Recipient Reaction: Sender reputation primarily depends on how recipients interact with your mail, not solely on the time it's sent.
- Offset Send Times: Offsetting send times by a few minutes can help avoid congestion and competition for inbox placement.
- Consistent Volume Matters: Consistent sending volume helps ISPs identify traffic patterns and build a sender reputation.
- Engagement is Crucial: Sending only to engaged users significantly protects sender reputation and is more effective than focusing solely on send time.
- ISPs Drive Change: ESPs often only prioritize deliverability-related development when major ISPs demand it.
Key considerations
- Monitor Recipient Engagement: Pay close attention to how recipients are reacting to your mail (opens, clicks, spam complaints) and adjust your sending practices accordingly.
- Experiment with Offset Times: Try sending emails a few minutes before or after common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) to potentially improve deliverability.
- Maintain Consistent Sending Habits: Establish and maintain a consistent sending volume to help ISPs understand your traffic patterns.
- Implement an Engagement Strategy: Focus on building and maintaining engagement with your subscribers. Suppress or remove unengaged users from your mailing list.
- Prioritize Content and Value: Ensure your emails provide valuable content to recipients to encourage engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares to offset send times by a few minutes (e.g., 6:23 instead of 6:30) to avoid competition for inbox placement with other senders.
14 Jun 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource says that engagement, and content are key influencers of deliverability and inbox placement. They do not directly address send time.
22 Jun 2024 - Spamresource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email deliverability is influenced by various factors beyond just the specific send time. Consistent sending from the same IP address and domain builds a positive reputation. Maintaining consistent sending volumes and avoiding spikes also improves deliverability. Segmenting audiences by time zone and sending at optimal local times enhances engagement. However, repeatedly sending emails at the exact same time can trigger spam filters. Thus, while consistency is important, some variation in send time may be beneficial.
Key findings
- Consistent Sending Infrastructure: Using the same IP address and domain consistently builds a positive sender reputation.
- Consistent Sending Volume: Maintaining consistent sending volumes and avoiding sudden spikes are important for deliverability.
- Time Zone Segmentation: Segmenting audiences by time zone and sending at optimal local times improves engagement.
- Avoid Identical Send Times: Repeatedly sending emails at the exact same time can trigger spam filters.
- Engagement Impacts Reputation: Sending emails when recipients are likely to engage has a positive effect on your sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Maintain Infrastructure Consistency: Ensure you are sending emails from the same IP address and domain consistently.
- Monitor Sending Volume: Avoid sudden increases or decreases in your sending volume.
- Implement Time Zone Segmentation: Segment your audience by time zone and schedule emails to be sent at optimal local times.
- Vary Send Times: Avoid sending emails at the exact same time every day. Introduce some variation into your sending schedule.
- Encourage Engagement: Focus on creating engaging content that encourages recipients to interact with your emails.
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost says that sending emails at the same time can trigger spam filters. They state that if you send at the same time everyday, spam filters will learn to block you at that time.
18 Jul 2024 - SparkPost
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools states that consistently sending emails from the same IP address and domain can help build a positive reputation over time, which improves deliverability. They do not provide info on send time.
24 Nov 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
Are abuse reports and feedback loops (FBLs) still useful in email marketing, and how do they work with different email clients?
Can an email sender's reputation be permanently damaged by repeated cycles of massive sends and pauses?
Does decreased weekend volume on a dedicated IP affect deliverability?
Does domain/IP reputation affect BIMI logo display with VMC?
Does send time impact IP warmup and reputation when using a new ESP?
Does shifting email volume between IPs affect deliverability and IP reputation across different mailbox providers?
How can I improve email deliverability and open rates for a client with a bad domain reputation, especially with Gmail, and what strategies should I use for unengaged users?
How do email volume and volume fluctuations affect deliverability and sender reputation?
What are best practices for IP warming strategy and email volume scaling?
What are the best practices and schedules for warming up an IP address for email sending?
