The document humorously explores the worst times to send email marketing messages, highlighting that timing varies for each recipient. It lists specific days and times, such as weekends, Monday mornings, and meal times, that are generally ineffective for engagement. Ultimately, it suggests moving away from generic mass emails to more personalized, behavior-triggered communications.

1. What Are the Worst Times to
Send Email Marketing Messages?
A tongue in cheek response to the
enduring question:
“What’s the best time to send email?”

2. One of the most frequently asked
questions in email marketing is:
“What’s the best time to send
email?”
2

3. Answers:
1) It is different for each individual recipient.
2) Send based on past individual email open and
click interaction.
3) Move away from generic broadcast emails sent at
one time, to automated emails triggered in real
time based on each individual recipient’s behavior.
3

4. OK, but let’s have some fun with
this question ..by flipping it on its
head … in a not so serious way.
4

5. “What’s the WORST time to
send email?”
5

6. 1. Saturday?: People are playing
golf, shopping, going to soccer
games – who has time for email?
6

7. 2. Sunday?: A day of rest, many
folks are religious about not
checking email on Sunday.
7

8. 3. Monday?: Whoa, people have
too many things to do after the
weekend … and too many emails
in their inbox.
8

9. 4. Friday?: People are trying to
wrap-up things before heading off
for the weekend? Checking
email, not.
9

10. 5. Tuesday?: This is when all of
your competitors were told to
send their email – so this is the
most difficult time to stand out in
the inbox. Forget it.
10

11. 6. Wednesday?: Hump day. You
kidding me? People are just
trying to make it through this mid-
week hurdle of a day.
11

12. 7. Thursday?: Not quite …since
your recipients are busy checking
their email that backed up from
the rest of the week – yours will
certainly get lost.
12

13. 8. 10 am EST?: Perfect for those
east coasters just getting into the
office. Oops, too early for those
on the west coast and Hawaii.
13

14. 9. 7 am EST?: Excellent. Top of
east coast folk’s inbox. Shucks,
but at 4 am on the left coast,
definitely lost among the
overnight spam.
14

15. 10. Midnight to 6 am EST?:
Hmm, too late for most and
simply lost among the Viagra
emails sent in the middle of the
night. Try again.
15

16. 11. Lunch time?: Possibly …
darn, folks are too busy eating
their turkey and Swiss sandwich
to be able to focus and act on
your email.
16

17. 12. Late afternoon?: Like late
afternoon for whom? Folks are
either picking up kids from school
or getting that presentation done
before the end of the day.
17

18. 13. Dinner time?: No one
answers their phone anymore at
this time – do you want to be
“that guy” because of your
dinner-time emails?
18

19. 14. Anytime?: Yikes, looks like
you can’t send emails at anytime
as lots of subscribers will simply
not be checking their email?
19

20. 15. 9PM ET on Sunday?:
Because that's when Keeping Up
With The Kardashians is on.
Via DJ Waldow, Waldow Social - @DJWaldow
20

21. 16. 8 am on December 25th?:
...everyone is opening presents.
via Andrew Kordek, Trendline Interactive - @AndrewKordek
21

22. 17. Early August?: When just
about everyone is enjoying their
much needed vacations…
via Remy Bergsma, MailPlus - @RemyBergsma
22

23. 18. On National "Clear Your
Inbox“ Day?
via GroupMail - @GroupMail
23

24. 19. During a blackout?
via GroupMail - @GroupMail
24

25. 20. On the same day that your
domain is used for a phishing
scam?
via GroupMail - @GroupMail
25

26. 21. Rainy days?: Because
everyone is checking the weather
instead of their email.
via Alyson Engle, Silverpop - @allyengle
26

27. 22. Sunny days?: Because
people are finding ways to get
outside instead of checking
email.
via Alyson Engle, Silverpop - @allyengle
27

28. 23. Between 1-3 pm midweek?:
Because that's when everybody
posts on Facebook, so clearly
users aren't checking their email.
via Stephan Hovnanian, Shovi Websites - @Shoviweb
28

29. 24. 6-9a?: Moms gotta get the
kids up, dressed, fed, off to
school.
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
29

30. 25. 9a-Noon?: OMG, you should
see the house after the kids
leave! Gotta clean.
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
30

31. 26. Noon-3p?: Ha! No way, that's
my nap time - been up since 6a!
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
31

32. 27. 3pm-6pm?: How can I check
email when the kids are now
home? Have to be the homework
police!
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
32

33. 28. 6pm-9pm?: Right. Like I'm
going to check email when my
entire family wants dinner. Yeah,
that's not gonna happen.
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
33

34. 29. 9pm-Midnight?: Maybe?
Doubtful. Finally got the kids in
bed. Time for a glass of wine and
a good book.
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
34

35. 30. Midnight-6am?: Nope. Need
my beauty sleep to face the next
day starting at 6am!
via Liz Bross, Silverpop - @liz_bross
35

36. 31. During the Superbowl,
because people like to see ads
around that time.
via Jordie van Rijn, Email Consultant - @jvanrijn
36

37. 32. Your contribution here…
And your name here…submit your worst time!
37

38. Have some of your own fun “worst times
to send email” contributions?
Tweet @LorenMcDonald and I’ll add my
favorites to this presentation.
38

39. For a serious look at the “Best Time” Question …
• The Last 'Best Time to Send?' Article – Email Insider column
• STO Revisited: What We’ve Learned About the Best Time to Send
Email – Silverpop blog post
• The Best Time to Send Email: Catching Recipients When They're in
Their Inboxes – Silverpop newsletter article
• In Search of the Ideal Send Time – Silverpop Webinar/SlideShare
presentation
• When is the best time to send an email? – Silverpop FAQ
• In Search of the Perfect Time to Send Email – Silverpop YouTube
video
39