What is the best time to send cold emails? What our data says

How do you prevent your carefully crafted cold emails from sinking to the bottom of your prospect’s inbox - unopened, unread, and unloved?

We already know that timing plays an important part in your cold email outreach from an intent perspective. But it’s also critical from a basic engagement perspective because you want your email to land when your prospect is physically and mentally available to respond.

We dug into our Amplemarket user data across more than 200,000 leads to try and bring you an answer to that pivotal question: when is the best time to send cold emails?

How timing influences cold email success

The timing of your cold emails can directly impact their reception and engagement levels. Sending an email when your prospect is most likely to be receptive can significantly increase the likelihood of it being opened, read, and acted upon. 

Conversely, reaching out at an inopportune moment may result in your message being overlooked, deleted, or even relegated to the dreaded "spam" folder.

Moreover, timing influences more than just your first touch it encompasses the entire lifecycle of your email engagement. Following up at strategic intervals can reinforce your message, maintain momentum, and prompt action from your prospects. By synchronizing your outreach efforts with your recipients' schedules and preferences, you can position yourself for greater success in the competitive landscape of cold email marketing.

So to find the best sending window, you need to understand the daily rhythm of your target audience. Are they early birds who tackle their inbox first thing in the morning? Or do they prefer to ease into their workday before addressing emails? 

On that note - and before we look at what our data says - we have to remind you of an important caveat: there’s no universal “best time” to send cold emails! 

What works for some B2B sellers might not work for you. We can identify general patterns of behavior, but it’s up to you to test and refine your timing with your target audience.

When do prospects open the most cold emails?

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According to our Amplemarket data, peak times for prospects opening emails were on Wednesdays and Thursdays, typically between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM in their local time zones. 

Interestingly, there was a gradual uptick in email opens starting from 4:30 PM each day. This trend suggests prospects start clearing their inboxes as their day winds down.

You can leverage these insights by scheduling your emails to align with these specific time frames. By doing so, you can limit the chances of your messages being lost or overlooked amidst a flood of other emails in their prospects' inboxes.

When do prospects reply to the most cold emails?

In contrast to what we saw above, prospects showed a higher likelihood of replying to emails during the early morning hours, particularly between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

So whilst prospects may tend to open emails towards the end of the day, this data suggests they’ll often hold off on responding until the following morning.

Additionally, we can see a slight increase in replies on Fridays, particularly between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, just before individuals wrapped up their workweek and signed off for the weekend.

What’s the best time to send cold emails?

So what do we do with the data above?

We’ve uncovered an interesting nuance in cold email timing: prospects don’t necessarily reply at the same time and they open your email.

There’s a noticeable pattern in prospects opening emails towards the end of the day and then replying first thing in the morning, perhaps because they’ve had time to digest the email before answering.

From this, it could be worth scheduling your emails either late in the day - so they end the day towards the top of your prospect’s inbox - or very early in the morning, when prospects have fewer new emails to open but are more active in their replies.

In terms of the best days to send your emails, Wednesday-Friday seem to be the best times of week to engage with prospects, perhaps because they’re settled into the workweek and not overwhelmed by urgent tasks.

Remember: when we talk about “best times”, we’re referring to times in the prospect’s time zone - so make sure you adjust your sending windows if targeting prospects in different regions!

How to schedule cold emails for success: best practices

We’ve shown you what our data shows, but finding the most effective times to send cold emails to your target audience will take some experimentation. 

Here are some best practices to optimize your outbound scheduling:

1. A/B test and iterate: Experiment with different variables, such as send times, subject lines, and email content, using A/B testing. Analyze your results to identify what resonates best with your target audience and refine your approach accordingly. Remember, the best timing might vary across different audience segments, so the more testing you can do, the better.
2. Respect your prospect’s time zone: As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll need to tailor your delivery windows to each prospect’s time zone. Outbound tools like Amplemarket will help you do this automatically.
3. Keep emails concise and relevant: Respect recipients' time by delivering your message succinctly and focusing on the most relevant information. Try not to overwhelm them with lengthy paragraphs or unnecessary details that detract from your core message.
4. Utilize email tracking tools: Leverage email tracking tools like Amplemarket to gain valuable insights into recipient engagement patterns. Monitor metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and response rates to gauge the effectiveness of your outreach efforts at different times.
5. Fine-tune your sending windows: Remember to take into account public holidays or regional work hours when scheduling your outreach. We recommend you look for an automation platform that allows you to align your sending window with your prospect’s working hours.

Leveraging timing for cold email success

There are two things that can really help you optimize the timing of your cold emails: robust email performance data and automation. 

First, the more visibility you have over the performance of your email campaigns, the more you can fine-tune your scheduling and keep iterating for improvement.

Secondly, a powerful email automation tool will make your cold emailing more scalable and make it easier for you to engage more of your target audience in less time.

Amplemarlet gives you both! Between detailed email analytics and highly-customizable outbound automation, Amplemarket’s platform will help you build a more effective outreach engine that yields more conversions. Sign up for a demo today!

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FAQs

How long should a sales email be?

The ideal length of a sales email can vary depending on various factors, including your target audience, the complexity of your offer, and the nature of your relationship with the recipient. However, as a general guideline, it's recommended to keep sales emails concise and to the point. Here are some considerations:

1. Brevity: Aim for brevity and clarity in your sales emails. Most recipients have limited time and attention span, so try to convey your message succinctly.
2. Focus on value: Ensure that your email communicates the value proposition of your offer clearly and succinctly. Highlight the benefits and outcomes that the recipient can expect from your product or service.
3. Personalization: Personalize your email content to make it relevant to the recipient's needs and interests. Address the recipient by name and tailor the message to align with their specific challenges or goals.
4. Clear Call to Action (CTA): Include a clear and compelling call to action that prompts the recipient to take the next step, whether it's scheduling a call, requesting more information, or making a purchase.

While there is no strict rule for the length of a sales email, keeping it concise and focused on value is generally more effective in capturing the recipient's attention and encouraging engagement.

How many cold emails should I send per day?

The optimal number of cold emails to send per day can vary depending on several factors, including your target audience, industry, and available resources. However, here are some guidelines to consider:

1. Quality over quantity: Focus on sending high-quality, personalized emails rather than blasting out a large volume of generic messages. Quality emails are more likely to resonate with recipients and generate positive responses.
2. Testing and iteration: Start with a smaller volume of emails and gradually increase the number as you gather feedback and refine your approach. Use A/B testing to experiment with different variables such as subject lines, messaging, and timing to identify what resonates best with your audience.
3. Compliance with regulations: Ensure that your email sending practices comply with relevant regulations such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM. Sending too many unsolicited emails can lead to complaints and damage your sender reputation.
4. Resource constraints: Consider your available resources, including time, manpower, and budget, when determining the number of emails to send per day. It's important to strike a balance between efficiency and effectiveness.