Welcome back, my fellow sales aficionados! Have you been stumped trying to find the ideal moment to hit send on your next B2B email?
Well, I'm here to share my expertise with you and make your hunt a little easier. I’ve been at that point before, and I’ve done a lot of research on how timing affects those essential metrics like CTR, conversions, and response rate.
Timing is critical, and it can significantly impact your campaign's success. Even the most compelling message can fall flat if it lands in your recipient's inbox at the wrong time.
In this article, I’ll take a deep dive into the science and stats of the best time to send B2B emails. I'll also help you pinpoint the perfect timing for your target audience. So buckle up, and let's get started!
Stats on the Best Time to Send B2B Emails
Of course, the best time for your business will require you to research and test out different times for your target audience. However, let’s look at the statistics from the big players in the email game to get an idea of the principles you can apply.
B2B Sales Emails vs. Marketing Emails
Note the difference between B2B sales and marketing emails. While both aim to generate leads and increase revenue, their focus and approach differ.
B2B sales emails are typically more personalized and targeted toward a specific recipient. The primary goal is to convert leads into customers, often by providing them with a customized solution to their particular needs.
On the other hand, marketing emails tend to have a broader focus and are sent to a larger audience. They aim to increase brand awareness, engage customers, and generate leads by showcasing a company's products or services and highlighting its unique value proposition.
This article and the stats used will focus on B2B sales emails.
What Does HubSpot Say?
HubSpot surveyed over 300 US-based email marketers to get down to the bottom of “what’s the best time to send emails?” They had some interesting responses, but the main takeaway was that 47.9% of B2B marketers reported their emails saw the most engagement between 9 AM and 12 PM during the first 3 days of the business week.
Sendinblue’s Thoughts on the Best Time to Send B2B Emails
Another good source comes from Sendinblue, an all-in-one marketing platform. They broke the email timing down into different sectors. Still, for our purposes, the best time to send out your emails is:
- The best time to send B2B emails in eCommerce: Tuesday or Thursday at 10 AM
- The best time to send B2B emails in SaaS/Software: Tuesday or Thursday from 2 PM to 3 PM
- The best time for emails in B2B Services: Monday or Tuesday from 8 AM to 10 AM
First, they found that Tuesday and Thursday got the most opens. Whereas the most click-throughs came on Wednesday.
Something else I found interesting in this research is that the two best times appear to be 10 AM and 3 PM. I suspect that’s because most people check their emails when the workday starts and then again after lunch or before the workday ends.
Convince & Convert’s Stats
You must also understand your target and have clear goals and KPIs for results. The marketing consulting agency, Convince & Convert, illustrates these points with great data.
For example, they found it’s best to email entrepreneurs and “workaholics” on Saturday at 10 AM. These types of people often check their emails constantly, and the weekend is optimal for getting better opens, click-throughs, and responses.
For regular B2B clients– those working standard shifts like 8 AM to 5 PM– the research breaks down like this:
- Better open rates at 10 AM Saturday
- More clicks at 10 AM Tuesday
- More responses at 8 AM Tuesday
Of course, they also note that these should be used as a jumping-off point to start testing out which times work best for you and your clientele.
How to Find Your Ideal Email Sending Time
The best time to send B2B emails can significantly impact your conversion rate. And while you can start with industry best practices, you have to figure out your perfect time. That’s why I’m about to share the tips I’ve used to help me figure out the best time to send B2B emails.
1) Get to Know Your Audience
Before you start hitting "send" willy-nilly, take a minute to consider your recipient’s habits and preferences. Ask yourself questions like:
- What industry are they in?
- What time zone are they in?
- When do they typically check their email?
2) Play the Numbers Game
Let's get analytical but let our tools do the heavy lifting! Use your email marketing or cold outreach software to track when your emails are opened the most. Look for patterns in the data, such as:
- Weekdays with higher open rates might be great for sending the initial cold email.
- Times of the day when engagement is at its peak could work like a charm for follow-up emails with case studies.
3) Try, Try Again
Don't be afraid to experiment with different sending times to see what works best for your audience. Give it the old college try and see what sticks!
4) Consider the Context of Your B2B Email Timing
The context of your email can also impact the ideal sending time. For example:
- Business hours might be better for time-sensitive offers or announcements that require less mental space to understand your email.
- Educational or informative content might work best for evenings and weekends when you want your prospects to take their sweet time learning from (or considering) your email.
5) Trust Your Gut
At the end of the day, you know your audience best. Trust your instincts and use your sales superpowers to identify the perfect sending time for your B2B sales emails.
Essential Metrics to Track for the Best Email Sending Time
Let’s expand the second tip and go into what metrics you need to track when determining the best time to send B2B sales emails.
Open Rate (OR)
The open rate is the percentage of people who actually opened your email. If your open rate is low, your subject line likely needs some work, or your timing is off.
So, test different subject lines and times to see when your audience will most likely open your emails.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR measures how many people clicked on a link within your email. A low CTR could mean your email content and call-to-action (CTA) aren’t up to par.
Make sure your content is engaging, valuable, and relevant to your audience. And don't forget to make your CTA clear and compelling.
Experiment with low and high-stakes CTAs. For example, your B2B leads might respond better to CTAs asking them to reply to the email instead of asking them to book a meeting.
Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)
The CTOR bridges the gap between OR and CTR by showing who clicked on a link within your email after opening it. This metric gives you a better idea of how well your content and CTA resonate with your audience.
A high CTOR indicates that your content is engaging and your CTA is effective. So, keep track of your CTOR and adjust your content and CTA as needed.
So, What’s the Best Time to Send B2B Sales Emails?
I’ll give you general answers for the best time to send B2B sales emails, but it's important to remember that every business is unique. What works for one may not work for another. If you want your true best time, then it will take research and practice.
That being said, here’s what I’ve found:
The Best Time of Day to Send a B2B Email Is 10 AM to 3 PM
According to the various studies mentioned and first-hand sources, the best time of day to send B2B sales emails is between 10 AM and 3 PM. This is when people are usually most focused and receptive to emails.
However, keep in mind that your audience may have different work schedules and time zones, so adjust accordingly.
The Best Days of the Week to Send a B2B Email Are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
As mentioned above, midweek (Tuesday-Thursday) is usually the best time to send B2B sales emails.
Mondays are typically busy with catching up from the weekend, and Fridays tend to be less productive as people wind down for the weekend. Again, test and research because some demographics are more responsive on weekends.
Don’t Forget About Holidays and Special Events!
Remember holidays and special events that can impact your B2B email campaigns. During these times, people may be less likely to check their emails or have different priorities. Your emails could bounce, or it might even look like you’re getting more responses because of OOO messages, so sanity-check your metrics.
Adjust your sending time accordingly and avoid sending emails during major holidays or events.
Wrapping Up
Timing is a critical factor in email campaigns, and by following the tips in this article, you can increase your chances of success. Make sure you check out my article on cold email statistics for even more insights!
But before you hit that send button, make sure you've got the right contact info. Verifying your email lists is crucial for ensuring your emails end up in the correct inbox. Findymail can help you find and verify your email lists (yep - even from Sales Navigator and Apollo in bulk), so you can be confident your emails are getting to the right person.Sign up today to try it out with 10 free credits!
