M3 Today Magazine M3 Today Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 9

WHEN TO SEND EMAILS THE BEST TIME TO NEVER SEND EMAIL Scott and Alison Stratten Scott and Alison Stratten are co-authors of four best- selling business books, co-owners of UnMarketing Inc and co-hosts of not only The UnPodcast, but five children, two dogs and two cats. The site, the show and the books all represent their thoughts on the changing world of business through their experiences of entrepreneurship, two degrees (Alison), not lasting long as an employee (both) and screaming at audiences around the world (Scott, Alison is more polite). unmarketing.com 9 AS USUAL, I’ve had enough. Every month a new “study” comes out to say when the best time is to send email out to your list/ subscribers/mother. This study 1 say between 12 a.m.-3 a.m. This study 2 says 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. This study 3 says 6 a.m.-7 a.m. If I looked hard enough I could probably find studies that cover every hour of every day. The best time to never send email is when someone else told you to. Do your homework. The only important data out there is what your own list does. I’ve been doing email marketing since the old days when you sent an email and everyone received it. Back in the day when the email alert went off, you got excited. The biggest mistake with looking at “when” to send to your list is we think that’s our issue. We think we’re getting low open rates because we sent a newsletter at 11 a.m. EST on a Wednesday instead of 5 a.m. PST on a Thursday. The best way to get your email opened is to write content worthy of being opened. When notification of your new blog post or newsletter arrives to your subscribers, do they react with apathy or excitement? Is your subject line “ABC Chiropractor Newsletter January Edition”? I don’t care what time you send out that breaking news, no one wants to open it. No one puts aside their game of SongPop to read that headline. People first have to recognize your “From:” as a brand they want to read, then the subject, then the content itself. Fix those things first then test, test, test. But don’t test with different emails over a few weeks, test the same one. Create one variable: delivery time and split test them with your email service if they allow it. Stop changing how you market your business be cause of a headline. The only important case study is the one you’re currently running for your business. Oh, and sign-up for mine, obviously. Only sent when I have something useful for you to read, and not a minute sooner. 1. blogs.constantcontact.com/fresh-insights/best-time-to-send-emails 2. blog.getresponse.com/best-time-to-send-email-infographic.html 3. cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57411092/ the-best-time-to-send-email-so-it-will-get-read/ ****Content originally posted on www.unmarketing.com