When to email your list?

17 replies
Hi Warriors,

I have a smallish list which is outside of the IM niche. I email them whenever I create a new post on my site, but the open rates vary wildly.

I was wondering, those Warriors with either fairly big lists (a few hundred plus) or those with very responsive lists - what have you found to be the best days and times of day to email your subscribers to bet maximum response?

I am not focusing on selling right now, I need to develop the trust ;-) But developing trust has highlighted to me the need for a restrained approach to email sending - too many emails and they seem to hit unsubscribe! That limits my testing possibilities...

So whether these are salesy type emails you are sending, or just informative, I'd be very interested to find out if 9.00am on a Monday, or 5.00pm on a Saturday is working better for you. Or anywhere in between!

Looking forward to your replies

San
#email #list
  • Profile picture of the author Wealthyclark
    I don't have a set time to email my list's, I simple contact them whenever I have information that I feel that they would find useful. Even if you only target the US people have different life schedules and live in different time zones.

    Just send them useful information and be sure to build a responsive list by also enticing them with good content that they can't wait to get. If you build your list correctly people will subscribe with their main email addresses and keep an eye open for your mailings which would in turn increase your open rate no mater what time, or day of the week you send out your mailings.
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  • Profile picture of the author colll999
    Just as Wealthyclark says, you need to be sending your subscribers value to gain their trust and build a relationship.
    As for when to send your emails, time isn't that important if your subscribers are from different part of the world with different time zones, people open their email at different times of the day.
    Also don't leave it too long to send out your messages before you have built a relationship with your list as they may forget they signed up with you then unsubscribe.
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  • Profile picture of the author sannyboy
    Thanks Wealthyclark and Colll999,

    I appreciate your feedback. Maybe I should be a bit more specific -

    I have written a responder series of 15+ emails. It is full of what I believe to be valuable content. No selling. Well maybe a little ;-) But 98% is just me addressing a problem that I believe many people in this niche would like a response to.

    I am using Aweber, and there is a function to set the day and time Subscribers receive my emails based on their locale.

    What I am asking is if there is a broad formula that not just me, but all WF members can learn from for sending out emails that are actually going to get opened - and therefore more likely to be read.

    Maybe some members might want to suggest their 'broad market', their list size, the day(s) they send out their emails and the time that works best for them?

    E.G. Weight Loss/1000/Monday/9.00am

    It might be asking a bit too much for all of that info, but it would sure help me with my list!

    San
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    • Profile picture of the author mikeroosa
      I have different lists and I treat them differently. I have a list I built from solo ads and I blast them twice a day. In the morning I do an adswap email to them and in the evening I try to sell something. If I don't have an adswap partner for that day then I'll send them some type of content or some free report I have access to.

      With a list I've built through my website I email less often. I still try to get them content and free stuff and hit them up with an offer about once a week.

      With a buyer list, I give them free stuff and hit them up for the bigger ticket items.
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      • Profile picture of the author myob
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        • Profile picture of the author ExRat
          Hi sannyboy,

          What I am asking is if there is a broad formula that not just me, but all WF members can learn from for sending out emails that are actually going to get opened - and therefore more likely to be read.
          Yes there is.

          The broad formula is to test it and establish for yourself what works in your specific market/demographic, relative to the content of your emails and all of the other variables.

          In other words, even if 1000 people told you when to send them, it would actually hinder you rather than help you because (for example) the majority of their subscribers may be in a different time zone, or (for example) the specific approach used in your emails means that they work better at a different time.

          Most importantly, you will be practicing and developing some of the most fundamental and important skills required in this business.

          IE - don't trust anyone else with the important details of your business, test your market and base your decisions on what they tell you that they prefer (by voting with their open rates and purchases), because they are the only people worth listening to - they pay your wages, so tailor your business to them.

          This is a difficult concept for many of us to grasp, but it's fundamentally important. In a forum environment, it's easy to get in the habit of being influenced by others who may (or may not) have your best interests at heart and even if they do, their advice may be misguided. The key is that to allow yourself to make major decisions based on unproven advice is consumer thinking, whereas the 'test everything' approach is what many established marketers appear to do.

          Don't take my advice as gospel either, although it's worth noting that the crux of my advice is less likely to lead you astray than someone stating 'I find 5pm to be optimal.'

          Hope this helps.
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          Roger Davis

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  • Profile picture of the author waterburn
    ExRat, great post man. Amen to that.
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    • Profile picture of the author ExRat
      Hi waterburn,

      Thanks for your 'Amen'

      This mindset is so important and fundamental to this business that you could answer many of the more open-ended questions here with the same response, but I guess it would get repetitive and annoying.

      EG -

      What's the best way to make money online?

      No one can answer that - how long is a piece of string? Build it and find out. What's best for you might differ from what's best for me - we most likely have different goals, amongst many other variables.

      Do you prefer video to text on salespages?

      It doesn't matter what I prefer, what matters is what your market prefers. Go find out. Ask them, by all means, but don't assume that they know what they prefer.

      Preferably, let them vote with their wallet. When the wallet talks, good marketers listen.

      Etc, etc, ad infinitum.

      So what's most important when you read these questions is not even the correct answer to the specific question, but the fact that the person asking the question has just demonstrated that they would benefit from a major mindset-shift in terms of consumer thinking to marketer thinking across the board, because by doing so they will find themselves never asking the same type of question again, plus of course there are a whole host of other benefits gained by adopting the correct psychological approach to business and customer aquisition.

      But it's not always easy to get this message across, as most people don't like to be told that they have a certain mindset issue and that it needs changing if they are to succeed more rapidly.

      In reality, there is no slur intended. It's a default mindset that most of us arrived with and the advice is intended purely to assist.
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      Roger Davis

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  • Profile picture of the author sannyboy
    ExRat,

    Thanks for your overdelivery with your answer. However I think what I am asking is a little way removed from 'what is the best way to make money online'. I am asking a specific question about a specific part of the marketing process.

    Yes, from my post count it might appear that my level of experience is low, but it is not, although you are not to know that of course. I have been more of a reader of the open ended questions you refer to, and a 'doer' when it comes to using the information provided by other experienced members of the forum. Which is why I didn't ask 'what is the best way to manage a list'.

    I agree that the best way of learning is by doing, but if I am able to help myself, and other members by asking questions I feel will add value, in order to learn about others who have successful experiences, then I think that is a valid contribution to the community.

    By asking for a time, or day of the week, it gives others (me included) a starting point. Rather than everyone testing every combination, people who are in my position can eliminate certain things straight away. Or, conversely, use the times/days that are not mentioned because there is an opportunity to connect with someone when other marketers might not be.

    As a side note, I use Aweber, and have no experience with other AR's. The day and time settings on the followup/broadcast messages imply to me that the messages will be delivered at the local time of the subscriber, so if I want all my messages to show up at 9am, it doesn't matter where in the world people are, they will be delivered at 9am local time (to them).

    Maybe this is too specific a request to make of the people on here, I am sure you yourself have spent many emails working out what works for your particular market, and therefore why should you then just hand that information over.

    As for mind set, while it is a good point (albeit a bit off topic), personally I believe my mindset is fine. If I have not phrased my initial post specifically enough, then that is down to my mastery of the English language, not my approach to online business. Maybe there should be 1 thread just for 'open-ended questions' so that they don't clog up other parts of the forum? :-)

    For info, my list of about 200 subscribers responds best to morning emails. I have tried evenings, and even over night. This particular list is in the health market, but nothing to do with weight loss/diets etc. It is for one particular health issue.

    Appreciate your comments though.

    Sanny
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
    Email your list when you have something to give them that will HELP them.

    Don't spend time analyzing what second of the day to send the email. If you are delivering quality, it won't matter - they will open your emails the second they see it - whatever time of day that is.

    It takes "training". You have to get your list to open your emails in the beginning so that they KNOW you are going to send them good stuff - then they start to trust you.

    All success,

    Gary
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  • Profile picture of the author Coby
    Each niche is different, each list is different, each segment is different...

    Unfortunately no good answer for you, but I can share what I do...

    I try to schedule my emails outside the "normal" suggested times... For example, 6am - 8am is a popular time to send....

    Me I would send that same email at like 4 am or maybe 10 am....

    The reason being, I don't want it to get stuck in the inbox with all the other daily similar type emails....

    I want it to be at the top if possible (or already opened before the others get there)

    I've also had decent success with sending them in the afternoons (1pm to 3pm) and in the evenings 7pm -11pm...

    Some of my list can get one to three emails from me a day depending on what I have to say. Rare for them to get 3 a day. Typically they will only get 1 an email from me (the exception is for the regular AR sequence) each day.

    I also try not to send "important" stuff on the weekends and when I do I send them in the afternoon or evening.

    Hope some of this helps
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    • Profile picture of the author ExRat
      Hi sannyboy,

      OK. Here's your answer -

      For info, my list of about 200 subscribers responds best to morning emails.
      Hope this helps.
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      Roger Davis

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      • Profile picture of the author tj0575
        I read a study that said the majority of people check their emails between 10am and 11am. I wish I could remember the source but I do not.
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        • Profile picture of the author Martin Luxton
          Sannyboy,

          People can help you more if you give the following details:

          1. The exact niche your subscribers are in.
          2. The signup date of each subscriber.
          3. The geographic location of each subscriber.
          4. The gender and age of each subscriber.
          5. All your previous emails and headlines (and their respective open/response rates).
          6. The Aweber spam score for each email.
          7. The headlines you have planned for the future.
          8. How often you have done a sales pitch.
          9. The quality/price point of the products you are trying to flog.
          10. The position of Mars and Venus at the time of each email.

          If you can't do that, then I suggest you follow ExRat's advice and do your own testing.


          Martin
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  • The one important fact I see make a mistake is to email like once a month or less, I think you have to email often or they will forget who you are. Don't email to much offers email great content so people would want your emails, offers are OK to find a good ratio.
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  • Profile picture of the author sannyboy
    Many thanks to the Warriors who contributed.

    San
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  • Profile picture of the author Jake Gray
    There is no set time to mail your list but there are many contributing
    factors to consider. Let's say that a particular list you have is into a
    certain breakfast club. If you haven't figured it out already, those people
    interested in breakfast often wake up pretty early and then check their
    email. Think of it like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Lim
      Hi, i email them everyday last time, but now 3 time per week.
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