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Sending & Recipients

Email Scheduling

Setting emails to send at a specific future date and time, often optimized for recipient engagement.

Definition

Email scheduling is the practice of setting emails to send at a predetermined future date and time rather than sending immediately. This allows marketers to prepare campaigns in advance and send when recipients are most likely to engage. Advanced scheduling includes send time optimization that selects the best time for each individual recipient.

Why It Matters

Timing significantly affects email performance. Sending when recipients are actively checking email improves open rates. Scheduling lets you work ahead while ensuring optimal delivery timing. It also enables coordination with other marketing activities and time-sensitive promotions.

How It Works

You compose your email and select a future send time instead of sending immediately. The email platform queues the email and sends at the specified time. Basic scheduling sends to everyone at once; advanced platforms offer send time optimization that staggers delivery based on each recipient's historical engagement patterns.

Best Practices

  • 1Test different send times to find what works for your audience
  • 2Consider time zones - schedule in recipient's local time
  • 3Use send time optimization if your platform offers it
  • 4Schedule important campaigns during business hours for B2B
  • 5Avoid weekends and holidays unless appropriate for your content

Frequently Asked Questions

It varies by audience. B2B emails often perform well Tuesday-Thursday, 9-11am. B2C may see higher engagement evenings and weekends. Test with your specific audience - industry benchmarks are just starting points.

Send time optimization (STO) uses data to determine the best send time for each individual recipient based on when they typically open emails. Instead of one send time for everyone, each person receives the email at their optimal time.