Send time optimization is the concept of sending an email marketing message to the user at a time when they are more likely to open and click, as determined by past interactive behavior with your email. While not a new concept, in a time when marketers are looking to squeeze every ounce of ROI out of their email campaigns, it has gained steam and notoriety as another opportunity to improve.

I, myself, am still on the fence about the long term effect of send time optimization. Here's why:

Email, while increasingly interruptive due to mobile devices, is still an asynchronous method of communication. Personally, I don’t find myself sitting around my computer just waiting for an email to appear. I have my own schedule and tend to check when I have a spare moment - which differs from day to day and hour to hour. Even with mobile devices, many emails are triaged and saved for later consumption. So while the initial open is at a certain time, the actual read and action takes place later (sometimes days later).

I'm not saying that send time optimization has no place. For some verticals (especially those whose list populations span the globe) I'm sure it generates great return. It's always better to get an email to a person when you think they're most likely to read it. For example, B2B email marketing is usually best sent during weekday business hours when business people are at their computers or on a schedule to be able to check their work email. On the other hand, evenings and weekends are generally better times to reach the consumer audience because that is when they'll most likely open, read, and click-through. Now, none of this is hard and fast. Every audience differs and the only way to really understand what works best for your audience is to test.

Again, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that send time optimization is worthless. I'm simply saying that I'm still holding my breath to see how useful this option proves itself to be in the email marketing industry. What do you think about send time optimization? Share your opinion in the Comments area below.

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