emailEmail has become the contact medium of choice for journalists as well as business people. Phone calls are still important, but as an introductory communication, email is king.

A recent study by GetResponse sheds some light on the best times to send email. GetResponse looked at 21 million messages in US accounts in the first quarter of 2012 to determine the top open and click through times.

One top conclusion from the study reveals that sending email between the times of 8:00 am – 10:00 am and 3:00 – 4:00 pm can increase their average opens and click through rate by 6%.

Other Findings:

  • Emails are most likely to be read within the first hour of delivery, when they have a 24 percent chance of being opened. After the second hour, the results drop by half, and after 24 hours, email open rates are close to zero.
  • The best time to send emails is when the receiver is reviewing their inbox – this tends to be in the morning or early afternoon. Almost 40 percent of all emails are sent between 6 a.m. and noon, cluttering inboxes and increasing the likelihood your message is not going to be seen. So, messages sent in the afternoon might be the best choice.

There are lots of factors to consider however such as time zone differences, subscriber daily routines and industry-specific behaviors. For example, journalists might have the most email activity in the mornings, so afternoon might be a better time to send a tailored pitch.

Always research the journalist you are pitching to determine their preferences and contact them when your pitch has the best chance to be seen. Not only is your pitch important – short, tailored – but so is the timing of your pitch.

The infographic from GetResponse below highlights the results of the study.

Best-Time-To-Share-Infographic

 

Image via GetResponse