Right-Time Marketing

Here's some news from ExactTarget that may change the way you send your e-mail. A study shows the highest average open rate in 2005 was on Fridays.

But that flies in the face of accepted wisdom. For years, we were told that nobody opens messages on that day because they're busy planning their weekends or parading around the office in Bermuda shorts.

Now we have to rethink that, along with the old shibboleths about clickthrough rates. These, too, go up on Friday, and they're even higher on Sunday for consumer e-mail — which makes sense, because that precious day is the only time many of us have a chance to read.

Rest assured, somebody in your company will now pressure you to move some of your mailings to one of those days. And it's too bad, for this childlike belief in surveys can get in the way of creative thinking.

Take the debate over which hour to broadcast.

Last year, a report came out showing that the best time to send a marketing message was in the early afternoon. Many people switched to that period.

Who cares if some companies had two or three messages or newsletters were hitting within minutes of each other? Research had spoken its hard word.

But that wasn't the only problem. Many other e-mail senders read the same survey, and they rescheduled their mailings accordingly. The result was inbox glut.

Predictably, a study now shows that the best time to ship is at 9 a.m. And many of us, like lemmings, probably will send our e-mail at that hour.

But where will it end? Next year, we'll be told that the best time is 5 p.m. because people are fed up with the 9 a.m. deluge. And the year after that it'll be 3 a.m.

Yes, marketing should be based on metrics. But doesn't anyone ever think for themselves?

ExactTarget acknowledges that Friday is a good day because “the number of e-mails sent on Friday is relatively low compared to other weekdays.”

It adds that companies should conduct “their own tests to determine which day of the week works best for them.”

Here's one more piece of advice on how to get your e-mail opened.

Provide value and compelling content.