clasione
05-12-2005, 04:35 PM
The following was an email I recieved and I wanted to share it with all of you.... Say Thanks to:
VerticalResponse
Self Service Direct Marketing
501 2nd St. Ste. 216
San Francisco, California 94107
http://www.verticalresponse.com/
When Should You Mail?
There are many opinions out there, and this great debate could seemingly go on forever. Each new report and theory seem to tout different days and times as the best to mail. What works for some companies or industries don't work for others. Here are a few things to consider when scheduling your mailings and determining your communication schedule.
Day of the week:
The beginning and end of the work week are often times when employees are likely to be out of the office due to long weekends or business travel. We all know what it's like to come back from a vacation or a day off and find our inboxes overloaded. In these cases if the email is not identifiably important at first glance then it has a good chance of being deleted. The middle of the week has long been considered the best time to mail as it gives you the best opportunity to get your message read right away.
Remember, the volume of email delivered in the middle of the work week is much higher than on Monday or Friday. This creates more competition for your recipient’s attention to get your message read. Recent studies have shown messages sent on Monday actually have the highest open rate, however messages sent on Wednesday had the highest click-through rate. With the ease of online shopping these days, consumers are doing more shopping during the work week, and probably while at work.
The exception is with traditional "brick and mortar" stores. Often times these businesses send their emails out on Thursdays and Fridays in an effort to drive people to their stores during the weekend. This helps put your brand fresh in your customers’ minds before the weekend, when consumers do most of their traditional off-line shopping.
Be Holiday-Aware:
Keep in mind that certain times over the course of the year people tend to focus their attention more on get-togethers with friends and family than to their email inboxes. It is important to map out your mailings accordingly for the holiday seasons (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, 4th of July) so you can ensure that your messages are not left unread for longer than you expected. This is especially important for any time-sensitive offers or announcements contained within your email.
Holiday offers should be sent well in advance to grab your readers’ attention and allow them to plan. An on-line product purchase will often require shipping. Your event or other announcement may be also competing with other events, so it’s good to get on your customer’s calendar right away. It is also important to send follow-up or reminder messages as many people wait to the late second to commit, and others simply forget.
Frequency of Mailings:
It is essential to maintain one-to-one communication with your members or customers on a regular basis. You should establish a rapport, a relationship. However, even though email is a fast, measurable, and affordable solution, you'll want to make sure you don't "go to the well" too often. Make sure to monitor how often you are contacting your customers so as not to over-mail them.
Sending a bi-monthly newsletter is a popular practice for many companies, whereas other organizations send weekly or daily updates on their products or services. The most important thing is to always send relevant and interesting content and deliver what you promised, and you're sure to please your recipients.
Conclusion:
While there are many “best practices” out there, due to the dynamic nature of the medium, the uniqueness of your business and your readers, there is no absolute answer. It’s very important to get to know your customers and learn their preferences. Listen to them. We suggest testing your customer list to see when they respond best to your emails and then start delivering consistently on those days and with that frequency. Happy marketing!
VerticalResponse
Self Service Direct Marketing
501 2nd St. Ste. 216
San Francisco, California 94107
http://www.verticalresponse.com/
When Should You Mail?
There are many opinions out there, and this great debate could seemingly go on forever. Each new report and theory seem to tout different days and times as the best to mail. What works for some companies or industries don't work for others. Here are a few things to consider when scheduling your mailings and determining your communication schedule.
Day of the week:
The beginning and end of the work week are often times when employees are likely to be out of the office due to long weekends or business travel. We all know what it's like to come back from a vacation or a day off and find our inboxes overloaded. In these cases if the email is not identifiably important at first glance then it has a good chance of being deleted. The middle of the week has long been considered the best time to mail as it gives you the best opportunity to get your message read right away.
Remember, the volume of email delivered in the middle of the work week is much higher than on Monday or Friday. This creates more competition for your recipient’s attention to get your message read. Recent studies have shown messages sent on Monday actually have the highest open rate, however messages sent on Wednesday had the highest click-through rate. With the ease of online shopping these days, consumers are doing more shopping during the work week, and probably while at work.
The exception is with traditional "brick and mortar" stores. Often times these businesses send their emails out on Thursdays and Fridays in an effort to drive people to their stores during the weekend. This helps put your brand fresh in your customers’ minds before the weekend, when consumers do most of their traditional off-line shopping.
Be Holiday-Aware:
Keep in mind that certain times over the course of the year people tend to focus their attention more on get-togethers with friends and family than to their email inboxes. It is important to map out your mailings accordingly for the holiday seasons (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, 4th of July) so you can ensure that your messages are not left unread for longer than you expected. This is especially important for any time-sensitive offers or announcements contained within your email.
Holiday offers should be sent well in advance to grab your readers’ attention and allow them to plan. An on-line product purchase will often require shipping. Your event or other announcement may be also competing with other events, so it’s good to get on your customer’s calendar right away. It is also important to send follow-up or reminder messages as many people wait to the late second to commit, and others simply forget.
Frequency of Mailings:
It is essential to maintain one-to-one communication with your members or customers on a regular basis. You should establish a rapport, a relationship. However, even though email is a fast, measurable, and affordable solution, you'll want to make sure you don't "go to the well" too often. Make sure to monitor how often you are contacting your customers so as not to over-mail them.
Sending a bi-monthly newsletter is a popular practice for many companies, whereas other organizations send weekly or daily updates on their products or services. The most important thing is to always send relevant and interesting content and deliver what you promised, and you're sure to please your recipients.
Conclusion:
While there are many “best practices” out there, due to the dynamic nature of the medium, the uniqueness of your business and your readers, there is no absolute answer. It’s very important to get to know your customers and learn their preferences. Listen to them. We suggest testing your customer list to see when they respond best to your emails and then start delivering consistently on those days and with that frequency. Happy marketing!