We will unlock the secret to crafting compelling cold emails that not only capture the attention of your recipients but also encourage them to open, read, and respond to your message.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to enhance your outreach strategy or a budding entrepreneur seeking to make a remarkable first impression, this guide will equip you with the essential knowledge and strategies needed to excel in the realm of cold email outreach.

Defining Cold Email Outreach

Let’s start by providing an accurate definition of cold email outreach. Cold email outreach is the process of reaching out to individuals who haven’t had prior contact with you or your business.

It’s a key step in the sales process, often used to pitch a product, service, or idea to potential clients. To many, cold emails might seem to be the equivalent of cold calls, just in written form.

However, if well-crafted and sent at the right time, cold emails can significantly boost your sales team’s performance.

Understanding the Importance of Cold Email Timing

Before we delve into the best time to send cold emails, let’s first answer the question: does timing matter? Absolutely, yes! Timing plays a pivotal role in the success or failure of your cold email campaigns.

Cold email timing refers to the specific day of the week and time of the day when you send cold emails. The objective is to hit the inbox of your target audience when they are most likely to be checking their emails.

The reality of cold sales emails is, the most beautifully crafted cold email will not do much good if it’s sitting at the bottom of a prospect’s inbox. Send cold emails at the right time, and you will see open rates and reply rates improve. Send cold emails at the wrong time, and you may find your efforts wasted.

Moreover, research shows that if your email isn’t opened within the first hour, the likelihood of it being opened decreases significantly. Therefore, timing your cold emails correctly can lead to more leads, high conversions, and ultimately more sales.

When is the Best Time to Send Cold Emails?

While it’s challenging to pin down the best time to send cold emails due to different circumstances such as your target audience’s habits, industry, and time zone, data shows that there are still optimal times to send cold emails.

The consensus based on various studies suggests that the best time to send cold emails is during the first twelve hours of workweek, particularly in the early mornings or late afternoons.

Early Morning Send-offs

Data indicates that sending cold emails during the early morning, specifically between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, can be effective. Many people check their emails first thing in the morning, making it an excellent opportunity to get your email on top of their inbox.

The early morning send-off allows your email to be one of the first things your recipient sees when they start their day. However, remember to take into consideration the prospect’s time zone.

Late Afternoon Approaches

The second best time slot seems to be between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, and then again between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. These times coincide with after lunch breaks and the end of the workday when people typically check their emails once again.

It’s essential to consider that these timings are not definitive. Various factors such as the recipient’s industry, the day of the week, and their time zone can influence the best time to send cold emails.

Avoid Sending Cold Emails At These Times

Avoid sending cold emails during late night hours, on weekends, and early mornings in your target audience’s local time zones. The chances of your cold emails getting buried under a pile of other emails are higher during these times.

During the weekend, people generally spend time on personal lives, and your cold emails might not get the attention they deserve.

Determining the Best Day of the Week to Send Cold Emails

Deciding the best day of the week to send cold emails can also dramatically impact your open rates and reply rates. Based on email campaign data, the best days to send cold emails are typically Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Why Mid-Week?

Tuesday seems to be the day with the highest open rates. This could be because Monday’s rush is over, and individuals have settled into their workweek.

The best day to send a follow-up email is typically Thursday, presumably because it allows for a reasonable time for the recipient to respond before the week ends.

However, Friday can also be an excellent day for sending cold emails, particularly for B2C (Business to Consumer) businesses.

On Fridays, many people begin to wind down and may have more time to engage with their emails.

In contrast, weekends tend to show lower open and reply rates for cold emails. The likely reason for this is that most people disconnect from their work-related emails over the weekend.

Now that you understand the basics of cold email timing, let’s move on to the actual steps of implementing these best practices in your cold email outreach strategy. Stay tuned, we are just getting started.

Make sure to sign up for Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, to optimize your own outreach emails and campaigns.

Optimize Your Cold Email Outreach

Aligning With Your Target Audience’s Schedule

One of the keys to send cold emails effectively is aligning marketing emails with your target audience’s schedule. This will vary depending on the nature of your target audience.

For example, if you’re reaching out to executives, they might start their day early, so sending emails in the early morning might get their attention.

If you’re reaching out to university professors, you might find that they are more likely to check their emails during office time, not in the early mornings or weekends.

Taking Time Zones into Consideration

A factor often overlooked in the discussion of the best time to send cold emails is the prospect’s time zone.

This can significantly influence the success of your email campaigns. For example, if your business operates from New York and your target audience is in California, sending your emails at 9 AM your time means your emails will arrive at 6 AM their time.

It’s likely your emails will get buried under other emails by the time they start their day.

To optimize your sending time for different time zones, segment your prospect list based on their locations. You can then schedule your emails to send at the optimal sending time for each time zone.

Experimenting With Different Days and Times

It’s important to keep in mind that these recommendations for the best time to send cold emails are generalized guidelines. They might not apply to your specific situation, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

To identify the best day and time to send emails for your unique case, you need to experiment. Try sending cold emails at different times and days of the week, then track your open rates and reply rates.

Understanding the Role of Spam Filters

An often-overlooked factor when deciding the optimal time to send cold emails is the role of spam filters. Spam filters are designed to prevent unwanted and unsolicited emails from reaching a user’s inbox.

While these filters are a crucial tool in maintaining an organized and secure inbox, they can also mistakenly mark legitimate cold emails as spam.

By understanding how spam filters work, you can better navigate them and increase the chances of your emails reaching the intended recipient. For instance, it’s been observed that sending emails at odd hours or over the weekend can trigger spam filters.

Crafting the Perfect Cold Email

Once you’ve figured out the best time to send your cold emails, you need to focus on crafting the perfect cold email that will capture your recipient’s attention and prompt them to take action.

Writing an Eye-Catching Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing your recipient sees when they receive your email. It can be the deciding factor between whether your email gets opened or ignored. Spending time on crafting a compelling subject line can significantly impact your email open rates.

When crafting your subject lines, keep them concise, clear, and compelling. Personalize the subject line whenever possible.

Avoid Purchased Lists

When building your prospect list for sending cold emails, avoid using purchased lists. These lists often contain outdated or irrelevant contacts and can harm your email campaign and sales team’s performance significantly too.

Instead, focus on building your own list with high-quality contacts. These should be people who fit your target audience and the people respond are likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Personalizing Your Cold Emails

Personalization plays a crucial role in the success of cold email campaigns. When you can effectively send emails cold emails that are tailored to the recipient, they’re more likely to engage with your email.

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Effective Follow-Ups and Evaluating Results

The Importance of Follow-ups

An often overlooked yet crucial aspect of cold email outreach is following up. Sending a single cold email and expecting a response is not realistic. People are busy, and your send cold email may get buried under an avalanche of other emails. A well-timed follow-up email serves as a gentle nudge reminding your recipient of your initial email.

When and How to Send Follow-ups

Follow-ups should ideally be sent 3-7 days after the initial email. However, the optimal time may vary based on different circumstances and your target audience. The content of the follow-up email reply itself should be brief and respectful, acknowledging the recipient’s busy schedule.

Avoid not sending marketing emails with too many follow-ups as it can come off as spammy and harm your sender reputation.

Evaluating Your Cold Email Campaign Results

It’s crucial to consistently evaluate the effectiveness of your cold email campaigns. This involves analyzing key metrics such as open rate, reply and response rate %, and conversion rate. Understanding these metrics will help you identify what’s working and what needs to be adjusted in your cold email strategy.

Open rate refers to the percentage of recipients who open your emails. Factors influencing this rate include the subject line, sender name, and timing of the email. If your email open rates are lower than industry averages, you might need to revisit these factors.

Reply rate refers to the percentage of recipients who respond to your email. If your reply rates are low, it might indicate that your email content needs improvement. It’s also important to track your response rates and the number of positive responses, as a high reply rate could include negative responses.

Conversion rate is the percentage of recipients who perform a desired action after reading your email, such as signing up for a trial or scheduling a meeting. It’s a crucial metric that directly how sales reps’ ties to your sales process.

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Dealing With Common Challenges in Cold Email Outreach

Even with all the best practices at your disposal, you might encounter challenges in your cold email outreach. Here’s how to overcome some of them:

Dealing With Low Open Rates

Low open rates are a common challenge in cold email campaigns. It could be due to various factors such as a weak subject line, poor email timing, or your emails ending up in the spam folder.

If you’re struggling with low open rates, take the time to evaluate and adjust these factors. Test different subject lines, send emails at different times of the day, and ensure your emails are not being flagged by spam filters.

Navigating Spam Filters

If your emails consistently end up in the spam folder, it could severely impact your open rates and the overall success of your cold email outreach. Avoid sending cold emails to purchased list or lists as these are likely to get flagged by spam filters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you send cold emails at night?

While it’s technically possible to send cold emails at any time, data shows that emails sent during office hours tend to have higher open rates. This is because people are more likely to be checking their emails during work-related hours. However, remember to consider the local time zones of your recipients.

What is the best time to send a sales email?

The best time to send a sales email can vary based on your target audience, but generally, sending sales emails out in the early morning, just as people start their workday, tends to yield high open rates.