Send-time optimization

When is the best time to send emails?
When each subscriber is most likely to engage.

What is send-time optimization?

Send-time optimization is an email marketing feature that selects the best delivery time for each subscriber. It uses historical engagement data, such as opens and clicks, to estimate when each person is most active in their inbox.

How does send-time optimization work?

1. Collect engagement data from campaigns, mainly opens and clicks.
2. Calculate the best send window for each subscriber based on clicks or opens.
3. Schedule emails automatically at those selected times.

How is send-time optimization different from fixed-time or time-zone sending?

For email marketing send times, these methods are not equal. Fixed-time and time-zone schedules are useful, but email send time optimization is typically more accurate because timing is personalized per subscriber.

What are the benefits of send-time optimization?

Send-time optimization improves email marketing timing while keeping execution simple:

1. Higher open rates: messages arrive when subscribers are more likely to check inboxes.
2. Better click-through rates: improved timing creates more opportunities for interaction.
3. Stronger engagement: campaigns meet subscribers during higher-attention periods.
4. Avoids overcrowding: by optimizing send times, you can avoid having your email lost in a crowded inbox. This increases visibility and reading probability.
5. Reduced opt-outs: when emails arrive at less frustrating times, recipients are less likely to unsubscribe impulsively.
6. Improved ROI: better opens and clicks improve campaign efficiency over time.

Brands that Oracle Marketing Cloud Consulting has worked with, optimizing the best time to send emails results in an average lift in engagement of 10%-12% and an average lift in conversions of 5%-7%. Source

Who should use send-time optimization?

This feature is valuable for teams with international audiences, subscribers in multiple time zones, mixed demographics, and campaigns where timing has direct impact on CTR and conversions.

How does nuevoMailer make this easy to use?

• It is easy to use: enable it once, and nuevoMailer automatically optimizes send times for your campaigns.
• nuevoMailer is the first (and perhaps the only) self-hosted, on-premises deployed email marketing solution that offers send-time optimization.
• It combines list management, segmentation, automation, and send-time optimization in one technical stack.
• With the multi-threaded sending plugin, you can execute personalized send windows at production scale.
• The plugin is not required for data collection. nuevoMailer collects timing data automatically.

How do I deploy send-time optimization in nuevoMailer?

1. You can enable send-time optimization from your first campaigns as part of a simple send time optimization strategy.
2. Optimization needs time to reach full accuracy because at the beginning there is little or no open/click history.
3. As campaign history grows, send-time optimization becomes more targeted and effective.
4. Implementation details are in the online help.

Example: send-time optimization distribution

The left column shows time slots by hour. The right column shows how many emails are scheduled in each slot.