When is the Best Time to Send Cold Emails? (Tested)

When it comes to cold emailing, timing holds a significant key to success, often overshadowing even the most compelling content. The year 2025 has brought forth a wealth of data-backed insights that shed light on the optimal days and times for sending cold emails, paving the way for enhanced engagement and response rates. Understanding and leveraging these insights can be the game-changer your outreach campaigns need to thrive.

The Significance of Timing in Cold Emailing

Cold email campaigns are a delicate dance of strategy and timing. Research indicates that emails dispatched at the right moment can yield up to a 25% increase in reply rates compared to poorly timed counterparts. A prime example is a SaaS company that witnessed a staggering surge in demos booked simply by transitioning sends from Fridays to Mondays. This underlines the pivotal role timing plays in the success of email outreach efforts.

Data Insights: Best Days & Times for Cold Emails

Global Trends

The latest data reveals that Mondays emerge as the top-performing day, boasting a commendable 22% reply rate, closely followed by Tuesdays (20%) and Wednesdays (18%). Conversely, weekends witness a notable drop in reply rates, falling below the 10% mark. Peak hours for sending cold emails are identified as 8-10 AM in the recipient's local time zone, outshining afternoon sends by a substantial 30%.

Industry-Specific Insights

Tailoring send times to industry nuances can yield remarkable results. For instance, B2B tech companies witness the highest reply rates on Tuesdays at 9 AM, while e-commerce businesses drive 28% more clicks with Thursday afternoon sends (3-5 PM). Nonprofits, on the other hand, experience a 35% surge in donor engagement with Monday sends at 7 AM. The effectiveness of early morning sends is attributed to avoiding inbox clutter and aligning with pre-workday email habits.

Key Factors Influencing Send Time Success

Audience Behavior

Understanding your audience's behavior is crucial to ensuring your emails land at the right moment. The key to increasing engagement lies in recognizing when your target audience is most likely to open and respond. For example, top-level executives often engage with emails in the early hours of the morning—typically between 6 and 8 AM—when they begin their day. On the other hand, freelancers, who may have more flexible work schedules, show peak email engagement after 10 AM, as they typically start their day later. Identifying these patterns within your audience can help you pinpoint when they’re most likely to engage, ensuring your email campaigns are more effective.

Time Zones

Time zones play a pivotal role in optimizing your send times. With global teams and clients across different regions, sending an email at the right time can be challenging. However, utilizing tools like mailgo’s Smart Scheduling can automate this process, adjusting send times based on the recipient's location. This ensures that your emails are sent at optimal times regardless of where your recipients are based. Whether you're sending a message to someone in New York or someone in Tokyo, Smart Scheduling ensures that your emails land in their inbox when they’re most likely to engage. This feature allows you to cater to a global audience without the hassle of manually adjusting for various time zones, maximizing the potential for your emails to be read and acted upon.

Device Preferences

Another factor influencing email success is understanding the device preferences of your audience. Mobile opens tend to peak during commute hours, from around 7 to 9 AM and again from 5 to 7 PM, making it crucial to send emails at these times if you want to reach people on their phones. During these hours, people check their phones while on their way to work or while heading home. Conversely, desktop engagement tends to dominate during traditional work hours—9 AM to 5 PM. Emails that are meant to be read on larger screens, such as detailed reports or offers that require deep thought, are more likely to be engaged with during these times. By aligning your send times with device preferences, you can significantly increase your open rates and improve your chances of engagement.

Content Type

The type of content you’re sending also plays a significant role in determining the ideal send time. Different email types perform better on different days of the week. For instance, initial outreach emails or first-time pitches typically perform better on Mondays. This is because recipients are often more focused and ready to tackle new opportunities at the start of the workweek. Follow-up emails, on the other hand, thrive midweek—particularly on Wednesdays and Thursdays. By these days, recipients are more settled into their workweek, and there’s less competition in their inbox. Scheduling emails according to the content’s purpose and the day of the week can significantly enhance the likelihood of engagement.

Strategies to Optimize Your Send Times

A/B Test Time Slots

One of the most effective ways to determine the optimal send time for your audience is through A/B testing. Testing different time slots, such as comparing sending emails on Monday at 8 AM versus Wednesday at 2 PM, can provide invaluable insights into when your audience is most responsive.

Leverage AI Tools

Harnessing the power of AI can take your email campaign efficiency to the next level. AI-driven solutions, such as Mailgo's AI Scheduler, use predictive analytics to optimize send times based on recipient behavior. By analyzing data such as past engagement patterns, AI tools can determine the most effective times to send emails to each individual recipient. This level of personalization helps boost reply rates by up to 25%

Warm Up Inboxes

One of the biggest challenges in email marketing is ensuring your emails don’t get caught in spam filters. Gradually increasing your send volume can help avoid this issue. Tools like Mailgo’s Inbox Warm-Up automate this process, gradually ramping up the number of emails you send to build your sender reputation. This makes it less likely that your emails will be flagged by spam filters.

Automate Follow-Ups

Following up with non-responders is a crucial part of maintaining engagement and improving conversion rates. However, manually keeping track of follow-ups can be time-consuming and prone to error. Automating this process ensures you don’t miss the opportunity to follow up with interested leads. By scheduling reminders for non-responders 48 hours after the initial email, you can ensure that your message stays at the top of your recipient’s mind. Automated follow-ups also help streamline your outreach process, allowing you to focus on other tasks while ensuring timely and consistent engagement with potential clients.

Conclusion

In the dynamic landscape of cold emailing, mastering the art of timing can set your campaigns apart and drive unparalleled results. By prioritizing Mondays for initial outreach, harnessing AI tools for automated scheduling and testing, and pairing optimal timing with hyper-personalized content, businesses can unlock the full potential of their email outreach endeavors.
To embark on this journey towards enhanced engagement and conversions, seize the opportunity to try mailgo's AI-powered features for free and revolutionize your email campaigns today.