Is Sunday a good day to send a marketing email?

Ah, Sundays. A day of rest. A perfect day to relax, kick up your feet, watch some football or venture outdoors. Pop on some comfy clothes and let your mind drift away from your hectic week. Sunday is when everyone detaches from their laptops and cell phones. Why would you send a marketing email on Sunday? No one will open it or click on your offer. Or will they?

We analyzed our email metrics from the past year. We came across something interesting. Sunday has actually performed pretty well for open and click rates. It ranks in the top three for open rates and is number one for click-through rate.

Is this a real phenomenon? Is this something others are experiencing? Was our data biased? Was it consistent with other findings? We decided to do some digging.

It’s Not Just Our Data

We found some interesting data that backs us up. A 2014 study by GetResponse and Dan Zarella found that opens and clicks were highest on Saturdays and Sundays. The data is based on an Experian email study and Dan Zarella’s book The Science of Marketing.

It’s not just a small difference. Saturdays and Sundays outperform other days by a dramatic amount. Something is going on here.

Other Day Says Otherwise, Kinda

A report by MailerMailer shows that we may be off on open rates. The chart below shows that Sunday has a lower than average open rate. But, true to the GetResponse data, Sunday’s click rate outperforms the rest. So, we think we have something here.

So What’s Going On?

Well, it’s safe to say that something’s up with Sunday. Why are people more apt to click links in an email? There’s no definitive, scientific answer here, but we have some thoughts.

Less Competition

Like all marketers, we like benchmarks. Most of us have been trained to send emails at the optimal day and time of the week. But, this means we’re all sending emails at the same time. This is usually between Monday and Thursday (see the chart below based on a study by Experian). More volume means more competition. More competition means it’s harder to get the attention of your target customer.

9-5 Ain’t What it Used To Be

With technology, working 9-to-5 Monday to Friday is a thing of the past. Traditional work schedules are changing. And so emailing people around a traditional workweek structure may be the wrong way to look at things. Sunday, the day when we disconnect from our devices and our work, maybe a myth.

It’s Sunday, I Have Time

During the week, people are busy. Yes, they may have time to open your email. But, that’s about it. Who cares about opens. We want action. On a Sunday, your customer may have more time to click and take action.

It’s Sunday, I’m Happier

Your target customer may just be in a better mood on Sunday. It’s probably a good time to send them an email.

The Annoyance Factor

Before launching a Sunday campaign, consider the annoyance factor. Receiving an email on a Sunday may be annoying to part of your audience. Are you bothered by a Sunday email from a colleague? Chances are you’d feel the same way about an email from a brand. Think hard about your audience and message before sending that Sunday email.

Start with a Test

So should you send a Sunday email to your marketing list? Yes, but better to start with a test. For your next campaign, spread your list out over 7 days and see what day works best. But don’t just test opens and clicks. Measure web engagement and conversions. 4 conversions on 10 clicks is much better than 3 conversions on 20.

We wish you good luck with that Sunday email campaign. Remember that sometimes marketing is bobbing when everyone else is weaving. While everyone’s bobbing during the week with their emails, try a weave and send that Sunday email.