As marketers, we spend a lot of time and energy in creating well thought out marketing messages for our email campaigns.  But a well crafted email message is only good if somebody reads it, right?

So of course, the most asked question when it comes to email marketing… when is the best day and time to send email?

With just a quick search on-line you’ll find there are hundreds of articles and blog posts with varying thoughts and opinions on the best time and day to send emails.

But the real answer is, there is no universal best day or time.  When it comes to sending marketing emails, one specific day/time definitely does not fit all.  What works great for one company or type of industry may not work at all for another.

The answer lies in answering the question, “what works best for your specific audience?”.

Test your email campaigns, analyze the data and determine what time frames are working better than others.  Reviewing email reports with results of previous campaigns will help you determine if your readers have any specific patterns when it comes to the day and time they open your email.  Do you notice any trends?  Is there a day or time that seems to get better results than the others?

Also think about your target audience and make some educated decisions as to when your readers would be most likely to have the time to read your email.  Then test your theories to see which of them give you the best results.

Gather has collected a list of some of the pros and cons of sending email for each day of the week.  Below are some highlights, but you can see the entire list here.  Considering these pros and cons will be helpful in making your educated guesses as to the best day and time for sending your email:

- On Monday many email users make it a priority to organize their inboxes. Send email late in the morning so readers have already had the chance to check their inbox.

- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are all an optimal days to send as people have organized their work week and have a little extra time for their inbox.  Towards the end of the week readers may hold off on immediate calls to action as they wrap up the work week and get ready for the weekend.

- By Thursday, Gather recommends keeping the message friendlier and less aggressive.

- Friday is a good day to send as less mail is sent in general. However it is the end of the week and people are leaving for the weekend, so send messages early in the day.

Remember, there is no better way to determine the best day and time to send your message than to test and analyze results.  Make yourself aware of how your target audience is responding to your message and then tailor your email marketing program accordingly.