• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 26, 2012

According to GetResponse findings released in October 2012, opt-in newsletters and emails from retailers are far more likely to be opened within the first hour after delivery than at any hour after that. While Emails reach their best results in the 1^st hour after delivery, within the 2^nd hour results drop by half; another 30% within the 3^rd hour, and more than a 90% drop 5 hours after delivery. 

Message sending times, open, and click rates vary substantially by time of day. According to the study, messages sent in the afternoon and evening have the best chance of being opened or clicked, with an average open rate of 10.61% between noon and 6pm, and click-through rate of 2.38% between 6 pm and midnight.

According to the study, the best time to schedule emails is morning and early afternoon. Landing in the inbox 1 hour before top open times produces maximum attention and results, says the report. Sending newsletters during readers’ top engagement times of 8 am – 10 am and 3 pm. – 4 pm can increase their average open rates and CTR by 6%.

The study, analyzing 21 million messages sent from US accounts, concludes by noting that the sender should match times zones throughout the world, suggesting using time zone segmentation to hit recipients’ inboxes at the same local time everywhere.

To view the Infographic from GetResponse, please visit here.