Episode Summary: "The Best Time to Send Emails" (Episode 98)

Podcast Information

• Title: The Email Sound Booth with Liz Wilcox
• Host: Liz Wilcox
• Description: For online businesses that need to remix their email marketing efforts, and finally build an email list that makes them money and feels good to do it.
• Episode: 98: The Best Time to Send Emails
• Release Date: February 19, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 98 of "The Email Sound Booth with Liz Wilcox," Liz tackles a perennial question in email marketing: When is the best time to send emails? While the digital landscape is flooded with data-driven suggestions and segmented strategies, Liz offers a refreshing take that emphasizes personal consistency and strategic timing based on individual workflows.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom

Liz opens the episode by acknowledging the multitude of opinions and tools available for determining optimal email send times. She humorously points out the complexity and sometimes conflicting advice marketers receive:

“I'm putting Chapstick on. Taking a sip of Wawa. Go ahead and Google it... It's going to tell you all this stuff about segmenting and... we're going to send this to her Wednesday at 9 or something like that.”
— Liz Wilcox [00:54]

Despite the advanced features of email service providers that can predict the best send times based on subscriber behavior, Liz suggests that these conventional methods might not be the ultimate solution for everyone.

Consistency Over Timing

Central to Liz's philosophy is the idea that consistency trumps the exact timing of emails. She emphasizes that the best time to send emails is when you can commit to doing so regularly:

“The best time to send emails is when you're going to get your butt in the seat each week.”
— Liz Wilcox [02:10]

By consistently sending emails at a set time, marketers can build a reliable pattern that their audience comes to expect and look forward to, fostering a sense of trust and anticipation.

Training Your Audience

Liz introduces the concept of "training" your audience to recognize and engage with your emails at specific times:

“You can quote, unquote, train your audience to open your emails at Tuesday at 5pm if that's what you've been doing consistently.”
— Liz Wilcox [03:15]

This strategy leverages the power of routine, making your emails a predictable part of your subscribers' schedules, which can enhance open rates and engagement over time.

Personal Experiences with Email Timing

Sunday Evenings with the RV Travel Blog

Reflecting on her past experience managing an RV travel blog, Liz recounts how she found success by aligning her email sends with her subscribers' lifestyles:

“I used to send on Sunday evenings. That's when I knew my subscribers... were sitting down... They would sit, watch TV, watch YouTube, check their email.”
— Liz Wilcox [04:20]

Sending emails during this time capitalized on subscribers winding down from weekend activities, making them more receptive to engaging with her content.

Transition to Tuesdays

In her current ventures, Liz opts for Tuesdays as her primary email send day. She explains the reasoning behind this choice based on her own workflow and observations about her audience's behavior:

“On Tuesday, I feel like I can slack off again, right? And so I started sending my newsletter on Tuesday for that reason.”
— Liz Wilcox [05:45]

By choosing a day that aligns with a stable work rhythm, Liz ensures that she remains consistent without overextending herself, which in turn sustains her email marketing efforts effectively.

Analyzing and Adjusting After Consistency

Liz advises that once a consistent schedule is established, marketers should analyze performance metrics to determine if adjustments are necessary:

“After consistency, you can start to analyze. Is my open rate good? Would I like it to be higher? Maybe I could try a different day and see what happens.”
— Liz Wilcox [07:10]

This approach balances steadfast routine with the flexibility to optimize based on real-world results, ensuring that email strategies remain both reliable and effective.

Conclusion

Liz wraps up the episode by reaffirming the importance of consistent action over chasing the elusive "perfect" send time. She underscores that while data and tools are valuable, the foundation of successful email marketing lies in maintaining a steady and reliable communication rhythm that fits both the marketer's and the audience's workflows.

Notable Quotes

• “The best time to send emails is when you're going to get your butt in the seat each week.”
  — Liz Wilcox [02:10]

• “You can quote, unquote, train your audience to open your emails at Tuesday at 5pm if that's what you've been doing consistently.”
  — Liz Wilcox [03:15]

• “On Tuesday, I feel like I can slack off again, right? And so I started sending my newsletter on Tuesday for that reason.”
  — Liz Wilcox [05:45]

• “After consistency, you can start to analyze. Is my open rate good? Would I like it to be higher? Maybe I could try a different day and see what happens.”
  — Liz Wilcox [07:10]

Additional Resources

For listeners interested in further enhancing their email marketing strategies, Liz promotes her $9/month email marketing membership, which includes weekly templates and other valuable resources. This membership aims to provide ongoing support and tools to help businesses refine their email efforts effectively.

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Episode 98, highlighting Liz Wilcox's unique perspective on email timing by prioritizing consistency and personal strategy over generalized data-driven recommendations. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting out, Liz's insights offer a grounded approach to building and maintaining an effective email list.