I saw a couple support emails come in today from people asking if it’s a good idea to send emails Sunday night. Their theory, which definitely does make sense, is that by sending their email marketing campaign Sunday night, they’ll  be first in their recipient’s inbox come Monday morning.

While it is true that sending an email marketing campaign Sunday night puts you in the box ahead of anyone who sends out an email Monday morning, the research consistently shows that this is a flawed tactic.

One thing to think about is how most email programs, including the one you’re using, actually work. The email programs put the newest emails at the top of the list and slowly push the older emails down. So, if you send your email now, it will get pushed behind any other emails that may get sent to your recipient before they check their email Monday morning. While the idea of “First in, First Read” (FIFR, in case you like acronyms!) would be nice, it doesn’t typically hold true.

The other thing to think about when sending an email marketing campaign Sunday night is that when your recipient checks their email Monday morning, they are going to get a rush of messages. Usually this encompasses anything sent from Friday at 5:00pm through to Monday morning. When this big rush of emails come flying in, it’s a lot easier for your email marketing campaign to get lost in the clutter. Since you want to make sure your email gets the attention it deserves, you’re a lot better off not being part of this email flood.

It’s best to give a lot of thought to the timing of your email marketing campaigns since it can heavily skew your success. Be sure to put yourself in your recipient’s shoes because it’s their schedule (not yours!) that you’re trying to accommodate.