The Best Time to Send Black Friday Emails + What to Send

Your Black Friday sales promotion is locked in, and your email campaign has been created, but when it’s time to hit “send” you face perhaps the most critical decision: when? That’s right, there’s a best time to send those Black Friday emails, and getting it right can make a big difference for your bottom line. So let’s tease out the best time to send Black Friday emails, and what to send when.     

But first thing’s first: hopefully you’re planning to send more than one Black Friday email! Indeed, with email recipients receiving loads of Black Friday promotions, it’s essential to have a Black Friday email marketing campaign strategy that includes sending emails in the weeks leading up to your big sale. With that in mind, let’s first tackle the ideal days and times of day, and then we’ll dive into what to send when. 

When is the Best Time to Send Black Friday Emails?

The best time to send Black Friday emails is on Friday during the early morning hours, and no later than 8am.

For optimal results, it’s also recommended to send reminder or teaser emails on Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday of Black Friday week. On those days, send your email in the morning – peak open rates typically land between 8am and 10am. Then, as mentioned above, schedule your main sale launch email early on Black Friday itself, by 8am or earlier.

Also, keep in mind that many sales extend through the Monday after Black Friday, so it’s a good idea to send a reminder email on Monday morning as well, by 8am. 

Now that we’ve got Black Friday email days and times dialed, let’s dive deeper into what to send and when.

When to Send Black Friday Teaser Emails

Plan to start sending Black Friday Teaser emails at the beginning of November (or even late October if you really want to get a head start). Many marketers consider the day after Halloween to be the beginning of holiday promotions, making early November the ideal time to start previewing your promotion.

During the run-up to your sale, you’ll ideally send teaser emails once or twice a week, and especially during the two weeks just prior to Black Friday. General consensus is that the best day to send marketing emails is on Tuesday, followed by either Wednesday or Thursday. (On Mondays everyone is catching up on work life; on Fridays folks are checking out for the weekend.) If you must send an email on the weekend, opt for Sunday afternoon, when certain early birds are already starting to tackle their inboxes.Keep in mind the optimal time of day mentioned above when sending your teaser emails. 
Your messages can take different angles, from countdowns, to early access, and customer rewards, among other Black Friday email examples.

When to Send Black Friday Sale Launch Emails

When your sale finally launches (either the day of Black Friday, or even before, which many businesses opt to do), it probably goes without saying that you should send an announcement email the day of, first thing in the morning – and even earlier in the morning than we’ve previously recommended. Aim to send it by 7am and, if you have customers in different time zones, consider sending your email no later than 7am in your earliest time zone. Meanwhile, if you are able to segment by time zone, then you can send batches at the optimal time for each geographic location. 

When to Send Black Friday Reminder Emails

While usually it’s not recommended to send multiple promotional emails in one day, many rules go out the window during Black Friday! So if you’re running a one-day sale, don’t hesitate to send a second, reminder email later in the day, such as late afternoon or early evening. This email should communicate a sense of urgency about taking advantage of deals before they end.

Meanwhile, if you’re running a multi-day sale, consider sending a new reminder email each day, perhaps highlighting a different product or deal. Then don’t forget to send a final reminder email during your sale’s closing hours.

Black Friday Email-Timing Tips

Track Email Stats

This time of year is when email stats get tricky. That’s because email recipients are absolutely bombarded with Black Friday content, and therefore it’s very common that open rates are lower than usual – so don’t be alarmed!

That said, consider reviewing your open stats between each Black Friday email send. This way you can gather intel on which days and times might be working best. While you’re at it, review the strength of your Black Friday email subject lines and calls to action (do some perform better than others?), and consider tweaking and optimizing those as you go as well.

If you really want to fine tune timing, you may even wish to run A/B tests on some of your emails. Try sending a portion of a specific email during the morning, and the rest in the evening to see which time performs better. Apply your learnings to future sends.

Be Strategic About Email Frequency

Sending the right amount of emails during this time of year requires striking a subtle balance – you want to send enough to cut through the noise, but not so many that you are the noise. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to email frequency:

• Send up to a couple emails a week, but keep an eye on email stats, such as the unsubscribe rate. A noticeable increase in unsubscribes, for example, after you’ve sent a too-soon email could tell you to space out your messages a bit. 
• Repeat key messages since it’s likely your readers may not open all of your emails.
• Offer fresh content and/or angles to capture new interest and keep readers engaged.

Pay Attention to Time Zones

If you have an online business, it’s very possible your customers span different time zones. As such, be mindful of when you send your promotional emails. For example, when you launch your Black Friday sale, you have such a small window to capture sales that it’s important you send out your email at the earliest reasonable hour in your earliest customer time zone.

Similarly, when you send out a last-call, reminder email, keep in mind possible earlier time zones. You wouldn’t want to miss reminding them when they have little or no time to take advantage of the sale. 

Keep an Eye on the News

Big news events often impact whether readers pay close attention to their emails. In the US, for example, early November is election time – and if it’s presidential, it can absolutely dominate the news and people’s attention. As a result, aim to send emails when there’s a slight lull in the news cycle (that is: not on election day!). 

Closing Thoughts on the Best Time to Send Black Friday Emails

Don’t drop the ball on your Black Friday sales promotion timing – it can be a game changer for your business. Indeed sending one, randomly timed, last-minute email announcement just isn’t going to cut it. It’s critical to send strategic emails at the best time of day, on the optimal day, and with the right frequency. So start crafting your Black Friday email plan now so that you’re ready to maximize sales impact when the big day arrives.