Your 2025 Email Marketing Guide: Improve Timing, Frequency & Metrics

Email marketing works best when campaigns reach subscribers at the right time, at the right frequency, and with strong inbox placement. By focusing on proven timing strategies and key performance metrics, you can drive higher opens, clicks, and conversions.

Boost Open Rates, Clicks, and Conversions with Data-Driven Email Marketing Strategies

Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective digital marketing channels, delivering a high return on investment for businesses of all sizes. But success doesn’t come from guesswork—it requires data-driven strategies and constant refinement. In this guide, we’ve combined four of our most-read resources into a single reference. You’ll learn when to send emails, how often to send them, how to keep your messages out of spam folders, and which metrics truly measure success. Use this email marketing guide to strengthen your campaigns, connect with subscribers, and drive measurable results.

What Is the Best Time to Send Marketing Emails?

The best time to send marketing emails is typically midweek—Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday—between 8–11 a.m. or 2–4 p.m., when open and click rates peak. Early mornings (around 6–7 a.m.) and Sunday evenings can also work well depending on audience behavior and industry.

Your carefully crafted email sits ready to deploy, but wait—hit send now and it might vanish into the digital void. Miss that magic window, and even your most brilliant campaign could go unseen. At Nowspeed, we’ve tracked open rates across thousands of campaigns and found that timing can swing engagement dramatically. So what is the best time to send marketing emails? Let’s uncover when your audience is actually reading their emails.

Best Days to Send Marketing Emails Based on Data

Our experience shows that certain days consistently outperform others when it comes to email marketing effectiveness. While many marketers avoid Mondays (assuming inboxes are too full) and Fridays (thinking recipients are focused on the weekend), the data tells a different story.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday remain strong performers across industries, with Tuesday showing the highest engagement rates in many campaigns. However, our testing has revealed that Monday and Friday can generate strong open rates when properly executed, making them viable options for many campaigns.

The weekend, particularly Saturday, consistently shows the lowest engagement metrics and should generally be avoided unless your specific audience data suggests otherwise.

Best Times of Day for Marketing Email Success

When should you schedule your sends? Based on our campaign analysis, the timing sweet spots include:

• Morning: 8-11 a.m. when professionals are settling into their workday
• Afternoon: 2-4 p.m. during a natural break in the workday
• Early morning: 6-7 a.m. for emails to appear at the top of the inbox

Our testing reveals that sending emails early morning (4-6 a.m.) and later afternoon (5-7 p.m.) can significantly improve opens and clicks. This allows your message to be waiting at the top of recipients’ inboxes when they first check their email or when they’re winding down their workday.

Email Marketing Timing Strategies by Industry

At Nowspeed, we’ve run trials across multiple industries and found significant variations in optimal sending times:

• B2B companies: Tuesday through Thursday between 9-11 a.m. typically yields the highest engagement
• Retail/B2C: Afternoons and evenings (2-7 p.m.) often perform better
• Healthcare: Early mornings or evenings outside typical work hours

For B2B professionals specifically, sending emails between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. tends to generate higher open and click-through rates. We’ve found that midweek emails typically perform best in the B2B space, as Mondays are often consumed with catching up, and Fridays with wrapping up the week.

The Sunday Evening Surprise: Hidden Opportunity

What the Data Shows

While weekdays dominate email marketing strategies, our client data reveals a surprising opportunity: Sunday evening sends. Our tests have shown that for certain industries, Sunday emails can significantly outperform weekday campaigns.

Our findings show:

• Evening sends at 8 p.m. can achieve higher engagement rates than typical send times
• Sunday emails often see better click-through rates than identical messages sent midweek
• Weekend opens frequently lead to higher conversion rates

Why It Works

The logic makes sense when you consider recipient behavior:

• Weekends give people respite from workweek pressures
• Sunday evening finds many checking emails before the workweek
• Less inbox competition means your message stands out
• Recipients have more time to not just open but take action

How to Test It

This counterintuitive approach isn’t right for every business, but it exemplifies why testing is so vital. We recommend:

• Test a Sunday evening send against your current best time
• Compare not just opens but clicks and conversions
• Start with a small audience segment before full implementation
• Pay special attention to industries where weekend engagement makes sense

Beyond Timing: Other Factors that Impact Email Marketing Results

While timing is important, several other factors influence email performance that we consider in our campaigns:

• Geography and Time Zones: For campaigns targeting audiences across multiple regions, we schedule based on the recipient’s local time rather than a single time zone.
• Audience Behavior: We analyze user engagement patterns to identify when your specific audience is most likely to engage with email content.
• Email Type: Different email categories perform better at different times. Newsletters may work well on weekday mornings, while promotional emails might perform better in the evenings.

Email Send Time Testing: How to Find Your Perfect Schedule

The most reliable way to determine optimal send times is through systematic testing:

1. Starting with industry benchmarks as a baseline
2. Testing different time slots with small segments of your audience
3. Analyzing engagement metrics across different times and days
4. Refining your sending schedule based on your specific results

Tuesday at either 7 a.m. or 11 a.m. provides solid starting points for your testing. From there, we can help you build a testing plan to optimize for your unique audience.

Ready to Perfect Your Email Timing?

Stop guessing when to send your marketing emails. At Nowspeed, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses increase their open rates, clicks, and conversions through strategic email timing optimization.

Let’s Talk about how we can transform your email marketing results with the right timing strategy tailored to your unique business goals.

How Often Should I Send Emails to My Subscribers?

Most businesses see the best results sending 1–2 emails per week. B2C brands often succeed with 2–3 weekly emails, while B2B companies perform better with 1–4 emails per month. The optimal frequency depends on content value and subscriber preferences, so testing is essential.

Finding the right email frequency for your marketing campaigns can feel like walking a tightrope. Send too many emails, and you risk annoying subscribers who may hit unsubscribe. Send too few, and your brand might be forgotten amidst inbox clutter. At Nowspeed, we’ve tested various approaches with our clients and gathered data-backed insights to help you strike the perfect balance.

Understanding the Impact of Email Frequency

Every email marketer understands the value of email marketing, but most struggle to find the right frequency. You have likely asked yourself how often should I send emails to my subscribers? Send too many emails and the unsubscribe rate increases. Send too few emails, and subscribers will forget about you.

Our experience shows that email frequency directly impacts key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and most importantly, conversions. Let’s examine what the data tells us about optimal sending frequency.

What Research Tells Us About Email Frequency

Recent statistics reveal some interesting trends:

Marketing newsletters with a weekly cadence see the highest performance, with an average 48.31% open rate and 5.71% click-through rate (CTR), according to Shopify’s research. This suggests that for many businesses, weekly emails hit the right cadence.

However, different studies point to various optimal frequencies:

According to research from Luisa Zhou, an online business mentor, sending 9-16 emails per month (roughly 2-4 per week) delivers an impressive ROI of 46:1, while sending just one email per month results in a much lower ROI of 13:1.

In a large study by Return Path examining over 199 million emails sent to more than 600,000 inboxes, they found that 5 emails a week on average was tolerated by subscribers. After that threshold, complaint rates rose substantially.

The ‘One-Size-Doesn’t-Fit-All’ Reality

Email frequency is highly contextual. What works for one company or industry may not work for another:

A debt relief company increased their email frequency to just twice a week and saw their list rapidly shrink as subscribers opted out, according to an in-depth look at marketing email best practices. They ultimately found that an email every 14 days was optimal for their specific audience.

B2C brands typically send emails more frequently (weekly or bi-weekly), while most B2B companies tend to send fewer emails (1-3 times per month), as reported by Snov.io.

Finding Your Optimal Email Frequency: Our Approach

Based on our work with clients across industries, we recommend a systematic approach to determine your ideal sending frequency:

1. Start With Industry Benchmarks

Begin with what typically works in your industry:

• B2C retail/e-commerce: 2-3 emails per week
• B2B services: 1-4 emails per month
• SaaS companies: Weekly emails plus product updates
• Professional services: Bi-weekly or monthly newsletters

2. Segment and Test

Databox research revealed one client discovered that weekly emails were the optimal frequency for their audience after testing different email frequencies and getting to know their subscribers.

We recommend:

• Dividing your list into segments
• Testing different frequencies with each segment
• Analyzing engagement metrics across groups
• Adjusting based on data, not assumptions

3. Consider Content Type and Value

The frequency should match the type of content you’re sending:

• Promotional offers: More spaced out to prevent fatigue
• Educational content: Can be more frequent if truly valuable
• News updates: Timed with relevant developments
• Transactional emails: Send as needed based on user actions

4. Listen to Your Subscribers

Pass the ball to your recipients and let them decide what they want. Simply ask your subscribers to select the email frequency they are comfortable with, and you’ll gain their trust. Some companies use preference centers that allow subscribers to choose how often they hear from brands.

5. Monitor and Adjust

Your optimal frequency isn’t static. We recommend:

• Regularly reviewing engagement metrics
• Watching for signs of email fatigue
• Adapting to seasonal changes in buyer behavior
• Refining your approach as your audience evolves

Warning Signs You’re Emailing Too Frequently

How do you know if you’re overdoing it? Watch for these indicators:

Email fatigue shows up in declining engagement metrics long before subscribers hit the unsubscribe button. Watch for dropping open rates, especially from previously active subscribers. Click rates often fall faster than opens, indicating diminishing interest in your content.

Our Recommendation

Based on our experience and research, we recommend starting with these guidelines:

1. For most businesses: 1-2 emails per week provides a good balance
2. For e-commerce: 2-3 emails per week, increasing during sales periods
3. For B2B services: Weekly or bi-weekly emails with high-value content
4. For all businesses: Implement preference centers to give subscribers control

The most effective approach is to test different frequencies with your specific audience and let the data guide your decisions.

Final Thoughts

Email frequency is delivering consistent value that makes subscribers want to hear from you.

At Nowspeed, we help businesses find that sweet spot where email frequency maximizes engagement without causing subscriber fatigue. Remember that the right cadence is one where each email serves a purpose and provides genuine value to the recipient.

Want to learn more about optimizing your email marketing strategy? Contact Nowspeed Digital Marketing today for a free consultation.

Why Do Emails Go to Spam and How Do You Prevent It?

Marketing emails go to spam due to poor sender reputation, high complaint rates, low engagement, missing authentication, or content triggers. To prevent this, authenticate emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, maintain a clean list, send relevant content, and monitor deliverability.

Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels, but its success hinges on whether your messages actually reach the inbox. According to recent statistics, nearly 1 in 6 marketing emails never reach the intended recipient’s inbox, with approximately 10.5% ending up in spam folders and 6.4% going missing altogether as reported by EmailTooltester.

At Nowspeed, we’ve identified why emails get caught in spam filters and developed proven strategies to maximize deliverability. Here’s what you need to know about why emails go to spam and how to prevent it:

Why Your Emails End Up in Spam

Poor Sender Reputation

Your sending domain and IP address reputation significantly impact email delivery. When you have a poor sender reputation, your emails are more likely to get filtered into spam folders—even if you’re not actually sending spam. This reputation can be affected by your previous email marketing behaviors or by sharing an IP address with senders who have bad practices.

High Spam Complaint Rate

The number of recipients reporting your email as spam compared to how many emails were delivered directly affects your deliverability. The more subscribers who mark your emails as spam, the more likely future emails will be filtered there. Gmail and Yahoo now require bulk senders to maintain spam complaint rates below 0.1%, never exceeding 0.3%.

Low Engagement Metrics

Spam filters now look beyond explicit complaints to analyze how recipients interact with your emails. If hardly anyone opens your emails, inbox service providers may question your legitimacy as a sender. Low open and click rates signal to email providers that your content may be unwanted.

Missing Authentication

Email authentication protocols verify your identity to receiving servers. Inbox providers trust authenticated mail more than unauthenticated mail and are more likely to deliver those messages straight into the inbox. Without proper authentication, legitimate emails can be mistaken for spoofed messages.

Email Content Issues

Certain words, phrases, and formatting elements can trigger spam filters. Using spam-triggering words or phrases in both subject line and body can cause deliverability problems. Poor HTML code, too many images, or suspicious links can all contribute to spam placement.

How to Keep Your Emails Out of Spam

1. Authenticate Your Emails

Implement these three critical authentication protocols:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which domain names and IP addresses can send email on your behalf
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature that verifies your sender identity
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide additional verification

Without these authentication protocols set up, your emails will likely land in the spam folder.

2. Build and Maintain a Clean Email List

Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to email lists. We recommend:

• Using double opt-in to confirm subscriber intent
• Regularly verifying email addresses to remove invalid ones
• Sending re-activation campaigns to unengaged subscribers before removing them
• Being particularly careful as you scale—senders with monthly volumes of 50,001–200,000 emails see spam rates peak at 29.31%, according to a rundown of email spam statistics

3. Focus on Subscriber Engagement

Send consistent, relevant emails that subscribers want to read, click on, and respond to. Consider:

• Segmenting your list based on behavior and preferences
• Personalizing content beyond just using first names
• Testing subject lines and content to identify what resonates
• Monitoring open and click rates to gauge performance

4. Avoid Spam Trigger Words and Formatting

Be thoughtful about your content choices:

• Avoid excessive punctuation, ALL CAPS, or too many exclamation points
• Skip phrases like “affordable” and “guide” that tend to have higher spam rates
• Use clean, properly coded HTML for your emails
• Maintain a reasonable text-to-image ratio

5. Make Unsubscribing Simple

Unsubscribing should be as easy as possible for your subscribers. Include:

• A clearly visible unsubscribe link in every email
• A one-click unsubscribe option (now required by Gmail and Yahoo)
• No login requirements to complete the unsubscription process

6. Monitor Your Deliverability

Regular testing helps catch issues before they become major problems:

• Use seed testing to check inbox placement before sending to your full list
• Monitor bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement metrics
• Use tools like Google Postmaster Tool to determine mail deliverability

The Bottom Line: Contact Nowspeed for Email Marketing

Email deliverability represents both a technical requirement and a core marketing success factor. Our tests at Nowspeed consistently show that properly delivered emails generate higher ROI for our clients.

By implementing these recommendations, you can significantly improve your inbox placement rates and ensure your messages reach the audiences who want to hear from you. Remember that deliverability is an ongoing process that requires consistent monitoring and adjustment.

Need help optimizing your email deliverability? Contact Nowspeed today for a comprehensive email marketing assessment.

What Metrics Should I Track in Email Marketing?

Key email marketing metrics include open rate, click-through rate (CTR), click-to-open rate (CTOR), conversion rate, bounce rate, list growth, and mobile performance. Tracking these helps you understand engagement, refine campaigns, and improve ROI across industries.

Email marketing success depends on measuring the right metrics. Without proper tracking, campaigns operate blindly with no way to evaluate performance or make improvements. According to Shopify, email marketing campaigns generate an average ROI of $36 for every dollar spent, making it one of the most effective digital marketing channels available today. But achieving these results requires knowing exactly which metrics matter for your specific business goals and consistently monitoring them to optimize future campaigns.

So, when you ask yourself what metrics should I track in email marketing, here’s the answer:

Key Email Marketing Metrics to Monitor

Open Rate

Open rate shows the percentage of recipients who opened your email. The median email open rate across all industries is 42.35%, though rates vary significantly by industry — ranging from 22.57% to 59.70%, an analysis shows. While Constant Contact reports Apple Mail Privacy Protection has affected this metric’s accuracy, it remains a valuable comparative benchmark.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

CTR measures the percentage of email recipients who clicked on links within your message. According to Shopify, the average marketing email click-through rate in 2024 was 2.62%. This metric directly indicates how compelling your content is to recipients.

Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)

CTOR reveals the percentage of people who opened your email and then clicked on links. The average CTOR across email marketing campaigns was 5.63%, with industry rates ranging from 2.93% to 10.71%, according to MailerLite. This metric helps isolate content effectiveness from subject line performance.

Conversion Rate

This tracks the percentage of email recipients who clicked through and completed a desired action, such as making a purchase. The average conversion rate across industries is 2.9%, according to Ruler Analytics. Consumers also spend 128% more when shopping from emails than when using other methods (Shopify again).

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate indicates the percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered. The average email bounce rate across all industries is 2.33%. High bounce rates can harm your sender reputation and decrease deliverability.

Mobile Performance Metrics

With smartphone usage now dominating digital communication, tracking mobile-specific email metrics has become essential. Mobile optimized emails ensure your messages are effective regardless of device. By monitoring mobile open and click rates separately, you can identify design issues that might be hurting performance on smaller screens and adjust your templates accordingly.

List Growth Rate

Monitoring your email list’s growth rate provides insight into the health of your email marketing program. A steadily growing list indicates effective acquisition strategies, while stagnation or decline signals problems that require attention. This metric helps forecast potential reach and ROI as your subscriber base expands or contracts.

Making Metrics Work for Your Business

What metrics should I track in email marketing? The answer depends on your specific business goals. If you’re focused on awareness, prioritize open rates. For engagement, CTR and CTOR become more important. For revenue generation, conversion rate takes precedence.

The beauty of email marketing lies in its measurability. By establishing baseline metrics for your campaigns and monitoring changes over time, you’ll gain insights that drive continuous improvement and deliver measurable results for your business.

Ready to take your email marketing to the next level?

Contact Nowspeed today to learn how our data-driven approach can help you maximize the effectiveness of your email campaigns.