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Alternatively titled “Why I Sent My First Newsletter After Lunch on Good Friday.”

I work in web development and internet marketing.  Not the sleazy, dirty, 8 mile-long page with 40 fake testimonials and yellow highlighted text internet marketing.  I’m talking internet marketing for legitimate companies.  So I should know better than to send out an email newsletter on Good Friday after lunch…  But I did it anyway.

Fridays are generally bad days for email.  Open rates tend to be lower.  People are either trying to finish their work so they can get out of the office for the weekend or they’re already busy planning / starting the weekend.  In the middle of the week, you’re more likely to catch people bored at work, looking for something (anything) to capture their interest.

Holidays are even worse.  People are traveling, fewer people are at work… they’re just not looking for something to catch their attention.

None of this is news to me, but I still sent out a newsletter this afternoon.  In part, it’s because of necessity… I launched a contest and I want to get the word out.  In part it’s because I was tired of putting it off any longer.  But no matter what the reasoning, I’m going to suffer from reduced open rates for this campaign.

It sucks that open rates will be down, but it feels good to have actually started sending the weekly newsletter.  Next week, I’m going to split-test timing and report on its impact on open rates with my list.  I’m not likely going to use Friday afternoon as one of my test segments, however.

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