This is the big question that everyone has been trying to fathom out since we first discovered the ‘send’ button. A lot depends on your target audience, your message and your offer or message. Also is it Business or Consumer – each has different habit and responses.

As a rule of thumb the best days for business emails is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. Your audience is generally out of the office on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday’s – it’s back to work time and it’s too early in the working week for business solicitations as there is a lot of the weeks work to plan. On Friday, most people are concentrating on finishing and tying up loose ends. If someone starts something on a Friday, it may be forgotten over the weekend.

So, what’s the best time? A lot depends on who you are sending too but here are some loose guidelines:

The Black Hole: 10.00pm to 9.00am – this is the worst time to send emails.

The Happy Hour: 9.0 am to 10.00am – this is considered to be good time for Consumer, but not for Businesses first thing on a Monday morning as they are cleaning out the inbox and are in a deleting frenzy.

Do Not Disturb: 10.00am to 12.00 noon – consumers are choosing to concentrate and focus on work after a slowish start.

The Lunchtime Lounge: 12.00 to 2.00p.m – Consumers are unlikely to open emails in ‘Me Time’ and prefer to concentrate on YouTube. Magazine formats, sports and general surfing and shopping.

The Kill Zone: 2pm to 3.00pm – After a lazy lunch period it’s heads down straight back into work with a vengence. This is a good time to respond to business oriented emails.

The Change Time: 3.00pm to 5.00pm – Job related frustration and apathy kicks in and consumers start considering personal situations. This is a good time for financial services, property and anything that may enrich and change the low that they are in.

The Late Workers: 5.00pm to 7.00 pm – This is a good time when business people have time to absorb B2B promotions and offers. For the consumer it’s holidays.

The Soft Zone: 7.00 pm to 10.00pm – Consumers are more likely to respond to consumer driven promotions in their own time and at home. Shopping and clothes and health club promotions are perform well in this time.

In a nutshell? Target Businesses early in the day and Consumers later in the day.