Cracking the Code: What is the Best Time for Sending Pitches?

Maximize Your Email Pitch Open Rates: Insights from April’ 24 to June’ 24

Understanding when your audience engages with your content is crucial for PR success. Our analysis of pitch data from the last two quarters (January to March and April to June 2024) reveals key insights. This blog compares engagement patterns between these periods, empowering you to strategically time your pitches for maximum impact. 

Picture this: It’s a bright Tuesday morning. You’ve crafted the perfect pitch and are eager to hit send. But a familiar anxiety creeps in – the fear that your carefully constructed message might once again be lost in the sea of a journalist’s overflowing inbox. The frustration of previous attempts where your efforts went unnoticed looms over you.

Why Timing Matters?

Timing your pitches correctly can mean the difference between being noticed and being overlooked. By leveraging these insights, you can strategically schedule your email campaigns to align with your audience’s most attentive hours. This not only increases the likelihood of your pitches being opened but also enhances the chances of driving engagement.

Comparing Quarters – We Bring You Insights

Last Quarter (Jan, Feb, Mar 2024)

In the last quarter of 2024, we analyzed 151 pitches and identified a maximum open rate of 37% between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM. This insight was crucial for PR Professionals aiming to capture attention mid-morning. However, the post-lunch window from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM also showed promise, reinforcing the idea that targeting your audience before and after their lunch break could enhance visibility.

This Quarter (Apr, May, Jun 2024)

This quarter, we examined 154 pitches with at least 30 deliveries and opens each month.
Results observed a slight shift in the optimal timing. The highest open rate, 40%, was achieved between 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM IST. This earlier time slot suggests that recipients are increasingly engaging with their emails right at the start of their workday. The post-lunch period from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM continues to be effective, but the standout finding is the increased engagement earlier in the morning.

The Good-Time Window:

Pre-Lunch Sweet Spot
Based on our data, the overall best time to send email campaigns are between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM. This two-hour window captures the heightened attention of recipients as they begin their day, providing a golden opportunity for your pitches to stand out.

Post-Lunch Window
The post-lunch hours, from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM, remain a viable option. During this time, recipients are back from their break and settling into the latter part of their workday, making them receptive to new emails.

An Unexpected Anomaly: While the morning and post-lunch slots are generally the best times to send pitches, an intriguing anomaly has surfaced. When comparing data from both quarters, we observed an average open rate of 16.5% between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM in Q2 and 20% between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM in Q1. This suggests that a segment of recipients is engaging with their emails in the evening, potentially after wrapping up their day or during personal downtime.

The Not-So-Good Times: It’s important to note that our analysis also revealed less favorable times for pitching. For instance, pitches sent very early in the morning, before 7:30 AM, showed significantly lower engagement rates. Similarly, sending pitches late in the evening, after 9:30 PM, yielded lower open rates compared to other times of the day. 

Conclusion: As we continue to refine our strategies based on data-driven insights, it’s clear that understanding the optimal times for sending pitches is crucial. By comparing the last two quarters, we’ve identified key trends that can help you enhance your outreach efforts. 

Remember, the best time to send email campaigns are now between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM pre-lunch, and 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM post-lunch. Additionally, consider experimenting with evening pitches between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM to capture the attention of those engaging with emails later in the day.

Stay tuned for more updates and continue to experiment with these time slots to see what works best for your audience. Happy pitching!