Timing shapes email performance. Many studies show mid-week sends and morning peaks lift open and click rates. This guide explains how GetResponse tools help you schedule campaigns so each subscriber sees messages at the same local hour.
You’ll learn practical steps for planning a 1 PM delivery across zones, handling contacts with unknown location, and keeping timezone hygiene in your list. The guide compares Time Travel with Perfect Timing and offers a clear path for smart campaign setup.
Expect evidence-led advice. We anchor recommendations in data about peak windows like 9–11 AM and 4–6 PM. You’ll get examples of time-sensitive offers and metrics that matter beyond opens—CTR, revenue, and unsubscribe trends by hour.
Key Takeaways
- Time-aligned delivery can lift inbox placement and attention.
- Choose Time Travel when you need uniform local-hour delivery across regions.
- Prepare segments and fix timezone fields for reliable 1 PM launches.
- Measure CTR and revenue by hour, not just open rates.
- Test day and hour variants with A/B plans and clear success metrics.
Why email send time matters for engagement and revenue
Landing in the inbox at the right moment drives opens, clicks, and revenue. In email marketing, arrival beats clever copy if subscribers aren’t looking. Studies show mid-week windows and specific hours raise attention and lift rates.
What the data says about opens, clicks, and conversions
Aggregated data points to Tuesday–Thursday advantages, with common peaks around 9–11 AM and 4–6 PM. GetResponse analysis finds about 23% of opens happen in the first hour; the second hour sees a sharp drop. That first-hour burst correlates with higher clicks and downstream conversions.
The inbox race: staying near the top when subscribers check
Because the inbox sorts by recency, arriving just before a typical check gives your campaign an edge. That increases open rates and often improves CTR, not just vanity metrics.
- Tip: Prioritize slots that drive conversions, not only opens.
- Tip: Segment by region and device to spot different peak times.
Time Travel vs. Perfect Timing in GetResponse: what’s the difference?
Choosing a delivery model shapes how your message meets an audience. Picked well, it raises opens and clicks. Picked poorly, even great creative can miss the peak window.
Time Travel schedules an email so it arrives at the same hour for every recipient across zones — for example, 1 PM everywhere. This approach keeps launches synchronized and helps with flash sales, coordinated events, or lists that lack behavioral history.
Perfect Timing
Perfect Timing uses an algorithm that studies past engagement and picks an individual delivery window for each contact. It compounds small gains across evergreen newsletters and long-running campaigns by sending when a recipient is most likely to act.
When manual scheduling still makes sense
- Simultaneous experiences: product launches or “today only” promos benefit from synchronized arrival.
- New or cold lists: start with a fixed hour to gather the engagement data that powers algorithms.
- External constraints: market hours, webinar starts, or support availability require fixed calendars.
Practical playbook: announce with a synchronized send, then follow up via Perfect Timing for lagging opens. Run holdout tests that compare matched segments and measure CTR, conversions, and revenue. Document your decision tree so marketers can repeat winning approaches across campaigns.
When to use Time Travel Local Send Time in GetResponse
For global announcements and short-window promos, align arrival so every subscriber experiences the same local hour.
Synchronized delivery gives equal access during 24-hour flash sales, “today only” offers, and market-driven launches. It prevents confusion caused by a message that reads “ends at midnight” in one region but arrives a day off in another.
New lists and habit-building newsletters benefit too. When you lack behavioral history, fixed local-hour sends train routines and gather the signals that power smarter algorithms later.
- Flash sales: fair access and reduced support tickets.
- Events tied to business hours: match local calendars and trading windows.
- Habit campaigns: consistent delivery builds expectation and opens.
| Scenario | Why synchronized helps | Metric to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour flash sale | Equal start/end across zones | CTR and revenue per region |
| New subscriber list | Creates consistent engagement signals | Open rate growth over 4 sends |
| Habit newsletter | Trains routine attention | Return open rate and unsubscribe rate |
Start synchronized, measure by region, then refine. That approach preserves message relevance and gives clear data for future targeting.
Targeting 1 PM local time: does it make sense for the United States?
Choosing 1 PM for a national rollout demands matching audience routines and hard data. You need evidence that midday attention aligns with your subscribers’ schedules before committing a major campaign.
Aligning 1 PM with US workday rhythms and attention windows
Post-lunch checks can create a useful pocket of attention. For B2C browsing or retail offers, that pocket sometimes converts. For B2B decision-makers, earlier morning blocks often win higher engagement rates.
How 1 PM compares with common peaks like 9–11 AM and 4–6 PM
- A 1 PM slot can reach users after meetings, but US & Canada data tends to favor 6 AM and 9–10 AM peaks.
- Test 1 PM against a 10 AM and a 4 PM variant and compare CTR and revenue lift by segment.
- Factor industry patterns, weekday effects, and DST shifts when interpreting results.
| Metric | 1 PM (midday) | 9–10 AM (morning) |
|---|---|---|
| Open rate | Moderate — audience dependent | Often higher — peak attention window |
| CTR | Good for B2C browsing | Better for B2B actions |
| Revenue impact | Variable; test per business | More consistent for conversions |
How to schedule 1 PM local send time in GetResponse
Scheduling a unified 1 PM delivery across multiple zones lets every recipient open messages during a predictable midday window. This approach suits product launches, flash offers, and habit-building newsletters where synced arrival matters.
Prepare your list first. Audit country, city, and explicit timezone fields. Reconcile mismatches so the platform maps each subscriber to an accurate hour.
Preparing segments and time zone data before scheduling
Run a quick report that flags missing or conflicting fields. Create a cleanup plan: correct obvious country/city pairs and mark low-confidence records for fallback routing.
Enabling Time Travel and setting 1 PM delivery
In the campaign builder, enable the delivery option that sends at a fixed local hour and enter 1 PM as the target hour. Verify DST handling and how late-joining contacts join the routing logic.
Choosing a fallback for contacts with unknown time zones
If geolocation is incomplete because of image caching or low open history, build a clearly labeled fallback segment. Many teams default that group to Eastern at 1 PM or cluster APAC into a 10 AM variant and schedule separate sends.
- Audit fields for country, city, and timezone and reconcile discrepancies.
- Label a fallback segment for unknown zones and pick a practical default hour.
- Test a soft launch with 5–10% of subscribers to validate alignment across regions.
- Confirm throttling so large campaigns still reach recipients near the chosen hour.
| Step | Action | Success check |
|---|---|---|
| Data audit | Reconcile country/city/timezone fields | Less than 5% unknown after cleanup |
| Fallback segment | Default labeled group (e.g., Eastern 1 PM) | Clear tag and migration plan |
| Soft launch | Send to 5–10% sample across zones | Local-hour correlation validated |
| Full send | Enable fixed-hour delivery; monitor throughput | Delivery within +/- 10 minutes of 1 PM per zone |
After sending email, monitor dashboards by region. Track delivery, open and click rates by hour, and migrate contacts from fallback into full routing as data improves. Document the SOP so your team repeats and refines the process.
Back your timing with research: days and hours that perform
Large datasets show distinct daily patterns that marketers can follow for better open and click results.
US & Canada highlights
Early morning behavior stands out in North American data. In GetResponse’s dataset, opens peak near 4 AM while clicks hit highest levels around 6 AM. Many marketers schedule between 6 AM and 6 PM, but metrics drop more sharply after 10 AM than in other regions.
Global patterns and weekday nuances
Globally, mid-week sends usually perform best. Studies often show consistent peaks at 9–11 AM and again at 4–6 PM. Some reports note a small Friday bump, while weekends generally underperform.
- Use research as a baseline: US & Canada favor early morning CTR; globally, 9–11 AM and 4–6 PM are reliable.
- Test days and hours: Track rates by hour and day send email; a one-hour shift can change results.
- Account for audience habits: Validate whether your subscribers check email first thing morning or later in the day.
- Document findings: Keep a research log in your team wiki or blog so results guide future sending emails decisions.
| Region | Top open window | Top click window |
|---|---|---|
| US & Canada | ~4 AM | ~6 AM |
| Global average | 9–11 AM | 4–6 PM |
| Weekends | Lower engagement | Lower conversions |
Practical research tips: run rolling tests, pair stable creative with hour/day variations, and recheck during DST or holidays. That approach yields reliable results and reduces noisy conclusions when sending emails at scale.
Time zone strategy: prioritize, segment, or cluster intelligently
Choose an operational model that balances precision and overhead for multi-region email programs. Map revenue and engagement by region first. That data tells you whether one market deserves priority or if segmentation will pay off.
If most revenue comes from one region, favor that zone for simplicity. This keeps operations lean but can weaken performance in distant markets. Quantify the trade-off by comparing revenue per subscriber across regions.
Clustering as a practical compromise
Group adjacent zones—PT/MT/CT/ET, for example—and schedule staggered sends an hour apart. Clusters reduce manual setup while improving relevance for more subscribers.
- Segment high-volume countries for full local delivery.
- Create a clear fallback for contacts lacking geolocation; anchor it to your largest market.
- Document a tiered approach: Tier 1 full local, Tier 2 clustered, Tier 3 prioritized region.
| Choice | When it fits | Key metric |
|---|---|---|
| Prioritize one zone | Single-region revenue focus | Revenue per subscriber |
| Segment by country | High volume per market | Lift in CTR and conversions |
| Cluster zones | Balanced scale and precision | Incremental ROI per cluster |
Measure costs versus lift quarterly and align content and support hours with each cluster. Combine routing rules with region-specific subject lines or offers to maximize relevance for subscribers and improve campaign optimization.
Time zone empathy: make time-sensitive content crystal clear
Clear labeling of reference zones prevents confusion for readers across multiple regions. State the zone for every date and call out upcoming DST shifts so subscribers won’t miss events or deadlines.
Make it easy for the inbox recipient. Offer a “view in my local time” link and add-to-calendar files (Google, Outlook, Apple) so the event imports with the correct hour automatically.
- Reference zone + DST: place the governing zone beside the start time and highlight any daylight savings changes.
- Converters and calendar: include a converter link plus calendar attachments so readers see the right moment.
- Fallbacks and recordings: provide alternate sessions or recordings for audiences in inconvenient zones.
Practical example and quick checks
Consider a compact banner showing PT and ET, then add a converter link. That gives clarity without clutter.
| Element | Why it helps | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Reference zone label | Reduces support queries | Visible near CTA |
| Add-to-calendar | Ensures correct import | Test on major clients |
| Recording option | Recovers missed viewers | Link in follow-up |
Final tip: test whether explicit zone context lowers reply volume and raises conversions on time-bound offers. Small clarity changes often yield measurable gains in email performance and subscriber satisfaction.
Measure success beyond open rates
The real test of a delivery choice is whether it moves business metrics. Open spikes can be useful signals, but you need conversion and revenue checks to judge an hour’s value.
Track CTR, conversions, and revenue lift from local-hour sends
Start with cohorts. Compare a group that received a campaign at 1 PM against a control that got a global timestamp. Measure clicks, add-to-cart actions, and final conversions.
Use revenue per recipient and conversion rate as primary KPIs. That shows whether the selected hour improves real results or just inflates opens.
Monitor unsubscribes and list fatigue by hour and day
Watch unsubscribe and complaint rates across hours. A slot that boosts clicks but spikes opt-outs is a net loss.
Visualize performance as a heat map (hour vs. day). That reveals stable ridges you can standardize into playbooks.
| Metric | First hour after delivery | Second hour | Later hours (24h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opens | 23% peak | ~11% (drops ~50%) | Long tail |
| Clicks (CTR) | Highest likelihood | Moderate | Lower |
| Conversion rate | Best indicator of value | Declines | Minimal lift |
| Revenue per recipient | Measurable lift | Smaller lift | Negligible |
| Unsubscribe rate | Watch closely | Possible increase | Varies by audience |
- Keep creative constant when testing so results reflect timing, not content.
- Include LTV analysis to find which entry hours yield higher-value customers.
- Document failures and feed insights into segmentation and automation rules.
A/B testing your 1 PM approach across audiences and content
Build an A/B framework that isolates the 1 PM variable and tracks conversions, not just opens. Start with a clear hypothesis and defined success metrics before you launch any campaigns.
Test day-of-week, hour offsets, and content relevance together
Run two phased experiments: first, compare one baseline — 1 PM — against a single alternate hour (for example 10 AM) using the same creative.
Next, test weekday effects. Hold creative constant and move the day. That shows whether the audience favors a specific day send email over another.
- Frame hypotheses: state expected lift, primary KPI, and acceptable confidence level.
- Hour-offset matrix: include adjacent slots (12 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM) to pinpoint the best midday times.
- Segment by lifecycle: prospects and customers often react differently; test them separately.
- Pair timing with post-click analysis: content elements can amplify or reduce timing gains.
Guardrails: sample size, single-variable tests, and avoiding holidays
Use sufficient sample sizes so results show real effects, not noise. Small lists need larger holdout percentages or longer rolling tests.
| Risk | Guardrail | Success check |
|---|---|---|
| Low sample | Increase group size or extend duration | Confidence interval narrow enough for decisions |
| Multiple variables | Test one variable at a time | Clear attribution of results |
| Calendar anomalies | Avoid holidays and revalidate after DST | Stable results across weeks |
Report results with confidence intervals and automate winner selection where your ESP supports it, but audit periodically. Share findings across teams so marketers scale proven tactics and avoid repeating tests.
Common pitfalls and pro tips for local-time sends
Small errors in zone labels can turn a clear deadline into a support nightmare. Fixing that is simple and high impact. Always state the reference time zone in subject lines and templates.
Handling events, webinars, and deadlines across regions
Make every event crystal clear. Add explicit zone labels, include add-to-calendar files, and supply a recording plan so each subscriber gets value regardless of hour.
Avoid vague phrases like “tonight” without a zone. Align countdown banners with the governing zone and document DST rules in your templates.
Coordinating replies and support hours for international audiences
Publish support hours and set an autoresponder that states expected response windows. That reduces frustration when replies peak after a large midday send.
- Maintain a clean list and re-attribute zones as IP signals change.
- Seed accounts across key regions to QA arrival and content rendering.
- Use a preflight checklist: timezone fields, toggle for fixed-hour delivery, fallback logic, calendar links, support coverage, and monitoring.
| Risk | Mitigation | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguous deadline | Reference zone + countdown aligned | Banner shows: “Ends 11:59 PM ET; view in your local time” |
| DST mismatch | Alternate template toggle for DST weeks | Send sample near DST switch |
| Support surge | Autoresponder with response hours | Reply volume vs. staffed hours |
Example microcopy: “Offer ends 11:59 PM ET; view in your local time.” Review post-send reply logs and performance so you can remove friction in the next iteration.
Conclusion
Aligned delivery beats perfect copy when the goal is measurable results. Pick a clear approach for your email program and measure conversion, not just opens. Good timing lifts revenue more than small creative tweaks.
Choose the right tool. Use Time Travel for synchronized 1 PM launches that create fairness and habit. Choose Perfect Timing for individualized optimization once engagement history exists for most subscribers.
Validate 1 PM against 9–11 AM and 4–6 PM, especially across US audiences. Track CTR, revenue, and fatigue signals. Build a simple playbook: prioritize top markets, cluster where helpful, maintain a fallback, and document SOPs.
Iterate and share. Keep zone clarity in every message, add calendar links, and log findings in your team blog. That way marketers keep the best time send in mind and steer campaigns toward real business results.