Thinking about the inbox you send emails into, whether that’s personal emails, campaigns, or newsletters to your clients, is really, really important.

I’m going to explain why, and it starts with a very quick anecdote about alcohol and emails (not together, don’t worry).

When my friends and I were leaving university and entering the workplace full-time, my friend’s dad (who’d had a successful career in advertising) gave us all two lessons to live by.

Lesson one:

Never be drunker than your boss.

Lesson two:

Always think about the inbox you’re sending an email into.

I’d prefer not to comment on whether I learned the first lesson, but I do think there’s a more refined version of it:

If you find yourself more intoxicated than your boss, the key is to hide it really well.

I’m not here to talk about the Yardstick Christmas party, though.

Instead, I’m here to talk about that second lesson, because it is valuable advice that applies across email communication. Especially when it comes to sending newsletters into your clients’ inboxes.

Here’s why.

Thinking about your recipient’s inbox helps your emails pack a punch

Despite the increasing popularity of messaging services and video calling, more than half the world’s population still use email every day.

So, my friend’s dad wanted to ensure that in our occupations, we would use email to best effect.

The lesson is incredibly simple: whatever you’re sending, think about who’s going to be reading it, when, why, and what you want them to do with the information.

Whether that’s to a colleague or a client, it’s crucial to consider these aspects. Otherwise, you may end up screaming into a void and not getting a response – or worse, actively annoying someone.

I immediately took this lesson to heart, and I still act upon it every day.

For example, if I’m emailing one of the financial advisers and planners we work with, and I haven’t spoken to them already that day, I will rarely send that email after around 12 pm.

Instead, I’ll either leave that email in my drafts and send it the next morning at around 9 am. Or, I’ll queue it for a bit earlier, maybe around 8 am, ensuring that when they look at their emails first thing, I’m at the top of their inbox and they’re more inclined to reply.

The reason I do this (and that it appears to work) is simple.

Imagine it’s the middle of the afternoon and you’re in a meeting or halfway through an important piece of work. If I email you at that time, you’re far more likely to ignore it and worry about it later.

Contrast that with booting up Outlook or Gmail as you start your day. You see my email (no doubt alongside countless others) and begin your morning by responding to them.

By thinking about you and what your schedule might be, I make it more likely that you will reply to me, meaning I’ll get the information I need or an action completed.

You need to think about your clients, prospects, and connections’ inboxes when sending newsletters

Now, let’s apply the logic of my timing of emails to when you might send newsletters.

We recommend specific time windows for sending newsletters. That’s because, after a painstaking process of trial and error, we have found what we believe to be the best day and time to do this.

Clients and prospects: Saturday, 10 am

When you consider this logically, it makes sense. It’s a time when clients are more likely to be sitting at the kitchen table in their dressing gown with a cup of coffee, looking at the latest news on their phone.

I don’t know if they’re wearing a dressing gown, but you get the point.

They’re less likely to have work commitments, and far more likely to look at your newsletter and think, “That sounds interesting, let me read more.”

Professional connections: Tuesday – Thursday, 10am

For accountants, solicitors, and any other professional connection you want to build a relationship with, a Saturday send is less appealing. That’s simply because they might not want to be thinking about work at the weekends.

Instead, we’ve found a midweek send at 10 am to be more effective. It means those connections are more likely to be at their desk, and so will see the notification pop up that they’ve received the latest added-value content from a local financial adviser or planner.

I’m entirely speculating here, but a slightly later send time of 10 am might also mean they’ve had a couple of hours already to think about their clients and what their needs currently are. In turn, that might encourage them to consider how having a trustworthy adviser or planner they can refer clients to close by would be beneficial.

Email timing is just one piece of the puzzle

The above might be the secret sauce of timing newsletters for financial advice clients and connections. But of course, timing is just one part of the puzzle that is sending out relevant insights to your clients that encourage clicks and keep you front of mind.

Indeed, if you’re going to think about the inbox you’re delivering your newsletters into, then you also need to consider factors such as:

• Who’s on your mailing list. Are you sending mailers to clients, prospects, or connections? Are they similar and fall into a neat category such as “business owners”, or is there a wide variety of interests to cater to?
• What you send. What does your audience want to read? What do they need to be informed about? What are their pain points? What will encourage them to email you back, or pick up the phone?
• The subject line and article preview text. How can you best package the information you’re delivering so that your recipients are incentivised to open your email?
• Your call to action. What do you actually want your recipients to do?

This list is far from exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of all the considerations you need to make to truly stick to the rule and think about the inbox you’re sending into.

Leave us to think about the inbox you’re sending emails into

Maintaining regular contact with your clients is hard work, and it’s time-consuming. Thinking about their inbox is only half the battle too – you need something to actually send that will engage them and add value.

Fortunately, we can help with both halves of that.

Our team of writers can help you produce newsletters that engage your audience, no matter who they are, and our client delivery team can schedule these communications so they land in your recipient’s inboxes with maximum impact.

Want to find out more? Send an email into our inbox at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to speak to one of our team today.