With the influx of emails flooding our inboxes daily, making sure your message stands out and captures your audience’s attention is crucial. Sending messages at the time when your user is most likely to engage with your emails can really improve your visibility and email deliverability. This is where Send Time Optimization (STO) comes into play.

STO is a powerful tool that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to determine the optimal time to send emails to each recipient. It aims to maximize open rates and engagement, thereby increasing the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

In this article, we will delve into the concept of STO, exploring its benefits, how it works across different platforms, and how you can start sending emails at the optimal time using STO. 

This guide will provide valuable insights into enhancing your email marketing strategy with STO. 

Overview of Send Time Optimization

Send Time Optimization is a powerful tool in the arsenal of email marketers. It leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to determine the optimal time to send emails to each recipient. The goal is to boost email open rates and engagement, thereby increasing the effectiveness of email campaigns.

What Are The Benefits Of Send Time Optimization?

STO can help you achieve your email marketing goals more efficiently and effectively by ensuring that your recipients are sent when they are most likely to engage with them. Here are some key benefits of using STO: 

Improved Open Rates

One of the primary benefits of STO is the potential for improved open rates. By sending emails at the optimal time when recipients are most likely to be checking their inbox, you increase the likelihood of your emails being opened. For instance, Freshworks’ Freddy STO has been shown to improve email open rates by 5 to 10%.

Increased Visibility

With the average customer receiving at least 120 business emails per day, it’s easy for your emails to get lost in the clutter. STO can help your emails stand out by ensuring they arrive when your recipients are most likely to be engaging with their inbox.

Enhanced Engagement

By sending emails at the optimal time, you not only increase the likelihood of your emails being opened but also improve the chances of your recipients engaging with your content. This could mean clicking on links, responding to calls to action, or forwarding the email to others.

Personalized Experience

STO allows for a more personalized experience for your recipients. Instead of sending emails at a generic time that may not be convenient for your recipients, STO ensures that emails are sent at a time that is most likely to suit each recipient’s schedule. This level of personalization can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Efficient Use of Resources

By ensuring that your emails are sent at the most optimal time, STO allows you to make the most efficient use of your resources. This not only applies to your email marketing efforts but also to your broader marketing strategy, as improved email open and engagement rates can lead to increased traffic to your website, more leads, and ultimately, more conversions.

Global Reach

For businesses with contacts across multiple geo-locations, STO can help ensure that your emails are sent at the most suitable time for each recipient, regardless of their time zone. This can be particularly beneficial for global email campaigns.

STO offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. By ensuring that your emails are sent when your recipients are most likely to engage with them, STO can help you achieve your email marketing goals more efficiently and effectively.

How Does Send Time Optimization Work?

STO aims to maximize the likelihood of your emails being opened and engaged with. STO works by analyzing recipient behavior and using this data to determine the optimal time to send emails. Here’s a look at how STO works in different platforms: