Have you just finished creating a survey and are now wondering what’s the best time to send out the survey email? To complete a successful survey, it’s imperative to email potential participants about it—so they can take it.
But when should this email be sent? Early morning, noon, after office hours? By getting the timing just right, you can increase the number of surveys response, which in turn increases the quality of the feedback collected.
Knowing the best time to send out a survey is vital for successful research. Keep reading to discover the best time of day to send a survey email.
What’s a survey email and why is survey timing important?
A survey email contains a link to the questionnaire that is targeted at your email list. When sending a survey email, it’s best practice to not only include a link but also a description of the survey, how long it will take to complete, and why the respondent should care enough to take it. If there is an incentive being offered, make sure to include it in the email. Respondents should know exactly what to expect from the survey before they take it.
Multiple survey emails
Plan to forward more than one survey invitation email to potential respondents. To build anticipation, send a heads-up email a week before sending the formal survey email, which should explain that a survey email will arrive in their inbox within the next week. It should also give them a reason to complete the survey when it is available. This is a good step because it feels more personal than just receiving a survey email out of the blue.
After the survey email invitation, send the email that contains the link to the actual survey. This is the most important email of the batch of emails that is sent—it should have the highest open rate. Make sure to include what the research is about, why the respondent should care, any incentives that are being offered, how long it will take, and when the survey closes.
When it’s close to the cut-off time to complete the survey, send out one last email to remind recipients who haven’t taken it yet. It’s important to separate your list so that only those who haven’t already taken the survey are contacted. Use a catchy headline like “Last Chance!” or “Only Two Days Left!”
Once the survey closes, it’s a nice touch to respond with a thank you email to all participants. This shows appreciation for their feedback and, hopefully, encourages them to respond again in the future.
The best time of day to send a survey email
Now that you know the different types of survey emails that should be sent out first, it’s important to figure out when to send the survey in order to get the most responses. Higher open rates mean a higher respondent rate. The best time of day to send a survey will largely depend on the daily habits and schedule of respondents.
First, identify the pool of potential respondents. Is the survey part of business-to-business, business-to-customer, business-to-student, or business-to-employee research? Different audiences respond differently. For instance, if the audience is employees who work a 9-to-5 schedule, the best time to send out a survey will be within that window since they are already sitting in front of their computers.
Unfortunately, there is no magical time that automatically leads to a higher response rate. If you regularly send out email marketing, take a look at the analytics to see what day of the week produces the highest open rate. While this method doesn’t take the email subject into account, it does give a broad idea of when an email list most often opens emails. If there is a pattern of higher open rates on certain days of the week, make a note of this—it is valuable information for estimating the best day to send out a survey.
What is the best time to send out surveys with no previous email data?
If there is no previous email data to work from, figure out the audience and determine the time of day they are most likely to check email. CoSchedule’s recent study is also a good resource. Based on their findings, the best time to send out surveys is 10 AM, 8 PM, 2 PM, and 6 AM. Although we suggest using your own data first, these times are starting points. Use A/B testing to send emails at different times, which will provide data about which times ultimately perform better.
When is the optimal time to send out a feedback survey?
The optimal time depends on the specific situation and context. Here are some general guidelines:
- Send the survey as soon as possible after the relevant experience or event. This ensures that the experience is still fresh in the respondent’s minds, meaning they are more likely to provide accurate and detailed feedback.
- Send the survey during business hours when people are more likely to be available to respond. Avoid sending surveys during weekends or holidays as people may be less responsive.
- Avoid sending surveys too frequently. This can lead to survey fatigue and reduced response rates. It’s generally best to limit surveys to no more than once every few weeks or months.
- Consider personalizing the survey based on the respondent’s experience. For example, if the survey is related to a recent purchase, include specific details about the product or service in the survey to show that the respondent’s feedback is valued.
- The purpose of the feedback survey should also be taken into consideration. For example, if the survey is intended to measure customer satisfaction after a customer service interaction, it’s best to send the survey immediately after the interaction has occurred.
In summary, the optimal time to send out a feedback survey depends on the specific situation and context. However, it’s generally best to send the survey as soon as possible after the relevant experience, during business hours, and with a personalized approach.
What is the best day to send a survey email?
The best day to send a survey varies depending on the audience and the purpose of the survey. However, there are some general guidelines to consider:
- Avoid weekends: People are often less likely to respond to surveys on weekends since they may be busy with personal activities.
- Avoid Mondays: These can be a busy day for many people as they catch up on work from the previous week. Some studies have found that response rates to surveys tend to be lower on Mondays.
- Consider mid-week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are often considered the best days to send surveys. These are typically less busy than Monday and Friday.
- Consider the audience: The best day to send a survey can also depend on the audience. For example, if the survey is targeting business professionals, weekdays during business hours may be the most effective time to send the survey.
- Test different days: It can be helpful to test different days and times to see which ones yield the highest response rates for specific audiences and purposes.
In summary, there is no universal “best” day to send a survey. The best day can vary depending on the audience, the purpose of the survey, and other factors. However, in general, mid-week days tend to be the most effective, while weekends and Mondays should be avoided.
What is the best time to send a survey email without previous data?
If you have no previous email data to work with, examine your audience. What day of the week would they most likely have time to open an email and respond to it?
Most people generally have hectic Mondays, especially at work, so taking Monday off the list is a good idea. This leaves Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the best response rates. Using an A/B test, try out the suggested peak times listed above in combination with these days of the week to find your top-performing email time. CoSchedule suggests Tuesday at 10 AM as the best time to send a survey email, followed by Thursday at 8 PM and Wednesday at 2 PM. The more email days and times tested, the better the open rate will be in the future.
Having no previous email data can also be an issue when carrying out market research. It is vital to determine the target audience and potential customers in order to create an effective marketing strategy and get the best response. For example, the best day of the week to send a survey to customer personas—based on characteristics such as location, age, and job title—can be experimented with.
Other tips for email surveys
The subject of surveys should also be taken into consideration when sending out an email. If you’re asking for feedback after someone has visited a place of business, made a purchase, or eaten at a restaurant, then it’s important to forward the email within 48 hours of the event. This allows respondents to answer your questions when the experience is still fresh in their minds. If there is too much of a lag time with the survey, then they are less likely to respond because it’s no longer relevant to them. Also, check out our tips for creating post-event survey questions, which will show how to get valuable input about the overall experience of an event.
A survey email should also give respondents a sense of urgency. If someone opens an email inviting them to take a survey and there is no hard deadline, then they will feel less inclined to take it on the spot.
The subject line is also crucial for gaining more participants. Let contacts know your intentions before they even open the email. Subject lines like “We value your feedback,” or “Take our survey and get a $10 gift card” are easy ways to let contacts know what the email is about. If an incentive is being offered, include that in the subject line to increase the open rate.
Explain why recipients have been chosen to take the survey and why their feedback is important. This is the perfect opportunity to make respondents feel special, which makes them more likely to click on a survey.
Finally, for the best experience ensure that survey emails are mobile-friendly. Most people today open emails from their mobile devices. If the survey is not mobile-friendly, then those contacted are less likely to take it. (Fortunately SurveyPlanet does this automatically for you.)
Create your survey with SurveyPlanet
Now that the best time to send survey emails is better understood, all that is now required is creating the survey. SurveyPlanet makes this easy. With many beautiful themes to choose from and pre-written questions, creating a survey has never been easier. Explore some of our previous blogs, such as “11 Tips for Creating an Engaging Online Survey,” and get a handle on creating surveys that potential respondents will enjoy.
To gain even more insight, subscribe to a Pro account and gain access to additional features like question branching, white labeling, image questions and answers, and custom themes. SurveyPlanet offers unlimited surveys, unlimited questions, and unlimited responses for both free and Pro users. Sign up for a SurveyPlanet account today.