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    Strategy GuideApril 4, 20266 min read

    Cold Email at 6am vs 2pm: What We Tested

    Timing test results.

    timingtestsend time

    Results by Send Time

    Send TimeOpensReplies
    6amSlightly higherSimilar to midday
    7-8amStrongBest for local service biz
    2pmGoodGood for office workers
    After 5pmLowerOften ignored until next day

    Best time of day: best send time. Subject lines: subject lines that get opened. Why cold outreach works: approach might be wrong.

    Takeaway

    6am and 2pm both work. 7-8am local often edges out for busy owners. Don't overthink it - list and copy matter more. But if you're split-testing, try morning first.

    FAQ

    When's the best time to send?

    7-8am local time for small biz owners. They check email before the day starts. 2pm works for corporate. Avoid late Friday.

    Does time really matter?

    Subject line and list matter more. But timing can nudge open rate 10-20%. Test for your audience.

    Should I use send-time optimization?

    If your tool supports it and you have timezone data, yes. Otherwise, default to 7-8am in their timezone.