Email Marketing: Why It Still Wins, and the Best Days to Send
Quick answer: Email marketing is one of the highest-return channels available to a business. On average it returns between $36 and $42 for every $1 spent. For B2B marketing emails, Tuesday through Thursday, 9 to 11 AM in the recipient's local time is the most common starting point. But the best day for your list is the one your own data confirms.
Hi, it's Gaby again 💛
Every week a business owner asks me: "Is email marketing dead?" My answer is always the same. No. It's the channel you actually own. Let me show you why, and when to hit send.
Why email still matters
- It pays. Email commonly returns $36 to $42 per dollar, while paid ads often return $2 to $8 and social media about $2 to $5.
- You own the list. An algorithm change can't take your subscribers away.
- It's everywhere. About 99% of consumers check their email every day.
- It works with automation. Businesses that invest in automation often see stronger returns. Welcome sequences, follow-ups, and abandoned-cart emails work while you sleep.
- It supports everything else. Email turns the traffic from your SEO, social, and ads into relationships and sales.
Why does the day you send matter?
Because your email doesn't arrive alone. Around 392.5 billion emails are sent every day in 2026. Timing helps your message reach people when they're ready to read it. A B2B decision-maker is in work mode on a Tuesday morning. A shopper is more relaxed in the evening or on a Friday. When you match your send to your audience's routine, you get more opens, clicks, and sales from the same email.
The best days to send (what 2026 data says)
- B2B marketing emails: Tuesday to Thursday, 9 to 11 AM local time, to optimize opens and clicks.
- Opens: Tuesday leads in Omnisend's 2026 data with a 31.27% open rate.
- Sales and revenue: Friday leads for revenue in Omnisend's 2026 data, with early Friday morning the clearest revenue window, even though it doesn't win on opens.
- Weekends: Brevo's study found Saturdays and Sundays were the weakest days across the industries it included.
- Cold outreach: Wednesday edges out other days for replies, followed by Tuesday.
- Follow-ups: Send the first follow-up 2 to 3 business days later.
The honest truth: the studies disagree
This is the part most blogs skip. The same Friday scores a 49.72% open rate in MailerLite's data and 30.18% in Omnisend's, a gap of nearly 20 points. That gap is far larger than the difference between the best and worst weekday inside either study.
There's also a measurement problem. Open rates have been inflated since Apple Mail Privacy Protection launched in September 2021. So click rate and conversions are more trustworthy than opens when you choose a send day.
How to find YOUR best day
- Start with the default: Tuesday or Wednesday, 9 to 11 AM in your audience's time zone.
- Send consistently for 8 weeks. Compare click rates across your sends.
- Test one change at a time: day first, then hour.
- Judge by clicks and sales, not opens.
- Keep your list clean. A high bounce rate hurts sender reputation and slows delivery.
Want email that works as a system?
At Magalva Studio, email is part of the whole experience: brand, website, content, and automation working together. If you'd like a plan built around your audience, let's talk.
FAQ
What is the best day to send marketing emails?
For B2B, Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the most common starting point, but studies disagree, so test your own list for 8 weeks.
Is email marketing still worth it in 2026?
Yes. It averages $36 to $42 per dollar spent, higher than paid ads and social media.
Why shouldn't I judge send days by open rates?
Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflated open rates, so click rate and conversions are more reliable.
