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Scheduling a send
So it goes out when it should, not when you happen to have a moment.
Preparing something on a Thursday afternoon so it goes out Monday at nine is not convenience: it is the difference between being read and being lost among weekend email.
When scheduling helps
| Situation | When to send |
|---|---|
| An amendment for the whole workforce | Tuesday or Wednesday morning |
| An annual renewal | On the right day, even if it is a holiday for you |
| Something depending on a prior signature | When that signature exists, not before |
| Documents to a new client | Immediately; waiting adds nothing here |
What can change before it goes
- The document, if you have spotted an error.
- The recipients, if someone is missing or surplus.
- The date, as often as you like.
- Cancelling entirely, leaving no trace for the recipient because it never reached them.
Watch out
Scheduling and forgetting carries a risk: it goes out after the situation has changed. If you schedule more than two weeks ahead, set yourself a reminder to review it first.
Worth knowing
Scheduling the annual renewal on the same date each year means third parties expect it. That raises delivery more than anything you can write in the email.
›What if the date is a public holiday?
It still goes; if that matters, move the date when preparing.
›Can I schedule reminders as well as the send?
Yes, the rhythm is set when scheduling.
›Is the credit taken at scheduling or at sending?
At sending, which is when it actually goes.
A real case
The situation
A company prepares eighty employee amendments on Thursday.
What you do
- Schedules them for Tuesday at nine
What you get
Open rates are far higher than the previous round, sent at six on a Friday evening.
The situation
A notice goes out on a Friday at seven in the evening.
What you do
- Schedules the send for Monday morning
What you get
The notice arrives when somebody can act on it.
The situation
An annual renewal is sent whenever somebody remembers.
What you do
- Schedules the send with the needed lead time
What you get
Renewal stops depending on memory.
The situation
A campaign is prepared and must launch on set dates.
What you do
- Leaves it scheduled while preparing it
What you get
It goes out on the date even if that day brings something else.
The situation
It is scheduled and then the recipient changes.
What you do
- Reviews what is scheduled before it goes
What you get
No notice goes to somebody who no longer applies.
The situation
Sends are scheduled in August.
What you do
- Adjusts dates to the sector's calendar
What you get
Response rates do not collapse.
This article answers
- schedule a document send
- send a contract on a specific date
- have it go out monday morning
- automatic renewal sends