Timing is everything, especially when it comes to email marketing. For B2B businesses, where inboxes are flooded with proposals, updates, and internal threads, getting your email seen, opened, and acted upon is no small feat. Fortunately, by aligning your email campaigns with when your audience is most likely to engage, you can significantly increase open rates, click-throughs, and conversions.

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So, when are the best times to email a B2B audience?

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How We Know This: Real-World Data from Saint Business Intelligence Department

These insights aren’t just pulled from generic marketing blogs or best guesses. They’re based on performance data drawn from thousands of email campaigns sent from Saint Construction Support and Construction Insider in addition to all of the work from the Saint Business Intelligence Department. A dedicated division of Saint Global that manages, monitors, and optimises email strategies for businesses in the construction and built environment sector.

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Over the past 12 months, we've tracked detailed performance metrics from our weekly campaigns, which include:

• Over 325,000 recipients reached through weekly newsletters.
• Constant A/B testing on send times, subject lines, and engagement patterns
• Hundreds of direct email campaigns for B2B outreach.
• Analysis across industries including construction, property development, electrical, plumbing, architecture, and more

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This gives us not just a theoretical view, but a practical, battle-tested understanding of what works—and when.

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Best Days to Send: Midweek Wins

Not all weekdays are created equal in the world of B2B marketing. Based on our data, three days stand out:

• Tuesday
  The highest-performing day for B2B emails. It strikes the perfect balance—far enough from Monday chaos, but early enough in the week to prompt action.
• Thursday
  Another strong contender. It's ideal for follow-up emails or sharing content that drives conversions before the week wraps up.
• Wednesday
  Slightly behind Tuesday and Thursday, but still a solid choice—particularly for nurturing sequences and updates.

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Avoid:

• Monday – Most professionals are dealing with weekend catch-up and internal meetings. Your message risks being lost in the noise.
• Friday – As the workweek winds down, so does focus. Decision-makers are less likely to engage.
• Weekends – B2B email performance drops sharply. Very few professionals are checking their inboxes unless it’s urgent.

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Best Times to Send: Hit the Inbox When It Counts

Beyond the day, the time of day also plays a major role in engagement:

• 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  One of the most reliable slots. By mid-morning, people have cleared out early tasks and are more receptive to external communication.
• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  After lunch, professionals often check their inboxes while easing back into work. A great time for second-wave engagement.
• 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM
  Early birds, including senior decision-makers, often check emails over coffee or during their commute. If you want to be top of the inbox, this is a solid bet.

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Caution:

• Avoid lunchtime (12:00 – 1:00 PM) when engagement drops.
• Late afternoon and evening emails tend to underperform in B2B contexts.

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Not All Audiences Are the Same

While this guidance is based on strong trends, no two businesses are identical. Factors that influence the best send time include:

• Industry type – For instance, a construction site manager and a finance director will likely check emails at different times.
• Job roles – C-level executives may start their day early, while operational teams work within set office hours.
• Geographic location – Always segment by time zone if you’re communicating across regions.

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Refining Your Timing Strategy

To uncover the ideal timing for your specific audience, we recommend:

• Running regular A/B tests focused on different times and days
• Tracking open rates, click-throughs, and conversion patterns
• Using automation to trigger emails based on behaviour (e.g., site visits, downloads, or previous engagement)

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Final Thoughts

Email remains one of the most powerful tools in your B2B marketing toolkit, but only if it reaches your audience at the right moment. Backed by thousands of data points gathered by the Saint Business Intelligence Department, these recommendations offer a practical, real-world foundation to help you boost your email performance. You can find a full comprehensive guide to email marketing below.

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Want to refine your email campaigns with data-driven precision? Get in touch and unlock the power of your inbox.

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1. What is the best day to send emails to a B2B audience?

The most effective days to send B2B emails are Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday. These midweek days consistently outperform others in terms of open and engagement rates. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (low focus), and steer clear of weekends altogether.

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2. What time of day should I send B2B emails?

The best times to send emails to a professional audience are:

• 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Peak engagement after the morning rush.
• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – A common catch-up window post-lunch.
• 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM – Great for early risers and decision-makers who check emails before the workday starts.

Avoid the 12:00 – 1:00 PM lunch hour and late afternoon when attention typically drops.

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3. Where does this information come from?

These recommendations are based on real-world data collected by the Saint Business Intelligence Department. Over the past year, we’ve analysed the performance of thousands of B2B email campaigns across multiple sectors, including construction, engineering, and professional services. With over 180,000 recipients and constant testing, our data offers practical insight—not just theory.

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4. Do these times apply to all industries and roles?

Not exactly. While the recommendations are broadly effective, industry, job role, and geography can impact the ideal send time. For example:

• A construction site manager may check emails early morning.
• A finance director may be more responsive in mid-morning.
• Always segment by time zone when working with national or international contacts.

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5. How can I find the best send time for my audience?

Use A/B testing within your email marketing platform to compare engagement at different times. Track open and click-through rates over several campaigns, and refine based on what works best. Consider automating campaigns to trigger based on behaviour (e.g. previous engagement or downloads).

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6. What if I provide the content—can Saint Global help with timing and strategy?

Yes! If you have the content, we can manage everything from scheduling and segmenting to optimising based on our data insights. Our maintenance package includes this as part of our service, at no additional cost.