Which day of the week is the best for direct marketing?

In a survey, conducted by Pitney Bowes it was revealed that Tuesday is straight in at number one as far as direct mail campaigns are concerned. A representative sample of marketers - drawn from a variety of vertical sectors- was asked which day of the week they believed to be the best arrival day for direct mail campaigns. Over half of all respondents (51%) nominated Tuesday as the best day.
Monday is a bad day for DM arrival. For those in employment, the ‘Monday blues’ will be descending and thoughts will be split between the weekend’s activities and the challenges that the week holds ahead.
By Tuesday the weekend has quickly become a distant memory and minds are focused. By aiming for Tuesday, marketers can ensure that they are not bombarding people as soon as the week begins, nor are they waiting too late to encourage same week response.
For communications arriving from Wednesday onwards, the mindset may well be – “I’ll deal with it next week”. By the time next week arrives, the pitch might well have been forgotten. Indeed, it might well have been buried under next week’s batch of offers!
The low score for Friday as a dynamic delivery day may surprise many. Certainly, in the past, analysts – particularly those in the financial sector - have recommended Friday as the best delivery day. However, these results suggest that rather than mail being opened on Friday and considered over the weekend, Friday mail is dismissed as recipients’ thoughts turn to relaxation.

Choosing the right 'drop date' can improve your direct mail response rate. When should you post your mail shot?

If your postal delivery service is fairly predictable (i.e. reliable), you can choose when your mail shot should arrive through your prospect's letter box or arrive on their desk. Here are some indicators, based on extensive research, as to when prospects are most likely to read your mail shots:

Business mail

·  Best day: Wednesday

·  Second best days: Tuesday and Thursday

·  Worst days: Monday and Friday

So, play safe and aim to mail out on a Monday (If posted in the US for US delivery). In other countries, use your own experience of the mail to determine the mail-out day.

Consumer mail
Best days are Friday and Saturday. The rest of the week is pretty much the same. So (for the UK) aim to mail out on Thursday. (Source: Marketing magic)