Sending your email campaign at the right time is just as important as how you create the email content. When you're ready to send an email campaign, you have several options for when and how it goes out. Each option is designed for a different situation. Some work best for urgent messages. Others are better for reaching a global audience or protecting your sender reputation. In this document, you’ll learn how to send your email campaigns and schedule them effectively to ensure they reach your recipients at the right moment.

The send and schedule options available in Zoho Campaigns are:

• Send Now

• Send Later

• Send in Batches

• Send at Recipient's Optimal Open Time

• Send at Recipient's Time Zone

Send now 

This option lets you send your email campaign immediately to all recipients added in the To section under the Recipient section while configuring the email campaign. The emails are ready to be sent as soon as you click the Launch button.

When to use it: 

• You have a time-sensitive message or urgent update to share

• You are launching a flash sale or limited-time offer starting immediately

• Your campaign is finalized, tested, and ready to be sent without delay

Use cases:  

• You’re announcing a flash sale that starts immediately. Sending the campaign right away helps you capture attention while the offer is still fresh. This encourages recipients to act quickly before the deal ends.

• You need to inform customers about an unexpected service outage or urgent update. Sending the email immediately ensures that your audience is aware of the situation without delay. This helps build transparency and trust.

• You’re sending a last-minute event reminder happening in a few hours. Using the Send Now option ensures the reminder reaches recipients at the right time. This can improve attendance and engagement.

• You’ve just published a blog or product update and want to drive instant traffic. Sending the campaign immediately helps you leverage the freshness of the content. It can lead to higher clicks and quicker engagement.

• You’re responding quickly to a trending topic or seasonal moment with a relevant campaign. Sending the email right away allows you to stay timely and relevant. This increases the chances of your audience engaging with the content.

• Your campaign has been tested and approved, and there’s no need to delay sending. Sending it immediately helps you move forward without unnecessary waiting. This ensures your message reaches recipients as planned.

Note:

Always preview and send a test email to yourself before using the Send Now option. Once the email is sent, you cannot undo it.

Send later 

This option allows you to pick an exact date and time for your campaign to go out. You prepare the email in advance and Zoho Campaigns sends it automatically at your chosen time.

When to use it: 

• You want to send an email during peak engagement hours (e.g., 10 AM on Tuesday) but you are not available then.

• You are planning a campaign around a holiday, product launch, or event.

• You want to spread your workload by preparing emails ahead of time.

• Your audience is mostly in one time zone and you know the best send time.

Use cases: 

• You want to send your campaign at a specific time when your audience is most likely to engage. Scheduling it ensures better open and click rates without manual effort.

• You’ve created your campaign in advance for a planned promotion or product launch. Scheduling helps you stay organized and ensures the email goes out exactly on time.

• You’re preparing campaigns for a holiday or special occasion. Scheduling in advance helps you avoid last-minute rush and ensures timely delivery.

• You want to align your email with other marketing activities like social media posts or ads. Scheduling helps maintain consistency across all channels.

• You’re working outside business hours but want the email to go out during working hours. Scheduling ensures your campaign is delivered at the most appropriate time.

Send in batches 

The Send in Batches option in Zoho Campaigns allows you to send your email campaign to recipients in smaller groups instead of delivering it to everyone at once. When you use this option, your recipient list is divided into multiple batches, and each batch is sent at scheduled time intervals, ensuring a gradual delivery. You can define the number of batches and the time gap between them, giving you better control over how your campaign is sent. This approach is especially useful for large contact lists, as it helps improve deliverability by avoiding sudden spikes in email volume, reduces the load on your website or servers, and ensures a smoother sending process.

When to use it: 

• Your email list is very large.

• You want to avoid overwhelming your website with too many visitors at once.

• You want to protect your sender reputation and reduce spam complaints.

Use cases: 

• You’re sending a campaign to a large contact list. Sending in batches helps avoid sudden spikes in email volume and improves deliverability. It ensures your emails reach inboxes more reliably.

• Your campaign directs users to a website or landing page. Sending emails gradually prevents a sudden surge in traffic. This helps avoid slowing down or crashing your website.

• You want to monitor campaign performance as it is being sent. Sending in batches lets you observe early results from initial batches. You can use these insights for future campaigns.

• You’re sending emails to a newly added or less-engaged audience. Sending in smaller batches reduces the risk of spam complaints. It helps you maintain a good sender reputation.

• Your system or team wants to manage response load. Gradual sending ensures that customer replies, queries, or support requests are spread out. This makes them easier to handle.

Send at recipient's optimal open time 

This option uses data from your recipients’ past email behavior to predict the time of day when each person is most likely to open the email. Instead of everyone getting the email at the same time, each contact receives it at their individual best time.

When to use: 

• You want to maximise open rates without manually analysing data.

• Your list includes contacts with different daily routines (e.g., some check email in the morning, others at night).

• You are sending a newsletter or promotional email where timing matters but there is no strict deadline.

Use cases: 

• You want to re-engage inactive contacts by reaching them at a time they are more likely to notice your email

• You’re running ongoing campaigns and want to maintain consistent engagement without adjusting send times each time

• You want to reduce the chances of your email getting lost in crowded inboxes during peak hours

• You’re looking to improve overall campaign performance using data-driven send timing without manual effort

Send at recipient's time zone 

This option lets you send emails at the same local time for every recipient, regardless of where they are in the world. For example, if you schedule an email for 9 AM, contacts in New York get it at 9 AM EST, contacts in Mumbai get it at 9 AM IST, and contacts in Sydney get it at 9 AM AEST. This way your emails will not be ignored because they get delivered at odd hours. Using this option helps ensure visibility and increases the chances of email opens and clicks.

When to use: 

• Your email recipient list includes contacts from multiple countries or time zones.

• You want everyone to receive the email at a consistent local time (e.g., first thing in the morning).

• You are sending a campaign tied to a daily routine, such as a morning briefing or an end-of-day recap.

Use cases: 

• You’re announcing a webinar or event happening at a fixed local time. Sending based on each recipient’s time zone helps reduce confusion. It ensures the message reaches them at an appropriate time of day.

• You’re promoting a limited-time offer that starts at a specific time in each region. This option ensures recipients see the email at the right moment in their own time zone. It improves the chances of timely action.

• You’re sending routine communications like newsletters or updates. Delivering them at a consistent local time creates a predictable experience. This can improve engagement over time.

At a glance 

Best practices for sending email campaigns 

Regardless of the sending option you choose, we recommend you keep these tips in mind for better results:

• Test before you send: Always send a test email to yourself or a teammate before launching any campaign. Check that all links work, images load correctly, and the email looks good on both desktop and mobile screens.

• Create proper segments for your contacts: Do not send all campaigns to your entire list. Group your contacts by interests, location, purchase history, or engagement level. Relevant emails get better open rates and fewer unsubscribes.

• Check your subject line: Your subject line is the first thing recipients see. Keep it short, clear, and compelling. Avoid spam trigger words like 'FREE!!!’,  'Act now!!!., etc.

• Monitor campaign results: After sending a campaign, review its report. Look at open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribes. These numbers tell you what is working and what to improve next time.

• Respect unsubscribes: Always include an unsubscribe link in every email and immediately remove unsubscribed contacts. This keeps your list healthy and keeps you compliant with email regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.