If you’re sending emails that matter—newsletters, product updates, outreach—timing can make or break your results. If you hit send when your audience is asleep, you’ll get buried. But if you’re up at 2am with great ideas, you still want to schedule things smartly.
This guide is for anyone using Mailmeteor and wondering: “When should I schedule my campaign to actually get opened?” and “How do I do it without wasting time clicking around?” We'll walk you through scheduling step-by-step, sprinkle in some real talk about what actually works, and help you avoid the common traps.
1. Why Scheduling Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
Before you start fussing over perfect timing, let’s get real. Yes, sending at the “right” time can help, but it’s not some magic bullet. If your subject line is boring or your list is stale, no amount of scheduling wizardry will save you. That said, even a decent message can do better if it hits inboxes when people are paying attention.
When timing helps: - Your audience is in a specific time zone (or set of them) - You’re sending business or B2B emails (people check emails during work hours) - You have something time-sensitive (event invites, flash sales, etc.)
When timing doesn’t matter much: - Your list is global and scattered across time zones - You’re sending transactional or automated emails - Your content is so good people will open it whenever
Bottom line: Scheduling helps, but don’t obsess over it at the expense of content and list quality.
2. Prep Work: What You Need Before Scheduling
Before you even open Mailmeteor, get these basics right:
- A clean email list: Remove outdated or obviously fake emails. Bad lists kill deliverability.
- A finished draft: Don’t try to schedule half-written emails. Polish it first.
- Know your audience: If you have no clue when your readers check email, do a little research or ask them directly.
Pro tip: If you’re sending to a big list, segment by time zone if you can. Otherwise, pick the time zone most of your audience lives in.
3. Step-by-Step: Scheduling an Email Campaign in Mailmeteor
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts. Here’s how to actually schedule an email in Mailmeteor, without the fluff.
Step 1: Open Mailmeteor in Google Sheets
Mailmeteor runs as an add-on inside Google Sheets. You’ll want to have your contact list in a sheet, with columns like “Email,” “First Name,” etc.
- Open your Google Sheet with your contact list.
- Click on Extensions > Mailmeteor > Open Mailmeteor.
If you don’t see Mailmeteor, you’ll need to install it from the Google Workspace Marketplace. It’s quick and free to start.
Step 2: Compose Your Email
- In the Mailmeteor sidebar, click New Mail Merge.
- Write your subject and message. You can use variables like
{{First Name}}to personalize.
Keep it short and clear. People skim. Avoid giant blocks of text.
Step 3: Preview and Test
- Click Preview to see what your email looks like for a random recipient.
- Send a test email to yourself. Check for typos, broken links, and weird formatting.
Don’t skip this. You’d be surprised how many “final” emails go out with embarrassing mistakes.
Step 4: Schedule the Campaign
- Click the Send button.
- Choose Schedule for later instead of sending immediately.
- Pick your date and time. This is when emails will start sending.
Mailmeteor will handle sending to your whole list at the time you pick. The scheduling feature is available on most paid Mailmeteor plans—if you’re on the free version and don’t see it, that’s why.
Heads up: Scheduling is based on your Google account’s time zone, not the recipient’s. Double check that your Google account is set to the right time zone, especially if you travel a lot.
Step 5: Double-Check Everything
- Make sure you picked the right date and time.
- Double-check your sheet, subject, and message.
- Confirm you’re scheduling, not sending now.
Once you hit schedule, you can relax. You’ll get a confirmation, and Mailmeteor will show your scheduled campaign in its dashboard.
4. Choosing the Best Time to Send (Without Overthinking It)
This is where things get messy online—everyone has an opinion, and there’s no one-size-fits-all. Here’s what actually matters:
General Rules That Usually Work
- B2B (Business): Tues-Thurs, 9am–11am in the recipient’s local time.
- B2C (Consumers): Tues-Thurs, 8am–10am or 5pm–7pm local time.
- Avoid Mondays and Fridays when people are catching up or checking out.
- Weekends are hit or miss. Some lists do well Saturday morning, but don’t count on it.
What the “Best Time” Studies Get Wrong
You’ll find a million blog posts claiming Wednesday at 10:08am is the holy grail. Ignore them.
- These studies are based on averages, not your list.
- They often ignore big differences between industries, geographies, and habits.
- Sending at the “best” time just means more competition in the inbox. Sometimes oddball times (like 1:37pm) stand out.
The Only Way to Know: Test It
- Split your list and send the same email at different times.
- Track open and click rates.
- Iterate. Over time, you’ll see patterns for your audience.
Pro tip: If you don’t have time to test, start with mid-morning in your audience’s main time zone and adjust from there.
5. Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Even seasoned marketers trip up here. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Forgetting time zones: Always schedule for your audience, not yourself. If you’re in Europe but your list is in New York, adjust accordingly.
- Overcomplicating: Don’t try to segment down to the minute unless you have thousands of recipients and real data to back it up.
- Ignoring holidays: U.S. Thanksgiving, Chinese New Year, big sports finals—these tank open rates. Check a calendar first.
- Scheduling too far ahead: Plans change, and lists get outdated. Don’t schedule emails for months in advance unless you’re sure nothing will change.
- Failing to test: A broken link is just as annoying at 9am as it is at midnight. Always send a test.
6. Advanced Tips for Power Users
If you’re running bigger campaigns or want to get fancy, try these:
- Segment by behavior: If you know when people actually open previous emails, use that. Mailmeteor’s analytics can help you spot trends.
- Use mail merge variables for localization: Personalize by city or region if you have the data.
- Automate follow-ups: If your campaign has multiple parts (like reminders), schedule each piece in advance.
- Monitor deliverability: Don’t go wild with scheduling hundreds of emails per minute. Google might flag you. Space sends out if you’re hitting big numbers.
7. What to Ignore (Save Your Sanity)
- Chasing mythical “perfect” times: You’ll drive yourself nuts. Good content, a clean list, and basic scheduling beat endless tweaks.
- Over-relying on automation: Set it and forget it sounds nice, but always check results and tweak.
- Obsessing over open rates: These are less reliable now (thanks, Apple Mail privacy features). Focus on replies, clicks, and real engagement.
8. Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Move On
Scheduling emails in Mailmeteor is straightforward—don’t let anyone make it sound harder than it is. Focus on getting the basics right: a good list, a clear message, and a send time that makes sense for your audience. Test, learn, and tweak as you go.
You don’t need to chase perfection to get results. Just schedule, send, see what happens, and keep improving. That’s email marketing that actually works.