Introduction

Email follow-ups prove to be a highly effective tool for teams dealing with the end consumer. However, it is vital to take the right approach that will help in making certain that a business does not end up annoying or spamming the customers.

Studies suggest that over 60% of customers expect a response from a brand within four hours. A large chunk of people want a response within 24 hours. Hence it is important to consider these time-frames at the time of determining the right time to follow up. Offending customers is likely to cause businesses to lose valuable customers in no time.

This guide gives detailed insight into how long teams should wait before sending a follow-up email, actionable strategies, and best practices to improve success rates of follow up emails.

How long should one wait to follow up over Email?

For the majority of emails, the initial follow-up time is between 2-3 days after the initial message reaches the customer. This time period gives recipients adequate time to read and process the first email without feeling overwhelmed. Here the goal is to give customers a gentle nudge without being impatient:

1. Reason for waiting 2-3 days before sending a Follow-up Email

It is beneficial for maintaining the relevance of the topic while it is still fresh in the minds of the recipient.

It helps in balancing promptness and also gives recipients some scope of breathing.

2. Subsequent Follow-Up Email

If the first follow-up email is not able to generate a response consider sending the next follow-up email in the next 5-7 days. It provides the recipient time to manage their inbox and revisit email without getting annoyed. Extending the interval to 1-2 weeks for further follow-ups represents persistence without being too intrusive.

Specific times during the week can also be suitable for sending cold emails which one must consider at the time of determining the interval for sending follow-up emails.

Factors that Impact Interval of Sending Follow-up Emails

1. Type and Context of Email

The type of email a brand chooses to send plays an important role in determining the right interval for follow-up.

2. Cold Outreach

When it comes to sending cold emails, waiting for around 3-5 days before sending a follow-up ensures the recipient does not perceive the receiver as aggressive. It also gives a prospect time to review the initial contact.

3. Business Inquiries and Sales Proposals

For sending business inquiries it is best to follow up after 2-3 days to maintain the flow while expressing interest in the opportunity.

4. Customer Support or Service Email

These require follow-up within 24-48 hours to ensure customer satisfaction and trust for time-sensitive inquiries like customer service requests.

5. Job Applications

Following up on a job application after 5-7 days is ideal as it shows interest and persistence without making the hiring manager feel overwhelmed.

6. Engagement of Recipient

Leveraging tools that allow marketers to track email opening rates and interactions helps determine the follow-up interval.

Email opened by receiver- Instances where the initial email is opened but goes without response follow up within 48-72 hours. It shows that the recipient is aware of the message but needs a gentle nudge to generate a response.

7. No engagement

If the initial email remains unopened, marketers can try altering the subject line and following up at a different time of day to capture their attention. Usually, a delay of 5-7 days for the follow-up email is highly effective in maintaining interest without spamming.

8. Time Sensitivity and Urgency

Evaluate the urgency of emails to determine the best interval for sending follow-up emails.

9. Time-sensitive subjects

Short follow-up periods range between 1-2 days and are suitable for dealing with fast-moving projects.

10. Non-urgent subjects

The follow-up window ranges between 5-7 weeks and sometimes even 2 weeks to prevent overwhelming recipients.

Industry Best Practices and Norms

1. Industry Type

The expectations of the recipients vary depending on the industry type.

2. Professional services

The follow-up period is between 7-10 days as it demonstrates a professional approach eliminating the need for rushing the decision-making process.

3. B2B Services

Follow-up cycle is relatively longer and ranges between 5-7 days as decision-makers require time to analyse offers and proposals.

4. Sales and Marketing

Typically the follow-up period ranges between 2-3 days as faster responses result in a competitive advantage.

5. Cultural Considerations

Cultural norms always have an impact on the follow-up interval.

Certain cultures around the globe consider direct and frequent follow-ups as professional and enthusiastic. On the other hand, less frequent follow-ups are suitable for appearing less aggressive or intrusive to the prospect.

6. Differences in Time Zone

When interacting with international prospects time zone awareness is a major influence over the follow-up interval.

It is best to schedule follow-up within the working hours of the recipient as it helps in increasing engagement.

Besides marketers can consider using automation saas tools like ManagePlus that allow them to schedule emails depending on different time zones and also help optimize follow-up timings.

7. Position and Schedule of Recipient

At the time of sending a follow-up email, it is always helpful to be aware of the workload and role of the recipient.

8. Managers or Team Members

A short follow-up period is ideal as these individuals are relatively more responsive and available.

9. Decision-Makers and Executives

These people typically have very packed schedules hence it is best to give an interval of 5-7 days to be more available and responsive.

10. Seasonality

Account for timing within the business year.

11. Slow Periods

Follow-ups can be more frequent typically 3-5 days when the recipient is likely to have more time in hand to review.

12. Busy Seasons and Holidays

Follow-up emails during peak times are best scheduled at longer intervals due to higher workloads and time off.

Taking into account the above-mentioned factors marketers can effectively develop a respectful, timely, and effective follow-up strategy for corresponding businesses. It is crucial to have a clear idea about the nuances of when and how long to wait before sending follow-up emails. Over time it will have a substantial impact on the email marketing conversion rate and boost communication with the customer base.

13. Need for the right time to send follow-up emails

Timing has a pivotal role in sending follow-up emails. Reaching out early is likely to make a brand appear too pushy. On the other hand, waiting for too long businesses are likely to lose relevance and momentum. Here the idea is to understand the right time that keeps a brand relevant without being overly intrusive for the recipient.

Reason Follow-Up Timing is Important

A perfectly timed follow-up email demonstrates the attentiveness and persistence of the sender. Besides, it increases the possibility of generating a response from the recipient. Reports suggest that sending follow-up emails can help increase email marketing conversion rate by over 40% further justifying the need for a strategic approach. On the other hand, poorly timed follow-up emails are likely to get marked as spam or get ignored impacting the overall brand reputation and email deliverability.

Best Practices for Sending Follow-Up Emails

1. Personalize Follow Up Emails

Refrain from sending follow-up emails with a generic format and content. Always address the recipient by name and reference of previous communication. Another way is to reach out with specific business challenges personalization increases chances of engagement.

2. Add Value through Every Mail

Every follow-up email must be provided in the form of new insights, relevant case studies, resource planning, etc.

3. Maintain a Professional Tone

The email should have the right balance between approachability and professionalism. The tone of the message must align with the formal relationship with the recipient.

4. Use Strong and Clear CTAs

Make certain that follow-up emails contain clear and concise CTAs. If these lines are clear it will result in inaction and clarity to the recipient.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is understandable that marketers must be aware of appropriate intervals for sending follow-up emails. Perfectly timed and personalised emails help boost email marketing conversion rate and maintain effective communication. Following the best practices and eliminating common mistakes will certainly help in building long-standing relationships and help get better outcomes from email marketing efforts.

It is always best to experiment with different follow-up timings, monitor results, and consistently optimize the strategies to achieve the best email marketing conversion rate. Automation saas tools like ManagePlus help users do just that with the integrated email scheduling features. It lets marketers personalize messages, email intervals, real-time updates, and more.