When the inbox competition peaks, precision and planning make all the difference. These best practices will help you optimize segmentation, timing, and channel coordination to ensure your big batch sendouts perform smoothly. This means you will be reaching the right people, at the right moment, with the right message. Use these guidelines to optimize performance, deliverability, and customer experience in your sendouts.

Plan and schedule in advance

Build and schedule campaigns at least 2 hours before send time to minimize last-minute risk.

• Use scheduling so the platform can pre-process jobs and prepare the send queue.

• Remember: segments recalculate up to 2 hours before send time unless you freeze them intentionally.

• Use smaller, staged batches instead of one large release. This helps to reduce load on your site.

Why:

Scheduling early gives the system time to prepare and validate everything, reducing failures and queue delays. Smaller batches let you spot issues (broken links, wrong content) before a mistake reaches your entire list. Waiting until the last minute can overload the platform and increase the risk of delayed sendouts.

Spread send times within each hour

Avoid top-of-the-hour pileups (09:00, 10:00 etc.). Instead, stagger start times (e.g., 09:05, 09:20, 09:35) to smooth processing and reduce mailbox throttling.

Why:

If many senders launch exactly at :00, mailbox providers slow down or defer delivery to protect their systems. Spreading send times helps you avoid throttling, improves delivery speed, and leads to steadier engagement curves. It also gives you visibility into performance wave-by-wave and a chance to adjust later sendouts if metrics shift.

Batch wisely and control traffic

Break large sendouts into multiple batches with defined intervals.

• Prioritize key groups first — VIPs, high-value, or highly engaged segments.
• Coordinate with e-commerce and operations teams so the site can handle incoming traffic gradually.

Why:

Batching protects both your sending reputation and your website. A single, full-list send can cause traffic spikes, slowing checkout or even causing downtime. Smaller, rolling sendouts create a steady traffic flow and make it easier to react if site or deliverability issues arise. Prioritizing your best segments first ensures you capture the most valuable conversions even if later batches must be delayed or reduced.

How to do it in practice: 

If you are aiming for different segments, create one campaign and duplicate it into several scheduled versions, each targeting a different priority segment or audience slice. Schedule the sendouts 10–30 minutes apart for a smooth flow.

Use SMS and other channels strategically

Leverage SMS for time-sensitive or high-value moments, keeping the message short and links stable.

• Coordinate email and SMS to avoid identical messages at the same moment.

• Make sure landing pages are fast, resilient, and consistent with the message.

Why:

SMS reaches customers almost instantly and cuts through crowded inboxes—but if overused or poorly timed, it feels intrusive. Coordinating email and SMS ensures each channel supports rather than duplicates the other. Fast, reliable landing pages prevent drop-offs and protect conversion rates when traffic peaks.

Measurement of performance

It is normal for there to be latency in data coming in from all connected systems during peak periods; evaluate performance once the data stabilizes. 

Why:

During heavy sending periods, systems can take hours to update metrics. Rushing to act on early data may lead to incorrect conclusions. Waiting until data has stabilized ensures accurate analysis. Reviewing performance by segment and timing reveals optimization opportunities for next season. Avoid building follow-ups or exclusions based on “opened / not opened” conditions during peak weeks, since that data may not yet reflect reality.

Checklist

1. Finalize segments and suppressions → ensures relevance and reduces overlap.
2. Create campaign variants for key audiences → increases engagement through tailored messaging.
3. Schedule and stagger sendouts within each hour → protects deliverability and stabilizes processing.
4. Load-test landing pages and tracking → ensures stable conversions under pressure.
5. Align with support and ops on expected traffic → prevents system overload.

6. Plan post-event analysis → enables learning and continuous improvement.

    

Article last reviewed 24 October 2025 12:20