Smart postal mailers carefully plan their campaigns, taking both season and day of week into account. So should e-mailers, say executives from UAL Loyalty Services.

For instance, the day after Thanksgiving is a most important day for retailers that want strong sales in December.

Smart postal mailers carefully plan their campaigns, taking both season and day of week into account. So should e-mailers, say executives from UAL Loyalty Services.

For instance, the day after Thanksgiving is a most important day for retailers that want strong sales in December.

“Waiting until Saturday is the kiss of death,” said Marian Black-Ruffin, director of the e-mail channel for United Mileage Plus at UAL Loyalty Services. “People have made their decision already.” And offer things that will hit two weeks before Christmas, along with a link that consumers can save.

On the other hand, don’t send e-mails once Christmas has arrived. “People aren’t sitting by their computers checking e-mail at holiday time,” Black-Ruffin continued, speaking at the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing’s Direct Marketing Days & Expo.

January is a good month for sending out anniversary and birthday reminders. “The reason is that you’ve established the relationship and retention message for the year,” she said.

Aren’t the summer months a terrible time for sending e-mails? Not for school-supply marketers.

“July is a good month for back-to-school sales,” Black-Ruffin said. “Smart mothers shop in June, but then the school sends them something and they need to purchase something in July. August is the best time for early back-to-school sale announcements.”

Which days of the week should you mail?

“The best days to reach businesspeople are Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” said Ira Dolin, e-mail strategist for UAL Loyalty Services. “For consumers, aim for Friday through Sunday, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.”

Dolin added: “A B-to-B message should be considered for a 1 p.m. launch. You miss the chaos out West, but get people returning from lunch on the East Coast. Watch the time zones and delivery process, and make sure that the ISPs and firewalls aren’t holding things up. If you send it at 1 p.m. and your mail ends up there at 5 p.m., you need to accommodate.”

And don’t start sending in the evening or at 3 p.m. the day before. Everyone will be sending e-mail at that time. “The routers get jammed, images break and customers get ticked off,” he said.

Dolin and Black-Ruffin offered DMers these tips for sending e-mails. First, tell the consumer what you want them to do, and why. Make sure the link is good, and test it after the launch. Personalization is a must because people expect it. And don’t forget to follow up.

“You get the majority of responses in three days from an e-mail launch, but how many people remember an e-mail from three days ago?” Black-Ruffin asked. “You have to send a reminder.”

Also, gather limited customer data. Don’t scare anyone away by trying to obtain your demographic wish list.