This is the second part of a two-part series on resend campaigns. If you missed part one, we explored data on open rates, subject lines, and sender name.
Previously, we found that resending a campaign to subscribers who didn’t open the first time is highly effective. It can boost your open rate by 8.7 percentage points—potentially turning a good result into a great one. But not all resend strategies deliver the same success.
After analyzing 1,300 campaigns and their corresponding resends, we identified several key factors that influence results. Let’s look at the best timing strategies to maximize engagement.
Days Between Original and Resend
Verdict: 1 to 3 days
In terms of open rates, there’s little difference between resending after 1 day or 7 days. However, click rates begin to drop if the resend is delayed beyond 3 days.
Unsubscribes and abuse complaints also become more erratic after the 3-day mark. The safest and most effective window for resending appears to be within 1 to 3 days of the original send.
Changing the Time of Day
Verdict: It’s good, but not for everyone
We examined resend campaigns sent more than 8 hours apart from the original (e.g., morning vs. afternoon). While this timing shift showed slight improvements in opens and clicks—and a notable drop in unsubscribes—it also caused a rise in abuse complaints.
Because abuse complaints can quickly damage your sender reputation and deliverability, they must be minimized. If your baseline complaint rate is already low, experimenting with time-of-day changes could be worthwhile. For users on Standard or Premium plans, using the Send Time Optimization feature is recommended.
Resending on a Weekend vs. Weekday
Verdict: Mix it up
The clearest insight comes from comparing weekend and weekday strategies. Click rates significantly improved when senders changed their timing from the original—such as sending the original on a weekday and the resend on a weekend.
However, campaigns that were originally sent on weekends and then resent later showed a spike in unsubscribes and abuse complaints, particularly if delayed. In these cases, the data suggests avoiding a long wait before resending.
Final Thoughts
Resend campaigns are powerful, but they come with risks like higher unsubscribe rates and potential complaints. Since they lack the freshness of a brand-new campaign, they often underperform compared to the original.
Still, when used strategically—especially around high-stakes periods like the holidays—resends can expand reach, increase clicks, and help you get more value from your existing content.
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