How to Schedule an Email Blast
Why This Matters
Scheduling email blasts lets you prepare marketing campaigns in advance and have them automatically sent at optimal times, even when you're unavailable. This ensures your messages reach contacts during peak engagement hours and maintains consistent communication schedules without requiring you to be online at specific times.
You can schedule campaigns up to one week in advance, giving you flexibility to plan marketing messages around business hours, product launches, or special promotions while your content is fresh in your mind. This feature is particularly valuable when you need to send emails during times when you're typically busy or unavailable.
Before You Begin
Create and thoroughly test your email template before scheduling. Once an email is scheduled, you cannot edit the content—only cancel and reschedule. Always send test emails to yourself to verify formatting, links, and content appear exactly as intended.
Ensure your Mail Merge Profile is set up and your email address is verified. Verify your account's time zone settings are correct so emails send at the intended time for your audience.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Navigate to Group Actions
Hover over Contacts in the main navigation menu and click Group Actions.
This takes you to the workgroup management area where you'll select recipients for your scheduled blast.
2. Clear Your Workgroup
Click Clear Workgroup to remove any contacts from previous actions and start with a clean list.
Starting fresh ensures you're only sending to the exact contacts you intend to target with this campaign.
3. Add Contacts to Your Workgroup
Click Add Contacts and select the group or groups of contacts who should receive your email. You can choose multiple groups to combine different segments.
Your selected contacts now populate your workgroup and are ready to receive the scheduled blast.
4. Access the Actions Menu
Click the Actions tab to view all available Group Actions options.
This displays the full menu of actions you can perform on your workgroup.
5. Select Email Blast
Click Email Blast from the available actions.
This opens the email sending interface where you'll configure your scheduled message.
6. Choose Your Email Template
Select your pre-created and tested email template from the template dropdown, then click Schedule This Blast.
Verify your template is completely finalized before proceeding, as you won't be able to edit the content after scheduling.
7. Set Your Timing
Select the Day and Time when you want your email to send. Consider your audience's time zone and when they're most likely to engage with emails.
You can schedule up to 7 days in advance, giving you flexibility to plan around business hours or specific campaign timing.
8. Confirm Your Schedule
Once your day and time are selected, click Schedule.
Your email blast is now scheduled and will send automatically at the designated time.
9. Verify Your Scheduled Blast
After scheduling, you can click to view Scheduled Blasts to confirm your email appears in the queue, or continue with other tasks.
Your scheduled blast now appears in Reports > Email Blasts where you can review or cancel it before it sends.
Managing Scheduled Blasts
Review or Cancel a Scheduled Blast
After scheduling your email, you can review content or cancel it before it sends:
- Hover over Reports and click Email Blasts
- Find your scheduled blast in the list
- Click Details next to the blast you want to review
- Click View Message Body to review content, or click the red Cancel This Email Blast button to cancel
Once an email blast is sent, you cannot recall it. Always double-check your content, recipient list, and timing before the scheduled send time.
Questions and Answers
Q: How far in advance can I schedule an email blast?
A: You can schedule email blasts up to one week (7 days) in advance. This timeframe ensures content remains relevant and timely while giving you enough planning flexibility.
Q: Can I edit a scheduled email blast after it's been scheduled?
A: No, you cannot edit the content of a scheduled blast. To make changes, cancel the scheduled blast in Reports > Email Blasts, then create a new scheduled blast with your updated content.
Q: What happens if I schedule multiple email blasts for the same time?
A: All scheduled blasts will send at their designated times. However, avoid overwhelming recipients by spacing emails appropriately and ensuring each blast serves a distinct purpose.
Q: Will I receive confirmation when my scheduled email blast is sent?
A: Yes, you can review results after the blast sends by going to Reports > Email Blasts and clicking the Analytics icon next to the sent message to see delivery statistics and engagement metrics.
Q: What time zone is used for scheduling email blasts?
A: Email blasts use your account's time zone settings. Verify your account time zone is correctly configured to ensure emails send at the intended time for your audience.
Q: Can I schedule recurring email blasts?
A: No, the Schedule Email Blast feature is designed for one-time sends. For recurring campaigns, use Workflows or Autoresponder Campaigns, which automatically send emails based on triggers or schedules over longer periods.
Q: What should I do if my scheduled email blast doesn't send?
A: Check Reports > Email Blasts for error messages. Common issues include cancelled blasts, account problems, or technical errors. If you don't see any obvious issues, contact support for assistance.
Q: Can I schedule a blast to send immediately?
A: If you want to send immediately rather than scheduling for later, simply use the regular Email Blast function without clicking the Schedule option. The email will send right away.
Guide Type: How-To Guide
Estimated Time: 7 minutes