Find Out the Best Times To Engage With B2B Decision-Makers in the US

DesignRush recently conducted a study on the best times to engage with B2B decision-makers in the US. By analyzing user activity on our site from April 2022 to March 2023, we have identified the best times to reach your B2B audience based on the time of day they are most active. 

Read on to discover the right timing to send a marketing message to particular US cities based on their highest engagement rate. 

DesignRush Resources: Research Methodology

The research involves an analysis of DesignRush’s user activity from April 2022 to March 2023. It pooled data from 340,000 users, which we narrowed down to focus on US visitors.

Considering the nature of our website and the services we offer to businesses and agencies, including lead generation, enhanced exposure, and increased authority, we have a strong indication that our user base primarily consists of B2B professionals and decision-makers.

We looked at cities with a significant volume of clicks (500 minimum), which suggests their intent to produce work, making it the best time to reach these visitors.

Note: We’ve excluded obvious data centers, but it’s still likely that some are from international searches using VPNs. But this doesn’t affect the overall credibility of the data.

The Early Birds

Early birds are active between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and these US cities showed the highest activity during this period:  

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Early Birds versus average users. 

• Huntsville, AL barely had any activity at 4 am but increased consecutively from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. 
• Brighton, CO showed a drastic jump at 8 a.m. compared to the previous hours.
• San Jose, CA had close peaks but showed overall higher-than-average activity before sunrise. 
• Des Moines, IA had its first peak at 5 a.m. and an even relatively much higher peak at 8 a.m.

• Salem, IL had a higher upwards trend versus average user activity during this timeframe.
• Lafayette, LA presented a major jump at 7 am and continued to increase activity at 8 a.m.
• Boston, MA showed a continuous upwards trend during this period versus the average.
• Grand Rapids, MI presented a similar trend versus the average user activity. 

• Spring Valley, NY had a more significant spike in activity at 8 a.m.
• Cheyenne, OK increased its activity at 5 a.m. and managed to sustain it versus the average users.
• Canton, OH presented a significant jump at 7 a.m. and then reached its peak at 8 a.m.
• Medford, OR started with higher than average activity at 5 am and gained more difference at 7 and 8 a.m. 

• Franklin, TN may have higher peaks later in the day but it is during this period that their user activity exhibited continuous growth versus the average.
• San Antonio, TX increased its activity at 5 a.m. and showed an even bigger difference from 6 am onwards.
• Washington, DC showed the most activity growth from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. when compared to the average.

Early birds are known for being more active in the morning and tackling their most complex tasks before most people start their day.

The top CEOs are famous for being early birds. It’s safe to assume that if US CEOs in these cities are the type of audience you need to reach, then sending your message early in the morning could work for you.

While being an early bird does not guarantee success, a study by a Texas university shows that early birds have a higher average grade point average (GPA) than night owls. There are also a lot of economic and professional benefits that come with being an early bird, simply from getting a brighter headstart to your day.

The Morning Larks

Morning larks are active between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., and these US cities showed the highest activity during this period:

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Morning Larks versus average users. 

• Carlsbad, CA had the highest relative difference versus the average user activity during this period.
• Pasadena, CA shared a similar trend despite another peak an hour after. 
• Boulder, CO significantly increased its activity from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Gainesville, FL was at the same level a few hours before its activity jumped at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.  

• Tallahassee, FL also exhibited continuous growth and peaked at 12 p.m.
• Boise, ID continuously increased its activity versus the average during this period.
• Monroe, LA experienced significant growth from 9 a.m to 10 a.m., which dipped at 11 a.m. but recovered at 12 p.m.
• Winston-Salem, NC showed little to no activity in the previous hours but jumped at 8 a.m. and peaked at 12 p.m.

• Rochester, NY slightly increased at 8 a.m. and had the most dynamic activity until 12 p.m.
• Nashville, TN started showing higher-than-average activity at 9 a.m. before peaking at 11 a.m.
• Allen, TX had a bigger difference in activity starting at 8 am before reaching its peak at 11 a.m.
• Salt Lake City, UT presented higher activity at 9 a.m. and managed to sustain it hours later.  

• Alexandria, VA started showing an even higher activity at 9 a.m. and peaked twice during this period.
• Spokane, WA followed an upwards trend which peaked at 11 a.m. 
• Madison, WI also started gaining more activity from 8 a.m. onwards and exhibited a more dynamic activity during this period. 

You know what they say, “If you snooze, you lose.”

Emails sent between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. have the best click-through and open rates for the B2B industry, Sendinblue reveals.

Morning larks may not start work as early as early birds, but they still benefit from starting their day early, aside from getting a headstart to opening emails, that is. Their circadian rhythm predisposes them to have a “brighter” outlook in life, which affects their overall productivity — hence giving another context to the term, happy as a lark!

Morning persons working remotely also enjoy the additional benefit of keeping distractions at a minimum, given that kids are at school and neighbors are at work.

The Lunch Buddies

Next on the list are B2B decision-makers in cities that are most active between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.: 

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Lunch Buddies versus average users. 

• Scottsdale, AZ relatively had a higher-than-average activity during this period. 
• Mountain View, CA came from a huge dip at 12 p.m. which it recovered within the next few hours.
• Santa Monica, CA also dipped at 12 p.m. but recovered significantly higher in the next hour.
• Fort Collins, CO didn't dip as much as the others at 12 p.m. and even showed relatively higher activity until 4 p.m.

• Boca Raton, FL displayed much higher activity than average although a dip can be seen at 1 p.m.
• Tucson, AZ managed to have two of the highest peaks in performance during this time period. 
• Doral, FL had a more dynamic performance from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., even peaking before the final hour.
• Fort Lauderdale, FL sustained relatively higher activity from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., also peaking before the last hour.

• St. Petersburg, FL had the highest peaks vs average, especially at 1 p.m. 
• Overland Park, KS did not have its peak hour during this period but sustained a higher activity overall versus the average. 
• Lincoln, NE started a bit lower compared to the average but relatively hit its maximum activity in the next hours. 
• Buffalo, NY had a much lower activity at 12 p.m. but regained its strength in the next hours which also happens to be its peaks. 

• Pittsburgh, PA sustained its peak activity versus average from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Carrollton, TX started increasing its activity at 12 p.m. and peaked twice in the next hours.
• Plano, TX peaked at 3 p.m. and had higher activity overall during this period. 

Lunch is more than just food for the body. For 62% of Americans, it is also a time to work, as The New York Times shared.

Although desktop dining is not ideal, the modern grind makes it inevitable for 70% of employees who do this at least once a week, ezCater reports.

B2B professionals and decision-makers in these cities are certainly in front of their computers actively engaging in important tasks, making this period the most favorable time to send your marketing message and achieve the best results.

The Afternoon Shifters

We discovered that our visitors in these cities are the most active between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.: 

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Afternoon Shifters versus average users. 

• Auburn, AL did not peak in the afternoon but their overall activity during these hours is much higher versus the average.
• Tempe, AZ also did not peak during this period but their overall difference versus the average is what categorized them as afternoon performers. 
• Cypress, CA not only managed to sustain higher activity in the afternoon but also reached its peak at 7 p.m. 
• Fresno, CA also has seemingly lesser activity but when compared to the average, it exhibited higher values. 

• Providence, RI despite peaking at 2 p.m., Providence exhibited a much higher activity in this period than the average user. 
• Coral Gables, FL shares a similar trend, although it seemingly peaked in the previous hours.
• Jacksonville, FL managed to maintain its performance and outnumbered the average users during these hours.
• Smyrna, GA displayed a peak that increased their overall performance which included them in this category. 

• Clinton, MD peaked at 8 p.m. besting other hours and periods of the day.
• Wilmington, NC also showed better numbers in this period compared to the average users during the day. 
• Manchester, NH not only peaked at 5 p.m. but also managed to outnumber the average users during this period. 
• Albany, NY also presented a much higher average during this period compared to other times of the day. 

• Syracuse, NY peaked at 5 p.m. while showing a higher average than most users during this time. 
• Philadelphia, PA managed to exhibit a much higher average and sustained the difference in the afternoon. 
• Columbia, SC showed dynamic activity in the afternoon that is higher than the average users.

Oh, the afternoon shifts. Tagged by Liberty Staffing as the most challenging work hours to manage, being active in the afternoon sure comes with its perks.

Not only can these professionals run more personal errands during the day or decide to sleep in when they wish to, but some also get the chance to earn more depending on the nature of their work.

It’s all about understanding your target group's behaviors and adjusting your outreach in a way that resonates with them. And as per our research, the best time to connect with professionals in these cities is in the afternoon.

The Night Owls

While most Americans work around a 9 to 5 schedule, 5 to 10% of workers are soldiering on the night shift. Professionals in these cities are also most active during the night or between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m.:

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Night Owls versus average users. 

• Jersey City, NJ, as well as Concord, CA, Hollywood, CA, and San Marcos, CA all outperformed the average user activity from 8 p.m. onwards.

• Santa Ana, CA and Stockton, CA exhibited higher peaks during this period while presenting higher activity than average.
• Santa Clara, CA increased its activity at 11 p.m. and its overall activity outnumbered the average users during this period.
• Englewood, CO seemed to follow the city's average during the day but is actually a top performer at night compared to the average users. 

• Stamford, CT not only exhibited higher-than-average activity during this period but also reached its peak at 10 p.m.
• Atlanta, GA, Savannah, GA, and Wichita, KS seemingly had lower peaks versus the previous hours but are top performers at night when compared to the average user activity in this period. 

• Baton Rouge, LA, Cambridge, MA, and McKinney, TX also exhibited a much higher average than other users despite having relatively lower activity versus the previous hours of the day. 

Research by the University of Liege in Belgium suggests that night owls beat the early birds in staying awake and mentally alert before reaching mental fatigue.

So, do not underestimate their most active hours, assuming they won't be able to open or read your marketing message properly.

Studies also reveal that night owls have some form of genetic makeup that enables them to thrive. Working late at night does not necessarily equate to much less productivity than early birds.

The Vampires

Last but not least are the professionals from cities that are most active between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.: 

Data shows the relative difference in peak activity among Vampires versus average users. 

• Little Rock, AR and Las Vegas, NV are true vampires for consistently outnumbering the average users during this period despite seemingly lower performance in the previous hours.
• Fremont, CA and San Jose, CA even had significant peaks during the wee hours of the day. 

• Nampa, ID, Peoria, IL, Detroit, MI, and Omaha, NE presented a more dynamic activity compared to the previous cities but still managed to outnumber the average users during this period.

• New York, NY and Memphis, TN consistently showed higher-than-average performance during the wee hours. 
• Portland, OR and Lancaster, PA also bested the average users in this period, despite the drastic highs and lows.  

• Richardson, TX, Houston, TX, and Seattle, WA almost presented similar activity with the average users throughout the day, if not for the significant difference during the wee hours. 

Believe it or not, these B2B decision-makers are active when everyone else is sleeping.

To catch the attention of these “vampires,” be sure to schedule your message during the hours they are the most active.

Working these hours requires discipline and proven strategies to live normally. While early birds perform better academically, people who thrive until the wee hours of the morning are said to have higher IQs. They are also more creative, as suggested in a study by University of Michigan researchers. So, it is not all dark and gloomy for professionals in these cities.

In the Spotlight: Reaching Your B2B Audience at the Right Time

There are a lot of factors that influence the success of your marketing efforts. For one, sending your message at the right time, regardless of the location, can make a huge difference. And with the help of a B2B platform like DesignRush, achieving this has gotten easier and more efficient.

Our team ranks agencies worldwide to help you find a qualified agency partner. Visit our Agency Directory for the top agencies in the US, including:

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