Sending SMS Campaigns - What Time of the Day Is the Most Effective?

It is important to consider the recipient's experience when planning to send an SMS message. No matter how much effort you put into your strategy, it most often boils down to time. The right message at the right time can make a difference in how successful your SMS campaign will be. A good example is sending a confirmation message immediately after the customer makes a purchase. Fast response is a standard today and it ensures an excellent customer experience. 

If you are wondering if there is an ideal time of a day to maximize the benefits of your SMS marketing campaigns, then this text is just for you.

Why send marketing SMS? 

In times of all-encompassing technology, marketing messages reach the recipient from almost every side, whether they like it or not. The biggest advantage of SMS as a marketing tool is the ability to reach the recipient very quickly and effectively. Today, the phone accompanies most of us practically all day long. Consequently, the Open Rate for SMS is usually over 90%. An additional advantage of this type of marketing content is the fact that SMS messages are usually opened almost immediately after receiving them. 

According to statistics, the average time from receiving a marketing message to reading it is only about 3 minutes. By sending the SMS to the client, we are almost 100% sure that our message will reach them.

How to choose the right time to send an SMS campaign? 

Proper timing is just as important as any other part of your SMS campaign. As you might have guessed, there is no one-size-fits-all time to send a marketing SMS and what works for one store and its subscriber list won't necessarily apply to another. However, there are some key elements as to when your recipients may be most interested in your message.

Does the day of the week affect the effectiveness of the SMS campaign?

Regardless of what your business does, it's important to remember that each sector is different and has its own rules. First, we need to understand the offer and customers, and then find the perfect time to send an SMS message. The type of message sent also plays a key role. 

By sending information about discounts or promotions in online stores or in shopping malls, we will aim at weekend days when consumers have a bit more free time. 

If we run a restaurant, it can be assumed that every day of the week will be a good option, and the time will be the key. During the week, it is worth testing the shipping at lunchtime (12-14), while on weekends slightly later, depending on the offer we have. Sending of SMS messages to customers may also include the afternoon and evening hours. 

In the drugstore industry, it is worth considering the so-called calendar of special days, e.g. on the first day of summer we send an offer for tanning products, and on Women's Day a special offer, prepared for women on the occasion of their holiday, the time of sending the SMS should take place in the morning. 

In the food and beverage industry, when weekly or even twice a week a new newsletter with an offer is published, we recommend sending SMS marketing campaigns, even one day earlier (before the publication of the promotional newsletter) in the afternoon or at the latest on the same day in the morning. This will allow the recipient to calmly prepare a shopping list before the expiry date of the offer.

We could list a lot of such shipping conditions, but it all comes down to one conclusion. The right day of the week is important. It should  depend on the industry, the effect we want to achieve and the content conveyed.

The impact of the SMS sending time on the recipient's involvement 

The fastest way to annoy subscribers is to send them messages at the wrong time. Waking up in the middle of the night to send a lunch coupon or payment reminder is a quick way to lose the recipient. It is good to send SMS messages between 8 am. - 9 pm. Of course there are some exceptions related to, for example, a special action or an event the recipient is interested in, but apart from them, out of respect for the customer, it is worth following the unofficial hours. We should consider at what times of the day recipients most often use the phone and what periods are the most appropriate and relevant for their daily routine. For example, it will be difficult to focus on the content of messages during rush hours, e.g. commuting from work. 

If we are not sure which solution can bring us the best efficiency, it is worth following the movement of our recipients and drawing appropriate conclusions. Adding a link and following it will certainly help in determining the effectiveness of our shipment. 

How often should you send SMS campaigns?

The type of messages to send will directly determine the frequency of sending. You can send messages more often than once a week if the content is relevant. In this case, however, it is worth mentioning to the recipient about extensive marketing traffic. Additionally, it is a good practice, as with email communication, to send messages quickly after signing up for the newsletter to keep involvement. We should also not wait more than 3 weeks with the next campaign, unless this is our company's policy.

SMS messages are primarily about building user involvement, and thus one-time "shots" will not allow for appropriate measurement of the effectiveness and adaptation of the campaign to the experience of recipients.

SMS campaign sending - what time of the day is it most effective?

As we mentioned before, there is no one-size-fits-all time for sending SMS messages. Common practices may be followed, but what's most important is that every business is different. The key is to constantly track the reports as well as based on tests and campaign performance indicators.

A / X tests available in the MessageFlow platform are an excellent tool that can help in determining the most effective sending time.

Get to know your audience, consider their preferences, use segmentation, don’t be afraid to test several different options and track the performance of your creations. Such actions will allow you to see what is working and what is not, and thus determine the time when your recipients react most intensively to the received SMS.