What's the Best Time to Send SMS Blasts?

What are SMS marketing messages?

SMS marketing messages are text messages you send to customers after receiving their consent. It's a marketing strategy similar to email marketing campaigns, allowing you to send targeted messages to customers. With an SMS campaign, you can send offers, reminders, and updates directly to customers wherever they are.

SMS marketing messages differ from other text messages your customers might receive from your business. For example, if you're a software provider, you might use SMS text verification for customers who have lost their passwords. SMS marketing messages are designed specifically to promote your brand and its products and services. They are typically done on a wide scale, allowing you to reach different customer segments simultaneously.

Why are SMS messages important?

SMS marketing is a popular strategy because it allows you to communicate directly with your customers in a way that's convenient for them. Your customers are probably already texting friends and family, so it's only natural for them to want to receive promotional messages from your business via texts.

But, of course, there are several caveats to text message marketing. Like email marketing, you must obtain your subscribers' consent before sending them text messages. There are also several regulations to protect consumers from spam texts, so you must follow federal laws.

Once you've ensured your text message marketing strategy is compliant, you can begin reaping the following rewards:

• High read rates: SMS messages have the highest read rates out of any marketing strategy because texts are convenient forms of communication for your customers. Of course, this doesn't mean you should bombard your subscribers with texts, but it does mean your messages are actually being read.
• Cost-effectiveness: SMS campaigns are relatively inexpensive compared to other marketing strategies and advertising methods, but because they allow for personalization, they offer the potential for a higher return on investment (ROI).
• Customizability: SMS marketing campaigns allow you to connect with customers based on the data you've collected, including their purchase history, communication preferences, and demographics.
• Zero-party data: Consumer privacy is crucial, and SMS campaigns allow you to gather data that the consumer has intentionally shared with you. Zero-party data allows you to personalize your messages with the consumer's consent. It's a win-win scenario that protects you and your customers from privacy issues while ensuring you have the data necessary to create successful campaigns.

When should you send SMS marketing messages?

Several factors can help you determine the best time for SMS marketing. But, the optimal time to send SMS marketing messages is generally during regular business hours (10 a.m. – 8 p.m.).

Additionally, texting laws prohibit any type of phone-based solicitation, including phone calls and text messages, before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. Some areas also may have additional rules on top of those.

Other than following the state and federal laws regarding promotional text messages, there is no single best time to send an SMS blast for all brands. All of your customers are different. Some work the night shift and can't check their messages until odd times, while others won't read texts early in the morning.

Factors to consider when choosing a time

So, what's the best time to send SMS marketing blasts? Ultimately, it depends on several factors, such as your target audience, time zones, the purpose of the message, and the industry or business niche.

Let's review these factors to help you find the best time to send a text blast to your customers.

Target audience

What are your customers doing at any point during the day? If your target audience is young professionals, you probably shouldn't text them at 10 a.m. when they're likely to be at work or in meetings.

However, people who work in an office are likely to check their phones in the morning before beginning their work day and again at lunchtime. Then, they probably won't check their texts again until they end work and get home. Consider when your subscribers are most likely to be on their phones — in the morning, during lunch, and in the late afternoon/early evening.

But what about weekends? Your customers likely have more free time on the weekend and check their phones throughout the day. This is especially true on Sundays when they're relaxing at home.

Time zone

Your customers' locations will also factor into the best time to send an SMS blast.

For example, you probably have customers on the East and West coast. If you send a text blast at 10 p.m. EST, you reach customers on the west coast at 7 a.m. PST.

This schedule leaves you non-compliant with text messaging laws, so you should be conscious of it when devising your campaign. For instance, you can segment customers by location to ensure you send them texts at the appropriate times.

Type of message

The type or purpose of the message may also impact the best time to send your marketing text messages.

For example, if you're sending a promotional message about a great deal you're offering, you should determine how early in advance to send it. You want to create a sense of urgency without sending it so late that your customers lose the opportunity to take advantage of it.

However, other types of marketing text messages, like order confirmations and two-factor authentication information, should be sent immediately. If your customers opted in to receive order confirmations and shipping information, they should receive messages as soon as their order is confirmed and then again once tracking details are available.

Industry or business niche

Many industries and business niches have seasonality factors that can impact the best time to send marketing messages.

For example, if you're a med spa owner, you might send laser hair removal promotion texts during the fall. If you're an e-commerce company, you might start sending holiday promotion texts in the weeks before the holidays.

Take into consideration your busy seasons and coordinate your message blasts around them to generate buzz about your business.

When should you NOT send SMS marketing messages?

While there's no single best time to send a text blast, there are times when you should never send marketing messages to customers. Some instances when you should avoid sending SMS marketing messages include the following:

• Late night or early in the morning: It's illegal to send text messages to customers during the legal "quiet hours." Additionally, sending early morning or late-night texts gives your customers a bad experience because it can wake them up and disrupt other activities.
• Without consent: You must legally obtain written consent, certifying that your customers have permitted you to send marketing texts. It's not enough for your customers to agree to email marketing messages; you must have a separate section designated for text message marketing and the types of texts your business may send them.
• During holidays: It's never a good idea to send SMS marketing messages during widely celebrated holidays. While you may have holiday sales your customers won't want to miss out on, they're not shopping during the actual holidays. Instead, they spend time with family or relax at home and don't want to be bothered by SMS messages.

Tips for effective SMS blast timing

The best time to send an SMS blast varies by business, target audience, location, and other factors. In most cases, it may take experimentation to determine your business' best time for sending SMS marketing texts.

Here are a few tips to help you send SMS blasts at the right times:

Schedule SMS blasts in advance

When you create a marketing campaign, you should always schedule your texts to help you save time during the planning phase. When you schedule your text blasts in advance and use tools like automation, you can ensure you're reaching customers at the right times.

Personalize your messages

You should always personalize your messages using the data you already collect on your customers, such as name, purchase history, gender, location, and any other information that may help persuade them to take action.

Consider local holidays and events

Leveraging holidays and local events in your SMS marketing campaigns can help you promote your business.

For instance, holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, New Year's, and Labor Day might be busy days for your subscribers, making them less likely to read your texts when you want them to. A helpful tip is to schedule texts a day before or after the actual holiday so you can still remind customers of holiday sales and events without bothering them during their celebrations.

Monitor and adjust timing regularly

As mentioned, experimenting with various times can help you determine your business' best time to send a text blast.

Ultimately, you won't know the best time until you monitor your SMS marketing campaign results and adjust the timing based on the data you receive. Always measure open rates, read rates, and conversions from your campaigns to help you make better decisions regarding the best time to send messages to customers.

Increase conversion rates with SMS marketing campaigns

SMS marketing campaigns can help boost sales and increase customer satisfaction by reaching customers where they spend their time — on their phones. However, paying attention to when you send your SMS text blasts is just as crucial as the content you include.

No one wants a rude wake up call from your business in the early hours of the day, so plan accordingly and schedule your blasts to be sent at the right times.

Ready to take advantage of SMS marketing and bring your business marketing campaigns to the next level? Try MailChimp text marketing today to start communicating with your valuable customers.