With SMS marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of reaching customers instantly. But timing matters. Just because you can send text messages at any hour doesn’t mean you should.
Imagine getting a promo text at 6 am or right as you’re about to fall asleep. Annoying, right? Your customers undoubtedly feel the same way. Bad timing can lead to frustration, opt-outs, or even compliance issues.
Fortunately, there’s a solution: SMS quiet hours. Setting aside specific times when messages won’t disturb your customers creates a better experience while protecting your sender reputation. Let’s look at how this works.
What are SMS quiet hours?
SMS quiet hours are specific times when promotional text messages shouldn’t be sent, usually late at night or early in the morning. They’re one of the many rules in SMS marketing, and while they’re important for compliance, they also help you get the best results from your campaigns.
Think about it: Nobody wants to be woken up at 2 am by a promotional text about your flash sale. When messages arrive during inconvenient hours, recipients are more likely to be annoyed than engaged. Plus, ignoring quiet hours can result in hefty fines from regulatory agencies.
Don’t worry—implementing quiet hours isn’t complicated. Most SMS marketing platforms offer built-in tools to schedule messages, so you don’t have to worry about sending a promo at the wrong time.
Why quiet hours matter for your business
So, you know what quiet hours are and why they exist. But what’s in it for your business? Let’s break down the tangible benefits of respecting your customers’ downtime.
Customer experience
When you respect quiet hours, you’re showing customers you value their time. People respond positively to brands that respect their boundaries, rewarding them with lasting loyalty. Sending messages at appropriate times builds trust and makes customers more open to your offers when they do arrive.
Engagement rates
Timing really does make a difference in whether people read and act on your messages. When your text messages arrive at reasonable hours, customers are more likely to open them, read them fully, and click through to your offers. Better timing means better results for your SMS marketing campaigns, plain and simple.
Compliance
Compliance with quiet hours keeps your SMS program legally sound. Most countries have telecommunications laws that restrict promotional messaging hours. By following these rules, you avoid potential fines and keep your texting privileges intact.
The text message marketing laws you need to know
SMS marketing laws differ all over the world. To avoid trouble, you need to know the rules for where you’re sending messages. Here’s a basic overview of the most important laws.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
Text marketing in the United States is mostly ruled by the TCPA, which works to prevent spam text messages. This law requires you to get permission before texting customers and limits when you can send messages. Breaking these automated telephone communication rules is expensive, with penalties ranging from $500 to $1,500 per willful violation. A single off-hours campaign to 1,000 customers could potentially cost you $1.5 million in fines.
State-level SMS marketing regulations
Many states also have their own SMS marketing rules. Certain states, like Oklahoma and Florida, have created more restrictive rules that further narrow your sending window. On top of that, these rules apply based on your customer’s physical location when they receive messages, not where they live. This means the rules can literally change as your customers travel.
Global text message marketing laws
If you have customers outside the US, you’ll need to know international rules, too. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and similar laws across the globe all set specific guidelines for marketing messages. Most of these regulations clearly state when you can send promotional texts, with serious penalties if you don’t comply.
Best practices for quiet hours in SMS marketing
You’ve got a great message, a solid offer, and the right audience—but if you text at the wrong time, it won’t get the response you want. All it takes is a few smart adjustments to your SMS strategy to respect quiet hours and keep customers happy. Here’s how.
Set quiet hours between 8 pm and 11 am
For the safest approach to SMS quiet hours, set your system to avoid sending messages between 8 pm and 11 am. This window covers even the strictest regulations while still giving you a solid 9-hour window for reaching customers. Many regions prohibit promotional messages on Sundays, so it’s wise to skip that day altogether. If you want to be extra cautious, consider making Saturday a no-send day, too.
Subscribe to get more marketing tips straight to your inbox.
Consider time zones when sending SMS messages
Always schedule text messages based on the recipient’s time zone. Your 9 am message might be perfect in New York, but it’ll arrive far too early in Washington State. Many SMS platforms automatically adjust for time zones, but you’ll want to double-check your settings to confirm they’re configured just right.
Avoid sending SMS marketing messages on holidays
Holiday periods are personal time for most people, even during standard business hours. Unless your message directly relates to the holiday itself (like a special sale), it’s best to pause your regular SMS campaign on these days. Your customers will appreciate the space, and you’ll avoid having your messages ignored or deleted during celebrations.
Allow customers to set their own quiet hours
Want to know exactly when your customers prefer to hear from you? Just ask them. You can do this through your signup form or by setting up preference options in your SMS platform. Many services now let customers choose their own communication windows, putting them in control of when they receive your marketing text messages.
Additional SMS marketing compliance considerations
Beyond quiet hours, here are a few more key compliance areas to keep your SMS marketing program on the right track.
- Consent: Always get explicit permission before sending promotional text messages. No consent means no texting—period.
- Opt-outs: Make unsubscribing simple for your audience and be sure to process requests right away. Every text message should include clear instructions on how to stop getting your texts.
- Message transparency: Identify your business in every text you send. Customers should instantly know who’s messaging them.
- Frequency: Keep messages to no more than 3 in 24 hours for compliance purposes. But honestly, that’s still pushing it from a customer experience perspective.
- Data privacy: Treat your customers’ mobile phone numbers as the sensitive personal information they are. Follow relevant privacy regulations for collecting, storing, and using this data.
Be mindful of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association’s SHAFT violations when crafting your messages. Under this rule, content related to sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco will likely get blocked by mobile network operators. These filters operate at a network level and can’t be bypassed even with proper permission.
Key takeaways
- Respect timing rules: Sending promotional text messages during appropriate hours shows respect for customers while helping you stay compliant with SMS marketing regulations.
- Set conservative quiet hours: Implement an 8 pm to 11 am quiet period and avoid weekend messaging to meet even the strictest regulations.
- Consider time zones: Always schedule based on the recipient’s local time zone to prevent messages from arriving during inappropriate hours.
- Enable customer preferences: Let recipients set their own preferred contact windows to improve engagement and build stronger customer relationships.
- Mind your frequency: Limit messages to no more than 3 in 24 hours.