(Newswire.net — December 30, 2022) — Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve spent time and resources crafting the right SMS campaign only to have it fall flat?
Don’t blame the campaign, you just need to understand the best time to send marketing text messages.
Timing can directly influence the success of your SMS marketing efforts. It is everything and SMS messaging is the one channel where your customers can be reached throughout their day.
Things to consider before sending your message
The optimal time for your bulk SMS messages depends on your marketing goals, consumer habits, and industry. Whether you aim to grow your eCommerce SMS marketing revenue or your SMS list, here are some things to consider:
1. What type of message are you sending
You need to give the content of your text message some thought so as to get the ideal send time. SMS campaigns are usually in two categories: promotional and transactional SMS.
2. Watch the clock and the date
Since people have their cell phones on them most of the time, it means they check them constantly. But, there are instances where they spend more time on their phones like after work or just before they clock in for the day. While there might be no prime time to text, there are wrong times to send marketing texts:
Be wary of time zones when sending texts. Sending a text message at 9 a.m. in Boston would be rude to people in Sacramento.
Resist the urge to send marketing texts on big holidays like Christmas or Easter.
The best window to Send SMS campaigns to subscribers
With this in mind, here are some of the best times to send your SMS campaigns:
1. Once customers give permission
Getting customers to opt-in before sending them marketing messages is required by the law and they are protected by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) which spells out the code of conduct for businesses that intend to reach their audience via phone. Basically, you need to:
- Get documented consent before sending an SMS.
- Disclose what they get by opting in (i.e., promos, discounts, and shipping/delivery confirmations).
- Clearly provide an opt-out option for them.
2. Within 24 hours of cart abandonment
Cart abandonment has always been a thorn in the flesh of online businesses and when a customer leaves items behind in their shopping cart, it becomes a problem for eCommerce brands in the form of missed sales opportunities. A well-timed SMS can help you recover some of that lost revenue.
You can nudge customers with a text that includes a discount, or free shipping as an incentive to complete their purchase. You should do this ideally within 24 hours while the thought of your product is still fresh and they haven’t lost interest.
3. Off the hour
Every business out there tries to schedule their messages to go out at specific times and they’re usually on the hour. You can stand out by sending texts at odd times like 12:21 pm just to be different.
Choose an “odd” minute to connect, and you are likely to be the lone text on their phone screen at that time.
4. When people get paid
Ever wondered why your sales spike around the end of the month when compared to the middle of the month? It’s quite simple. Millions of customers including myself like to have a budget towards the end of the month when we receive our salaries.
Since most people are usually with cash or hope to be by the last week of the month, this is a very smart time to capture their attention with an attractive promo offer via text.
When should you NOT send SMS to your subscribers?
As we mentioned earlier, avoid sending messages on widely celebrated holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Your customers would definitely be away from their phones at any time during that day and this could cost you money and their loyalty.
What you can do is try sending holiday-related text messages a few days before the holiday and make sure to include eye-catching offers that would get your customers’ attention.
A final word
You know the basics now, so why don’t you try creating and scheduling your SMS campaigns with an online communication platform like BSG?
You can test your campaigns to measure delivery accuracy and speed, you can also automate your campaigns in one interface on our platform. Let’s get started today!