The Best Time to Send SMS Blasts and Boost Engagement

When it comes to SMS marketing, timing is everything. Sure, SMS open rates are as high as 98%, but sending your message at the wrong time can tank your engagement. A well-timed SMS campaign can increase click-through rates, boost conversions, and strengthen your connection with customers.

So, how do you make sure your messages hit inboxes at just the right moment? Let’s dive into the best times to send SMS blasts, industry-specific tips, and tools to help you optimize your campaigns.

All About Engagement

Before we launch into our discussion on SMS timing, let’s talk about engagement. What is it? Why does it matter?

First, for all that business owners and decision-makers throw the word around, very few SMBs seem to really understand what “engagement” means. Otherwise, there would be a much greater focus on things like fostering conversation within social media marketing, rather than just pushing to get paid ads out and trying to track ROI.

So, what’s engagement? Sprout Social says, “Audience engagement is all about the connection your audience feels with your brand and the actions they take as a result of it.”

Technically, engagement is any interaction between your target audience and your brand. That includes things like liking or commenting on social posts, or, in the case of this article, opening an SMS.

Sprout Social goes on to say that, if your audience doesn’t engage with your brand, it’s probably a sign that your content doesn’t resonate with them. And what happens then? They disengage. They go elsewhere. They’re not static, just sitting there waiting for you to send a message that resonates with them.

If you don’t strengthen that relationship, they’ll look for a brand that’s willing to do so.

So, engagement matters a great deal. SMS marketing is one of the best ways to drive engagement and build a stronger relationship. The challenge? Getting the timing right. The right message at the wrong time can drive a wedge between you and the customers you need.

Why Timing Matters in SMS Marketing

People live by their routines. Whether they’re sipping coffee at 9 a.m. or winding down at 9 p.m., the timing of your message determines whether it’s opened or ignored.

Send it at the right time, and they’re much more likely to open the message and then act on what you sent.

Send it at the wrong time and they’ll ignore it and maybe open it later. There’s also a chance that they’ll delete it outright.

If your timing is particularly bad or you’ve inundated them with messages, they’ll unsubscribe and then you’ve lost your relationship with that person possibly for good.

Here’s a quick look at how timing affects engagement, at least in the general sense of things.

Timing Impacts Engagement

• Open Rates
• Click-Through Rates
• Conversions

Open Rates

Most people open texts within three minutes of receiving them. This varies depending on the time of day you send the message, of course.

Click-Through Rates

Messages sent during peak hours see higher CTRs compared to those sent at off-hours.

Conversions

Catching customers when they’re ready to act can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. Doubling down on the wrong timing can lose you customers.

So, when should you send those messages? According to Mailchimp, the best time to send an SMS blast is during business hours. However, timing can vary depending on your audience and industry, so it’s pretty important to test and refine your approach. Let’s take a closer look at things.

The Best Time to Send SMS Blasts for General Businesses

For most businesses, there’s a sweet spot when people are most likely to read and respond to your message. You want to hit that spot to maximize engagement and the chance that they’ll act on your message. So, when should you send your blasts?

Optimal Timeframes

• Early Morning (9 – 11 a.m.)
• Afternoon (1 – 3 p.m.)

Early Morning (9 – 11 a.m.)

Customers are starting their day and are more likely to engage with messages during this window. In some cases, you may be able to send an email blast as early as 8 or 8:30 a.m. and get results. Again, you’re tapping into that period in the morning when everyone’s getting coffee, having breakfast, and just settling in for their workday.

Afternoon (1 – 3 p.m.)

A post-lunch dip in energy often leads people to check their phones for a quick mental break. They also have a little bit of free time around their lunch breaks and are more likely to be browsing the news or checking out their social channels. You can take advantage of that and get more traction with your blast.

So, those are the best times to send an SMS blast. What about the worst times?

Times to Avoid

• Late Nights/Early Mornings
• Weekends

Late Nights/Early Mornings

Nobody wants to be woken up by a text at 2 a.m. Respect your audience’s schedule to avoid annoyance or opt-outs. Actually, you should probably skip sending SMS blasts any time after what would be considered “dinner time”. This is when your audience is sitting down to spend time with family or enjoy hobbies. Not only are you much less likely to get engagement at these times, but you’re also more likely to annoy your audience.

Weekends

While weekends can work for specific industries, weekdays generally yield higher engagement for most businesses. If you decide to try SMS blasts on a weekend, make sure that your audience is up for it. That might mean that they’re expecting it, that you’re sending important information they need for the upcoming week, or something else.

As you can see, there are some specific times that you should avoid. However, a lot depends on who you’re messaging and what industry they’re in. Let’s take a look at what that means regarding your SMS timing.

Industry-Specific Recommendations for SMS Timing

• Retail
• Healthcare
• Nonprofits
• Restaurants
• E-commerce

Different industries have unique customer behaviors. Tailoring your SMS timing can make a big difference in the results you see from your SMS campaigns.

Retail

Early afternoons (12 – 2 p.m.) are best for sending sale alerts or promotional offers, so your customers have time to shop during their breaks or after work. It’s all about preparing them for the sale so that they can shop when it begins.

Healthcare

Appointment reminders work best in the morning (8 – 10 a.m.) when people are planning their day. Appointment reminders can also work well over the weekend, particularly when the appointment is on a Monday or Tuesday. Note that this also counts for veterinary appointments.

Nonprofits

Weekday evenings (5 – 7 p.m.) are great for donor engagement, as people are more likely to check their phones after work. Note, don’t send texts after 7 p.m. to avoid alienating your audience (and running afoul of text-related laws).

Restaurants

Send lunch specials between 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. or dinner promotions around 4 – 6 p.m. to catch customers before mealtimes. Again, it’s all about making sure your customers are ready when the time comes (and whetting their appetite beforehand).

E-commerce

Send cart abandonment reminders mid-morning (10 – 11 a.m.) or late afternoon (4 – 5 p.m.), when people are likely browsing online.

Of course, time is pretty subjective. We live in an interconnected world, and 10 a.m. your time could be 2 p.m. where your customer lives. Pay attention to time zones.

The Impact of Time Zones on SMS Campaigns

If your customers span multiple time zones, timing gets a little trickier. Sending a 10 a.m. message to someone in New York might land at 7 a.m. for someone in California, a sure way to lose engagement.

Best Practices for Time Zones

• Segment Your Audience
• Use Automated Tools
• Test and Refine

Segment Your Audience

Group contacts by time zone to ensure local delivery times.

Use Automated Tools

Platforms like DialMyCalls offer Time Zone Detection features, automatically adjusting delivery times based on recipients’ locations.

Test and Refine

Monitor engagement rates across time zones and tweak your strategy as needed. Remember, you want to engage your audience, not overwhelm them.

Tools and Features for Optimizing SMS Timing

• Scheduling Tools
• Analytics and Reporting
• A/B Testing
• DialMyCalls Features

Choosing the right tools can take the guesswork out of SMS marketing. Here’s how technology can help:

Scheduling Tools

Automated scheduling makes sure your messages go out at the right time without requiring manual effort. DialMyCalls allows you to set precise delivery times, so your campaigns always hit the mark.

Analytics and Reporting

Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. This data helps you identify peak engagement times for your audience. Remember, if you’re not tracking and measuring, you have no real idea how well your campaigns are performing.

A/B Testing

Experiment with different time slots and message formats to see what resonates most with your audience. For instance, you might test sending a campaign at 10 a.m. versus 2 p.m. and compare results.

DialMyCalls Features

DialMyCalls offers multiple SMS tools in one easy-to-use platform, making it a powerful solution for optimizing SMS timing.

Best Practices for SMS Timing

• Respect User Preferences
• Stay Consistent
• Monitor Engagement
• Avoid Spammy Behavior

Respect User Preferences

Let customers choose their preferred time for receiving messages. Stick to sending during those times.

Stay Consistent

Sending messages at regular intervals builds trust and predictability. Going too long between messages can mean that people forget about you.

Monitor Engagement

Use analytics to fine-tune your strategy and improve future campaigns. Monitor, measure, adjust. Then rinse and repeat to make your campaigns as effective as possible.

Avoid Spammy Behavior

Don’t overwhelm customers with too many texts in a short period. Even if you don’t think of yourself as spamming, your recipients will, and that can really damage your relationship.

Successful SMS Blasts Require the Right Timing

Timing isn’t just a small detail in SMS marketing, it’s as important as the content of your messages. By sending your messages when your audience is most receptive, you can boost engagement, drive conversions, and strengthen your brand’s connection with customers.

Ready to take the guesswork out of SMS marketing? Sign up for DialMyCalls and schedule your campaigns with precision. With tools like Time Zone Detection and automated scheduling, DialMyCalls makes it easy to send the right message at the right time. Don’t wait—start optimizing your SMS strategy today!

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