Choosing the Right Time to Send Bulk SMS Campaigns

When creating a bulk SMS campaign, it is important to monitor the time you choose to send the right time so as increase the open rates of the SMS.  Choosing the right time to send bulk SMS campaigns can significantly impact their effectiveness and engagement rates. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when deciding the timing for your bulk SMS campaigns:

1. Audience Demographics and Behavior: Understand your target audience’s demographics, behaviours, and preferences. Consider factors like age, location, occupation, and lifestyle. Different groups may have varying habits when it comes to checking their phones and engaging with messages. EgoSMS allows you to create these demographics by creating groups. Groups can depend on age location or any other segment you would prefer. By creating a group, you can easily send a message tailored to that group at a time you are sure they would have high open rates. For example, a restaurant would choose to send messages to their clients at around lunchtime or toward dinner knowing that the recipients would order almost immediately.
2. Day of the Week: The day of the week can impact engagement. Generally, weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday) are considered better for B2B messages, while weekends might work better for B2C messages. This is because consumers may have a higher chance of responding to messages over the weekend depending on the type of business. Supermarkets and e-commerce businesses would have a better chance of increasing engagement over the weekends than on weekdays.
3. Time of Day: The time of day when your audience is most likely to be attentive to their phones is crucial. Avoid sending messages too early in the morning or too late at night. Lunch breaks, mid-afternoon, and early evenings are often good time slots. Banks, for example, would choose to send messages mid-morning at around 10:00 AM on a weekday when they are sure the recipients would respond.
4. Type of Message: The purpose of your SMS campaign matters. For time-sensitive offers or reminders, consider sending them closer to the event or deadline. For general information or promotions, you might want to send it during peak engagement times.
5. Avoid Cluttered Times: Try to avoid sending messages during times when people are likely to be overwhelmed with messages, such as during morning rush hours or right after work. Try to make sure these messages are sent a bit earlier or later than the cluttered times to increase your chances of engagement.
6. Testing and Analytics: Use A/B testing to determine optimal timing. Send messages at different times and track the engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates, conversions, etc.). Analyze the results to find patterns.
7. Holidays and Special Occasions: Consider holidays and special occasions that might affect engagement rates. People’s behaviour can change during festive periods or long weekends.
8. Frequency: Be mindful of how often you’re sending messages. Sending too many messages in a short span can lead to message fatigue and unsubscribes. Depending on the type of business, limit your messages to a maximum of 3 per day. E-commerce businesses that choose to send messages after the order can encourage their customers to make use of the chart so that purchases are made at once and one message is sent.
9. Industry Norms: Research industry-specific norms and trends for sending SMS messages. Different industries might have different optimal times based on customer behaviour.
10. Mobile Habits: Understand how people use their mobile devices. For instance, people might be more likely to check their phones during commute times or during breaks. It is most likely that online businesses like e-commerce businesses will have higher open rates with SMS because the recipients will most probably order through their phones.
11. Time-sensitive Content: If your message contains time-sensitive information, like flash sales or limited-time offers, ensure you send it with enough time for recipients to take action. You can also schedule messages on the EgoSMS platform. This could work for time-sensitive messages like end-of-month sales or even events.
12. Consistency: Once you’ve identified an optimal timing strategy, try to maintain consistency in your messaging schedule. Regularity can help establish a routine for your recipients. Scheduling messages on EgoSMS allows you to schedule the same message to send it more than once to the same recipients.
13. Feedback and Adaptation: Monitor the results of your campaigns and be prepared to adjust your timing strategy based on feedback and data.

Remember that the “right” time can vary depending on your specific audience and goals. It’s essential to track results, experiment with different timings, and adapt your strategy based on what works best for your audience over time. Here are some types of SMS messages to consider sending at particular times:

1. Welcome Messages:
   • Time: Immediately after a user signs up or subscribes.
   • Content: Welcome new subscribers and provide them with information about your brand, products, or services.
2. Appointment Reminders:
   • Time: 24-48 hours before the appointment.
   • Content: Remind recipients of upcoming appointments, meetings, or events and provide necessary details.
3. Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers:
   • Time: During peak engagement times, such as lunch breaks or evenings.
   • Content: Notify customers about exclusive deals, discounts, or promotions that are available for a limited time.
4. Event Invitations:
   • Time: A few weeks to days before the event.
   • Content: Invite recipients to attend upcoming events, workshops, webinars, or conferences and provide event details.
5. Transactional Updates:
   • Time: As soon as the transaction occurs.
   • Content: Send order confirmations, shipping updates, or transaction receipts to keep customers informed about their purchases.
6. Festival and Holiday Greetings:
   • Time: Leading up to or on the day of the festival or holiday.
   • Content: Send warm wishes and special offers to customers on holidays and festive occasions.
7. Feedback Requests:
   • Time: After the completion of a purchase or interaction.
   • Content: Request feedback on recent purchases or experiences to improve your products or services.
8. Abandoned Cart Reminders:
   • Time: Within a few hours to a day after cart abandonment.
   • Content: Remind customers about items left in their cart and encourage them to complete their purchases.
9. Educational Content:
   • Time: During periods when recipients are likely to have time to read and engage.
   • Content: Share informative articles, tips, how-to guides, or tutorials related to your industry.
10. Birthday Offers:
    • Time: On the recipient’s birthday.
    • Content: Send personalized birthday wishes along with a special discount or offer.
11. Feedback Surveys:
    • Time: After the completion of a significant interaction, like a customer service call.
    • Content: Request feedback on customer service experiences to improve your support.
12. Product Launches:
    • Time: Around the launch date.
    • Content: Build anticipation and excitement by announcing new product releases or updates.
13. Reminder Alerts:
    • Time: Based on the specific timing of the event.
    • Content: Send reminders for tasks like bill payments, subscription renewals, or upcoming deadlines.
14. Seasonal Promotions:
    • Time: Aligned with specific seasons or holidays.
    • Content: Offer special deals or promotions that are relevant to the current season or holiday.
15. Thank You Messages:
    • Time: After a customer’s first purchase or a significant interaction.
    • Content: Express gratitude for their business and offer a discount on future purchases.

Remember to tailor your message content and timing to your audience’s preferences and behaviours. Regularly analyze the results of your SMS campaigns to fine-tune your approach and optimize engagement. To begin your SMS campaign, sign up now to EgoSMS.