When to Send SMS Messages for Better Engagement
TL;DR:
- Morning messages (8-10am) catch people when they're fresh and checking their phones
- Early evenings (5-7pm) work well as people wind down from work
- Lunchtime can be effective for business audiences who check phones during breaks
- Avoid late nights and weekends unless your message is urgent
- Test different times and track results to find what works for your audience
- Use analytics tools to refine your timing based on real engagement data
Most SMS campaigns fail because of poor timing, not poor content. Your audience might love what you're saying, but if they're asleep or busy when it arrives, your message gets lost in the noise.
The difference between a message sent at 9am versus 9pm can be the difference between a 30% open rate and a 5% one. Getting this right isn't about following rigid rules. It's about understanding when your specific audience is most likely to engage.
Finding Your Sweet Spots
Morning Messages (8-10am)
People check their phones within minutes of waking up. A well-timed morning message can catch someone when they're alert and planning their day. This works particularly well for appointment reminders, daily deals, or motivational content.
Lunchtime Windows (12-2pm)
Many people scroll through messages during lunch breaks. This timing works best for business audiences and professionals who might not check personal messages during working hours. Restaurant offers and quick updates perform well here.
Early Evening (5-7pm)
As the workday ends, people shift into personal mode and become more receptive to marketing messages. This is prime time for promotional content, event invitations, and non-urgent updates.
Weekend Considerations
Weekends are tricky. While people have more free time to engage, they also want to disconnect from commercial messages. Save weekends for truly valuable content or urgent communications only.
What to Avoid
Late night messages (after 9pm) typically perform poorly and can annoy recipients. Similarly, very early mornings (before 8am) often feel intrusive.
Business hours during weekdays can be hit or miss depending on your audience. Office workers might not appreciate personal messages during meetings, while shift workers might be most available during traditional working hours.
Testing Your Timing
Start with the general guidelines above, then test systematically. Send similar messages to different segments of your list at different times. Track open rates, click-through rates, and response times to identify patterns.
Most SMS platforms provide detailed analytics showing when your messages perform best. Look for trends over several campaigns rather than making decisions based on single sends.
Your audience might behave differently than expected. A fitness brand might find early morning messages work best, while a restaurant might see better results with evening sends. The data will tell you more than assumptions ever will.
Industry-Specific Timing
Different sectors see different patterns. Retail messages often perform well during lunch breaks and early evenings when people are thinking about purchases. Healthcare reminders work best during business hours when people can actually book appointments.
B2B messages typically perform better during working hours, while B2C content often does better in the evenings and weekends. Consider your audience's lifestyle and schedule when planning your sends.
Making Adjustments
Once you identify your best-performing times, don't stop testing. Audience behaviour changes with seasons, holidays, and life events. A timing strategy that works in January might not work in July.
Track performance monthly and adjust your schedule based on consistent trends rather than one-off results. Small timing tweaks can lead to significant improvements in engagement rates.
FAQs
How much difference does send time actually make to engagement?
The difference can be dramatic. Messages sent at optimal times often see 2-3x higher engagement rates compared to poorly timed sends. It's one of the easiest ways to improve campaign performance.
Should I send at the same time every day?
Consistency helps build expectations, but don't sacrifice effectiveness for routine. If your data shows Tuesday evenings work better than Tuesday mornings, adjust accordingly.
Do time zones matter for SMS campaigns?
Absolutely. Always send based on the recipient's local time zone. A message sent at 2am because you forgot about time zones will perform terribly and frustrate your audience.
How long should I test before making timing decisions?
Run tests for at least 2-4 weeks to account for weekly patterns. Look for consistent trends rather than making decisions based on single campaigns.
Jargon Buster
Open Rate – The percentage of recipients who opened your message. For SMS, this is usually very high since most people read text messages.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) – The percentage of people who clicked a link in your message, if you included one.
Engagement Rate – A broader measure including opens, clicks, replies, and other interactions with your message.
A/B Testing – Sending two versions of a message (often at different times) to see which performs better.
Wrap-up
Getting your SMS timing right is one of the quickest wins in messaging. Start with the proven time slots, but don't stop there. Your audience is unique, and their behaviour might surprise you.
The key is consistent testing and adjustment based on real data, not assumptions. Small changes in timing can lead to big improvements in results.
Learn about QuickSMS: https://www.quicksms.com/