When Is the Best Time to Send SMS Marketing Texts?

Generally speaking, the best time to send SMS marketing texts is Monday through Friday, during regular business hours between 9AM and 5PM, when most audiences are awake and near their phones, though there may be businesses and occasions when sending off-peak makes more sense.

The Best Time of Day to Send SMS Marketing Messages

So, when is the best time to send SMS marketing messages? Unlike the best times to post on social media, the technical answer to this question isn’t “one size fits all.”

Each business is unique and may have specific variables around its audience, product, or service that can impact the answer.

That said, here are a few best practices on the best time to send SMS texts to benefit your business:

1. Consider Sending Text Marketing Messages at Peak Hours

Our 2022 Consumer Texting Behavior Report showed that 63% of consumers prefer to be texted during weekdays vs. just 17% preferring weekends.

While both mornings and evenings each have 15% approval from consumers, nearly half of all consumers surveyed said they prefer to receive SMS marketing messages during business hours, between 9AM and 5PM.

But consider your target audiences’ daily schedule, as well as time zones. If your audience consists of busy daytime professionals who may not have time to look at their phones often, consider launching your messages between 6PM and 8PM instead of during the craze of a busy workday.

Knowing what peak hours look like for your specific audience is extremely important to ensure your text message marketing campaigns reach and resonate with your customers when they are most engaged naturally.

There are still good and bad times to press send, so remember to keep an eye on your reports to see how your audience is responding. If opt outs climb, consider tweaking your message strategy including when you send your texts.

2. Remember SMS Marketing Offers Near-Instant Engagement

The near-instant engagement of SMS marketing is a crucial factor when deciding the timing of your messages.

Unlike emails or social media, where responses can be delayed, SMS messages are typically opened within minutes of receipt, often boasting open rates as high as 98%.

Our 2024 Consumer Texting Behavior Report found that nearly 70% of new text messages are read by consumers within 5 minutes of receipt. Further, an impressive 84% of total text messages are read within just 15 minutes.

Since SMS marketing delivers messages instantly, it's crucial to target shoppers when they’re most likely to read and respond to your texts. Consider the following:

• What are my subscribers likely doing when they receive my message? Are they taking a lunch break, casually scrolling through their phones, or stuck in back-to-back meetings?
• Is my audience just getting their day started, or relaxing on the couch with their phones?
• Will my audience be in a position to act on what I'm asking? For instance, if you're inviting them to visit your store for a special offer, will they have enough time to do so before you close? Or are you sending reminders during a sale to give them ample opportunity to shop?
• Is it a busy time of year, or a quieter period? During key marketing moments (like Cyber Week or Valentine’s Day), consider sending your message a few minutes past the hour to help cut through the noise. (Don’t forget to check out our guide for Black Friday and Cyber Monday for more holiday planning tips.)
• Is there a cultural or religious holiday you need to be mindful of? Major holidays may cause lower engagement as people focus on personal celebrations. In addition, some holidays call for sensitivity, especially when they are times of mourning or remembrance.

3. Test For Success

When is the best time to text your specific audience? Regardless of industry, one easy way to determine the best time to send your messages is to test different times to identify which performs the best.

Testing messaging times gives you a good idea of when your audience will most likely engage with your messages or take action.

Start with best practices and slowly test new times outside that range, keeping a close eye on your reporting and analytics for chief performance indicators, including delivered messages, replies, clicks, unsubscribes, and more.

Consider running the following A/B tests to learn more about your unique audience’s preferences:

• Day of the Week 
• Time of Day
• Short or Long Message Length 
• Link Placement 
• Line Breaks & Formatting 
• Adding Emotion or Emojis 
• Vary Call-to-Action Language 
• SMS vs MMS 
• Image Content
• Tone of Voice

When Not to Send SMS Marketing or SMS Blast Messages

Would you enjoy disrupting your deep sleep with phone chimes and promotional reminders? Not likely, and neither do your customers. With the exception of critical text alerts, it’s best to avoid sending text messages during the following hours or occasions:

Don’t Send SMS Blasts Late at Night or Early in the Morning

It’s against the law to send text messages to customers during designated "quiet hours." Sending texts during these times can also create a negative experience for your customers, as it may disturb their sleep or interrupt other activities.

Be considerate and allow your audience to wake up or unwind from the day before reaching out.

Don’t Send SMS Marketing Messages Without Permission

You are legally required to obtain written consent confirming that your customers have explicitly agreed to receive marketing texts. Simply agreeing to receive email marketing isn't enough—you need a separate consent section specifically for text messages, outlining the types of SMS your business will send.

See the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to learn more.

Don’t Send SMS Blasts on Holidays

Sending marketing texts during major holidays is generally a poor choice. Even though you may have great holiday promotions, customers typically aren’t shopping on the actual holiday. They are spending time with family or relaxing and don’t want to be interrupted by SMS messages.

Not following these rules could lead to an unhappy audience and an avalanche of opt outs.