What is The Best Time to Send Promotional SMS in India? Get Expert Opinions

You’ve probably checked all the boxes to design a compelling SMS marketing campaign. But all that effort won’t matter if your customers are too busy to open your business’s promotional texts.

That’s why understanding the best time to send promotional SMS can directly impact the success of your SMS campaigns. 

In this article, you will understand the best time to send promotional SMS in India industry-wise and a few tips from experts to nail your SMS timing and maximise your text marketing campaigns. 

But, before we know the best promotional SMS timings, let’s first explore some of its benefits. 

Benefits of sending promotional SMS at the right time

Here are a few benefits of sending promotional SMS on time in India: 

• Immediate action: SMS campaign success comes from sending promotional SMS at the right time.
• High open rate: When you send promotional SMS at the right time, your SMS marketing campaign will record a high chance of an open rate.   
• Higher ROI: Sending SMS marketing messages on time will increase the effectiveness of SMS advertising, resulting in a higher ROI. 
• High marketing effectiveness: Sending well-planned and well-constructed SMS campaigns during peak times will reach the right people with the right message.
• Campaign success: If you keep your SMS marketing timing on point, it helps ensure the success of your campaign.

Read also:  Best OTP SMS providers

Best time to send promotional SMS in India industry-wise

You already know the importance of sending SMS marketing campaigns at the right time of day. As well as its profound effect on the success of your business. 

However, peak times vary for different industries. That’s why we have included some quick examples with experts’ opinions on the best time to send promotional SMS in India based on industries. 

1. Healthcare, dentistry, automotive, and other service-oriented businesses

For those in these industries, you can stick with general timing as outlined by the TRAI since it is the most appropriate. 

TRAI permits sending promotional SMS daily between 9 am and 9 pm. However, customer Success Specialist Deeksha Upadhyay of Telebu says that the best time to run promotions is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. She continues, “Most of our customers run their promotional campaigns during those times and see a significant increase in their return on investment (ROI)”.

You can also consider the following options, depending on your service and when you think your customers are likely to act on it: 

• 8 AM-12 PM: Just before work, most people scroll through their phones or check their email, messages, and other stuff. So send relevant SMS promotions to your customers at this time that will most likely get them to act. For example, you can send customised offers to your customers to promote your car wash business.
• 2 AM-3 PM: It is hard to check your phone while having lunch, but many people still do it. You might consider choosing this timeframe if you expect your audience to act immediately. 
• 5 PM-9 PM: At the end of the workday, people often have more time for themselves and are more likely to reply to SMS messages since they are at home now. You can take this opportunity and promote your home cleaning services or plumbing services. 

Also read: How to pick a bulk SMS provider

2. Sales/retail

For sales and retail services, you can choose to send discount offers or vouchers after working hours or just before work hours. 

Kiran Das, a communication solution expert, says the most suitable day for running a promotion for this group is Thursday or Friday. His reason is that most customers can plan to use the offer or visit the store on weekends. 

3. Restaurants/takeaways

“Restaurants and takeaways are best advised to send SMS between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.”, says Vasudev Jagarlamudi, vice president of Telebu’s customer service department. He gave a reason for sending promotional SMS between those times and says, “More SMS campaigns are sent between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm than any other time of the day”.

However, note that this industry has fewer restrictions on SMS marketing for takeaways than others. So targeting customers in the early evening can also be done during significant sporting events or when the latest reality TV show starts.

Vasu warns the users about promotional SMSs and says, “Always avoid sending messages at 9 a.m. since that is a very busy time for everyone. Sending messages at this time would be pointless since fewer people are likely to open the message. Therefore, do not send SMS too early.”

Get your promotional SMS timings right with SMSCountry 

All in all, the best time to send promotional SMS to your customers may vary, but you’ll only find out when you text them.

Beyond timing, your SMS marketing campaign will only be as successful as the platform you use.

That’s where SMSCountry comes in. 

SMSCountry is one of the best bulk SMS providers. Our simple API and pay-as-you-go pricing plan cater to SMEs’ needs and help them achieve their SMS marketing goals. Contact us with any bulk SMS-related queries.

Also, signup today and get free SMS credits to test our platform or request a demo today.