It’s no secret that we’re dependent on our smartphones. In fact, a recent study even went as far as to say that our devices are “becoming our homes.”

 

Savvy brands can use this reliance to their advantage. With consumers reading 90% of text messages within just three minutes of receipt, businesses that use SMS campaigns can effectively engage more customers.

 

One of the best things about SMS is that it delivers, and we don’t mean just to a consumer’s smartphone. SMS has an average open rate of 98%. That’s almost four times as high as the average open rates for emails!

 

But how can your brand efficiently interact with shoppers without encroaching on their “homes?” It’s all about sending the right messages at the right times.

 

SMS scheduling ensures you proactively engage customers while not coming off as intrusive. Here are seven valuable benefits of SMS scheduling and how to successfully use it in your marketing strategies.

 

What is SMS scheduling?

 

SMS scheduling is the practice of pre-scheduling mass text messages to send at a later date and time. This automation cuts out the need for manual intervention. A scheduled SMS is a message that you set and forget.

 

There are several different types of preprogrammed texts, including:

 

  • Standard scheduled texts: These are customized messages that you can schedule to send later. Standard scheduled texts include promotions, welcome messages, and product recommendations.

 

  • Autoresponders: This is a series of automatic texts that a user will receive after opting in. Autoresponders allow you to develop a messaging program without manually launching campaigns.

 

  • Templates: Also called duplicates, template texts are messages that you can use repeatedly. Simply tweak the message to accommodate a specific user, such as their name.

 

7 benefits of SMS scheduling

 

Now that we have a better understanding of SMS scheduling let’s look at seven key benefits of using this service.

 

1. Better ROI

 

Consumers are much more likely to open and respond to a text than they would an email. Moreover,  91% of customers are open to opting in for texts from brands. Nearly all shoppers have said they’d sign up to receive text messages from businesses, with over half already doing so.

 

Besides being efficient, SMS is also an extremely cost-effective campaign tool. That means that brands that invest in SMS scheduling could enjoy a higher return on their investment.

 

2. A global reach

 

Today, around 6.64 billion people worldwide use a smartphone. This number means that over 80% of the world’s population is on a mobile phone. By scheduling out your SMS campaigns, you can engage customers from all over the world in the moments that matter most. Doing so can drastically expand your global footprint and enable you to tap into lucrative international markets. 

 

3. Close connections

 

Brands that connect with consumers build trust and influence purchasing decisions. SMS is one of the most direct ways to engage with customers, besides meeting them in person. You can cultivate connections without losing too much time by scheduling your text messages.

 

4. Discover opportunities for improvement

 

You can easily send out post-purchase text messages that ask customers for feedback with SMS scheduling. And sending out customer surveys via SMS cuts through the noise of lengthy emails, guaranteeing more responses. With this insight, you can continually improve upon your processes.

 

5. Convenient for customers

 

Nobody wants to be enjoying dinner and suddenly get interrupted by a text from a brand. SMS scheduling enables you to batch your texts and send them out at specific times. You can group texts according to different time zones, ensuring the customer receives a message at a time that is most convenient for them.

 

6. Never miss an important reminder

 

Running a brand is time-consuming. Your marketing team may forget to send out time-sensitive texts between back-to-back meetings and tight deadlines. You’ll never forget to send out important campaign messages by automating your SMS ahead of time. 

 

7. Ease of use

 

With Mitto Campaigns, scheduling SMS has never been more accessible. Choose your customers, craft your message, and effortlessly schedule your campaign, all from an easy-to-use platform.  

 

Best practices for SMS scheduling

 

To get the most out of your campaign, you need to know the best times to schedule your messages.

 

As a general rule of thumb, schedule your SMS between 9 AM-6 PM on weekdays. If your audience skews towards 9-5 professionals, you could schedule texts between 12 PM and 2 PM when they would likely have stepped away from their desks. If your audience skews younger, evenings and weekends are on the table, but if 55+ makes up a large part of your customer base, take evenings and weekends off the table.

 

Always schedule SMS based on the time zone of the recipient. No one wants to get a text message at 1 AM!

 

For automated reminders, be sure to schedule them 24 to 48 hours in advance of your customers’ appointment. This notice gives the recipient plenty of time to cancel or reschedule their appointments. 

 

Never send marketing text messages before 8 AM or after 8 PM.

 

Mitto makes scheduling SMS simple

 

Mitto Campaigns will help your brand achieve optimal success with SMS campaigns. It’s easy to use, provides valuable insight, and makes segmentation a breeze.

 

To get started, contact us today.