STO

Send Time Optimization

A powerful strategy in digital messaging that helps marketers reach customers at the ideal moment. By sending messages when recipients are most likely to engage, STO enhances the effectiveness of various outbound channels—email, SMS, or direct messaging. Here’s a look at three levels of STO: self-directed preferences, time zone shifts, and Predicted Send Time Optimization.

Self-Directed Preferences

At the most basic level, STO allows subscribers to set their preferred times for receiving messages. This approach respects the recipient’s self-reported preferences, which may reflect a routine or time when they’re most available. For example, someone may prefer receiving SMS notifications in the morning or choose to get emails in the evening. This level of STO is easy to implement and gives users control over when they receive messaging, leading to better engagement than random timing.

Example Impact: A subscriber sets their preference to receive promotional texts in the afternoon. While this helps ensure that messages land at a time when the subscriber is likely to check their phone, it does not account for changes in habits over time or the ideal time for engagement, which may be different than their chosen preference.

Time Zone Shifts

A more advanced approach to STO involves scheduling messages based on the recipient’s local time zone. This ensures that recipients receive messages at an appropriate time of day, no matter where they are located. By segmenting campaigns based on time zones, brands can avoid sending messages at inconvenient hours. This is especially valuable for global campaigns, as it respects general time-of-day preferences for each region and can boost engagement significantly.

Example Impact: A multinational brand launches a campaign to deliver push notifications at 10 a.m. local time. With this strategy, the company avoids sending notifications in the middle of the night for some users, instead aligning message timing with their local morning hours, when people are more likely to be checking their devices.

Predicted Send Time Optimization

The most sophisticated level of STO, Predicted Send Time Optimization, uses AI or machine learning algorithms to determine the ideal send time for each recipient individually. By analyzing past engagement patterns, such as when a person typically opens emails, checks messages, or responds to notifications, the algorithm predicts the most effective time to send future messages. This approach goes beyond general time preferences or time zones by identifying patterns in individual behavior.

As recipients’ habits change, the algorithms continue to learn, ensuring that STO remains accurate. This predictive technique is particularly effective for high-frequency campaigns and can drive increased engagement across channels by delivering messages at the precise moment when recipients are likely to interact.

Example Impact: A messaging platform uses Predicted Send Time Optimization to send direct messages when a subscriber is most active. For one subscriber, the algorithm identifies that the recipient usually checks messages between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays, while on weekends, they engage with messages around noon. The platform then delivers messages at these times, leading to a noticeable increase in open and click-through rates.

As consumers receive more digital messages than ever, Send Time Optimization offers a way for marketers to cut through the noise. While self-directed preferences and time zone-based approaches are effective, Predicted Send Time Optimization, powered by advanced algorithms, represents the pinnacle of STO. By leveraging predictive insights, brands can consistently reach customers when they’re most receptive, enhancing engagement and building stronger customer relationships across multiple channels. Embracing these STO techniques allows brands to connect more meaningfully with their audiences, delivering messages that arrive not just when it’s convenient but when they’re most likely to capture attention.

• Abbreviation: STO