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Learn proven strategies for message timing, compelling content, and compliance. Master ringless voicemail, SMS, and voice broadcast to maximize engagement while respecting recipients.
What separates successful campaigns from poor performers
When to send for maximum engagement
Send during TCPA-compliant hours (8am-9pm local time). Early morning or late evening messages annoy recipients and decrease engagement. Use quiet hours feature to enforce automatically.
Tuesday-Thursday show highest engagement for business messages. Monday and Friday often have lower response rates. Weekend messages work well for consumer appointment reminders.
Best times: 10am-12pm and 2pm-5pm for business audiences. 10am-7pm for consumer audiences. Avoid lunch hours (12-1pm) when people are busy. Test times to find what works.
Always send in recipient's local time zone. Automated time zone detection ensures messages arrive at appropriate times regardless of where recipients live.
Send reminders at 72 hours, 24 hours, and 2 hours before appointments. Three reminders at strategic intervals maximize attendance while avoiding annoyance.
Space messages across channels appropriately. Don't send SMS and ringless voicemail simultaneously. Space ringless voicemail 48-72 hours apart, SMS 24-48 hours apart.
What to say and how to say it
First words should state your business name. 'Hi, this is Jennifer from ABC Realty' builds trust immediately. Recipients need to know who's calling before they listen further.
Explain why you're contacting them in first 10 seconds. 'Confirming your appointment tomorrow' or 'Following up on your property inquiry' sets context immediately.
Voice messages: 30-45 seconds maximum. SMS: 160 characters or less. Long messages decrease engagement. If you can't say it briefly, reconsider what's essential.
Insert recipient names, appointment details, or context using merge fields. 'Hi {{FirstName}}, your appointment is on {{Date}}' feels professional and personal.
Tell recipients exactly what to do next. 'Reply CONFIRM to keep your appointment' or 'Call us at 555-1234' removes ambiguity and improves response.
Don't lead with selling. Lead with helping. 'Here's important information about your appointment' instead of 'We'd like to offer you this product.' Value-first approach builds trust.
How to stay compliant while maximizing results
Have clear consent before sending messages. Written consent via checkbox on web forms, social ads, or contracts. Verbal consent recorded in phone conversations. Prior business relationship in limited scenarios for existing customers. Document everything - timestamp, source, and consent method.
Include opt-out in every message and honor immediately. Say 'reply STOP to opt out' or 'call to be removed'. Process opt-outs within 10 days (Drop Cowboy does this automatically). Add opt-outs to suppression list and never contact again. Confirm opt-out processing when requested.
Follow TCPA rules for telemarketing. Send during TCPA hours (8am-9pm local time). Identify your business name and contact information. Provide opt-out mechanism in every message. Obtain express consent before contacting. Maintain detailed records of consent and opt-outs.
Customers are responsible for ensuring their campaigns comply with all applicable laws. Drop Cowboy® provides compliance tools to help, but cannot guarantee compliance. Consult legal counsel for specific requirements.
How to make messages feel personal at scale
Insert recipient data automatically using {{FirstName}}, {{AppointmentDate}}, {{Location}}, etc. Personalization increases engagement by 5-20x compared to generic messages.
Use AI voice cloning to sound like your team, not a robot. Record 30-second sample and AI generates natural-sounding voice. Works across ringless voicemail and voice broadcast.
Group recipients by channel preference, appointment type, or location. Send SMS to younger audiences, ringless voicemail to older audiences. Right channel for right person increases response.
Mention previous appointments, inquiries, or conversations. 'Following up on your property inquiry from last week' shows you remember them and care about their situation.
Add neighborhood info, weather details, or location-specific context. 'Parking available on Main Street' or 'Near downtown' makes messages more useful and relevant.
Use professional tone for business, friendly tone for consumer. Appointment confirmations are different from urgent notifications. Appropriate tone builds trust.
How to optimize your campaigns with testing
Focus on changes likely to impact engagement. Test send times to find optimal windows. Compare message length (30-second vs 45-second voice messages). Test channel (ringless voicemail vs SMS for same audience). Test different call-to-action wording. Compare personalized vs generic messages. Test single reminder vs multiple reminders.
Follow proper testing methodology. Test one variable at a time - change send time OR message length, not both. Use sufficient sample size - test with at least 50-100 recipients per variant. Test simultaneously during same time period to control for external factors. Measure consistently - track same metrics (open rate, response rate, engagement). Give tests time - run for at least 1-2 weeks before drawing conclusions.
Drop Cowboy includes A/B testing features. Split audiences automatically. Track performance by variant. See statistical significance of results. Export test data for analysis. Regular testing keeps your campaigns optimized and improving over time.
Use test results to improve campaigns. Implement winning variants across all campaigns. Document what works for future reference. Continuously test new ideas. Share learnings with team. Regular testing keeps your campaigns optimized and improving over time.
Drop Cowboy includes quiet hours, personalization, and compliance tools to help you send effective messages. No contracts, 24-hour refund guarantee.
Common questions about message timing, content, and compliance
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