Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend
Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts on October 7, 2018 for ACT, NSW, SA, TAS, and VIC. At 2:00 am local time, clocks roll forward by 1 hour to 3:00 am. Please note that this adjustment may impact when some of your customers receive your text messages. See below for more details.
Which states or territories are affected?
Source - | States & Territories that observe DST | States & Territories that don't observe DST |
| Australian Capital Territory | Northern Territory |
| New South Wales | Queensland |
| South Australia | Western Australia |
| Tasmania | |
| Victoria |
What does this mean for me?
Whether or not your state or territory observes DST, it’s important to keep these things in mind:
- New timezone differences. For example, if you send an SMS campaign at 12:00 pm Sydney time, your contacts in Queensland will get them at 11:00 am. If your campaigns are time-sensitive, then you may want to create separate lists and campaigns for each state or territory.
Tip: You can adjust the timezone setting before blasting your campaign.
- Spike in missed appointments. Missed appointments spike during the week that DST begins and the week that it ends. For businesses that schedule appointments (ie. dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, etc.), consider sending an SMS reminder to let them know that they’ll lose an hour of sleep and to make adjustments.
- Increased consumer spending. Shoppers are more likely to shop during the month that DST begins. Take advantage of this opportunity to send an SMS flash sale to help boost your bottom line.
Check out our last article about DST if you’re curious about how it exactly affects appointments and shopping behaviour.
Need help adjusting your SMS campaigns around the DST? Feel free to get in touch with us by visiting our support portal, clicking on the live chat on the bottom right, or sending us an email.
