MMS MARKETING GUIDE
The complete guide to MMS
In a world of instant communication, dominated by digital channels, we’ve forgotten where it all started: mobile messaging. Discover why MMS is still a staple channel for your communication strategy.
This guide is your single source of everything you need to know about MMS messaging and why it’s still a strong contender in the communication space. Let’s break down how you can utilize MMS to amp up your communication strategy.
In North America, it’s one of the most reliable ways for businesses to communicate in a rich and engaging manner.
In the modern tech world, old often means obsolete. But you’d be surprised to learn that MMS is actually more relevant and engaging than you would expect. In the United States, we’ve observed 19% more interactions on our platform in 2022 than in 2021.
Let’s take a deep dive into all you need to know about MMS, starting with the basics – What is MMS?
2.2 trillion
MMS and SMS sent in 2020 in the US alone
What is MMS?
Multimedia Messaging Service is a standard form of messaging available on all mobile phones. While SMS is text-only, MMS lets you send different kinds of media along with text. Instead of a plain message, you can include images, sounds and videos.
This allows you to create a fully customized, rich message specifically tailored to your communication needs. You can even choose different fonts and change the color of the text in order to emphasize certain words and improve engagement.
Key features of MMS
We’ve covered the basics of MMS and why it’s beneficial to your marketing strategy, but let’s uncover the features that make MMS stand out as more than just “SMS with pictures”.
What’s the difference between SMS and MMS?
What is SMS?
Short Message Service (SMS), or a text, is exactly that – a short message made of only text. It allows you to send and receive messages of maximum 160 characters and over a mobile network.
What is MMS?
Multimedia Message Service (MMS) is the next level of SMS. It uses multimedia like images and videos, along with text making for richer communication between users.
A side-by-side comparison of SMS and MMS
| SMS | MMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Character limit | 160 | >160, dependent on provider |
| Type of message | Text only | Text, video, image |
| Cost | Inexpensive | More expensive than SMS |
| Available on | Any mobile device | Not all mobile devices |
| Use cases | Immediate communication (ie. reminders, announcements, updates, 2FA) | Creative messages (ie. promotions, coupons, QR codes) |
| Pros | Available on all devices Reliable delivery Simple to use Cost Effective | Send multimedia messages Compatible on a wide range of phones Enriches communication High character limit |
| Cons | Character limit of 160 characters No multimedia Prone to spam and scam attacks | Expensive Limited file size Higher chance of undelivered messages |
How can MMS and SMS work together?
Because of their differences and individual pros and cons, using both channels in combination can make your communication and marketing efforts much more effective.
In an effective omnichannel communication strategy you don’t have to choose between the two, but can use both, leveraging each’s best features depending on the context.
Customer initiated MMS
The customer takes a picture of their prescription and sends it to their medical provider via MMS
Continue conversation via SMS
Two-way conversation can resume over the cost-effective SMS channel once the image is received
Redirect additional requests
If needed, email addresses and URLs can be sent via SMS for any additional requests
Beneficial results
Customer has a frictionless experience and the business gets maximum ROI and satisfied customers
Tips for using MMS with SMS
To make sure you’re building a fool-proof messaging strategy that includes both channels, take a look at some tips that can help you get there.
MMS FAQs
Still have questions about MMS messaging? Read on for frequently asked questions about the engaging mobile messaging channel.
