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MMS Messaging - deliver messaging experiences with images and video

MMS MARKETING GUIDE / CHAPTER 1

The complete guide to MMS marketing for businesses

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 marketing communication.

MMS marketing examples

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 North America, it’s one of the most reliable ways for businesses to communicate in a rich and engaging manner.

In the United States, we’ve observed 19% more interactions on our platform in 2022 than in 2021.

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. Also, you will learn how MMS can amp up your marketing strategy.

Let’s take a deep dive into all you need to know about MMS, starting with the basics.

2.2 trillion

MMS and SMS sent in 2020 in the US alone

What is MMS and why use it for marketing?

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

Let’s uncover the features that make MMS stand out as more than just “SMS with pictures”.

MMS feature #1

Branded messages

MMS lets you attach your brand name to every message. Instead of displaying just an ordinary phone number, your customers can see the name and logo of your brand which lets them know that the message is coming from a trusted source. The best part is there are no technical requirements on your side or the customer’s side.

Branded messages

MMS feature #2

Subject lines

We’ve all seen them in emails, but did you know that you can add subject lines to your MMS messages? They quickly grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of what to expect from the full text. A well-written, catchy subject line can even result in 12% higher open rates and 75% higher click-through rates.

Subject lines

MMS feature #3

Time limits

MMS feature #4

Weblinks and previews

When to use MMS instead of SMS?

Compared to SMS, which is ideal for short, text-only messages, MMS allows you to share multimedia content for a more engaging experience.

Pros and cons of MMS compared to SMS

Pros:

– Higher character limit than SMS
– Supports multimedia messages
– Better for creative messages (promotions, coupons, QR codes)

Cons:

– Limited file size
– Costlier than SMS (due to multimedia content)
– Higher chance of undelivered messages (MMS is not supported on all devices)

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 & SMS tip #1

Test

Test on different devices

With MMS messages that include carefully crafted creatives and CTAs you might find that the recipient doesn’t see exactly what you intended. This is because the same message may appear differently on different handsets and even on different OS versions on the same handset.

Some people will still have old non-smart phones that don’t support MMS. It is best to test using a range of devices and OS versions so that you can get it just right.

Test on different devices

Some people will still have old non-smart phones that don’t support MMS. It is best to test using a range of devices and OS versions so that you can get it just right.

MMS & SMS tip #2

Size

Keep MMS messages up to 150KB

As we have mentioned before, 300KB is often mentioned as an upper size limit for MMS messages. Practically, if you are sending a lot of messages and you want to get the optimum delivery rates, then the limit will be far lower than this.

Through experience we have found that 150KB is a good balance between ensuring deliverability and being able to include the rich media that makes MMS messages so compelling.

Keep MMS messages up to 150KB

Through experience we have found that 150KB is a good balance between ensuring deliverability and being able to include the rich media that makes MMS messages so compelling.

MMS & SMS tip #3

Throttling

Use SMIL format to mitigate throttling

Service providers handle hundreds of millions of both SMS and MMS messages through their infrastructure every day. At times of peak usage, they will use throttling to manage the flow of messages through their network so that hardware limits are not reached.

This can cause a delay to some messages being delivered, or when you are sending a set of messages in a particular order, it may mean that the messages are actually delivered to recipients in the wrong order.

You can mitigate this with MMS by using SMIL Format to ensure that messages are received by users in the correct order. You can also use it to make sure that images and associated text are displayed in the required order within the messages.

Use SMIL format to mitigate throttling

MMS & SMS tip #4

Sender name

Use sender names

Recipients don’t react well to messages from unknown numbers. They are unlikely to have your number stored in their phone so with SMS and MMS messages use the option to include sender name so that the person will recognize that the message is from a trusted brand.

Sender name is slightly different to alphanumeric sender IDs as it can be used in two-way conversations whereas alphanumeric sender IDs are used to send messages that can’t be replied to.

Use sender names

Sender name is slightly different to alphanumeric sender IDs as it can be used in two-way conversations whereas alphanumeric sender IDs are used to send messages that can’t be replied to.

MMS & SMS tip #5

Payment

Mind customer payment plans

Be aware that your customers will have a range of mobile plans, and some may not cover MMS. Some people may actually have to pay to receive an MMS message from you, so SMS becomes a great alternative to send your customers messages and avoid any unexpected charges.

MMS & SMS tip #6

Reporting

Use reporting to guide strategy

With both MMS and SMS you can create in-depth reports to track key stats and optimize your campaigns, including:

Total Messages Sent
Delivery Rate: (Delivered Messages / Total Messages Sent) * 100%
Unique Click-Through Rate: (Unique Clicks / Delivered) * 100%
Conversion Rate: (Converted / Delivered Links) * 100
Revenue Per Message: Total Revenue / Total Messages Delivered

Use reporting to guide strategy

With both MMS and SMS you can create in-depth reports to track key stats and optimize your campaigns, including:

Total Messages Sent
Delivery Rate: (Delivered Messages / Total Messages Sent) * 100%
Unique Click-Through Rate: (Unique Clicks / Delivered) * 100%
Conversion Rate: (Converted / Delivered Links) * 100
Revenue Per Message: Total Revenue / Total Messages Delivered

FAQs about MMS

Still have questions about MMS messaging? Read on for frequently asked questions about this messaging channel.

What is the difference between SMS and MMS?

Can anyone receive MMS messages?

Can I send MMS messages to anyone or are there limitations?

Are there any additional charges for sending or receiving MMS messages?

Is there a file size limit for MMS?

Is MMS always a picture?

Will MMS work without data?

What happens if MMS is turned off?

The complete guide to MMS marketing for businesses

2.2 trillion

What is MMS and why use it for marketing?

Key features of MMS

Branded messages

Branded messages

Subject lines

Subject lines

Time limits

Time limits

Weblinks and previews

Weblinks and previews

When to use MMS instead of SMS?

Pros and cons of MMS compared to SMS

How can MMS and SMS work together?

Tips for using MMS with SMS

Test on different devices

Test on different devices

Keep MMS messages up to 150KB

Keep MMS messages up to 150KB

Use SMIL format to mitigate throttling

Use SMIL format to mitigate throttling

Use sender names

Use sender names

Mind customer payment plans

Mind customer payment plans

Use reporting to guide strategy

Use reporting to guide strategy

FAQs about MMS

Continue reading our MMS guide

^{Currently reading:}Introduction to MMS for marketing

^{Read chapter 2:}
MMS marketing examples & tips

^{Read chapter 3:}
How to choose an MMS provider

The complete guide to MMS marketing for businesses

2.2 trillion

What is MMS and why use it for marketing?

Key features of MMS

When to use MMS instead of SMS?

Pros and cons of MMS compared to SMS

How can MMS and SMS work together?

Tips for using MMS with SMS

FAQs about MMS

Continue reading our MMS guide

Currently reading:Introduction to MMS for marketing

Read chapter 2: MMS marketing examples & tips

Read chapter 3:How to choose an MMS provider

^{Currently reading:}Introduction to MMS for marketing

^{Read chapter 2:}
MMS marketing examples & tips

^{Read chapter 3:}
How to choose an MMS provider