Did you know that MMS Texting has a 20% higher opt-in than SMS? But then again, it only has a 15% click-through rate.
MMS Texting has its advantages and disadvantages, which is why the long-term debate of MMS vs. SMS is still going on.
I’ll be discussing everything you need to know about MMS so that you can get a better idea if it’s worth incorporating into your strategy or not.
How it works
You’ll need advanced software to send out MMS messages on a large scale, which is why you need to be familiar with SMS platforms.
An SMS platform will allow you to organize your contacts, send out mass multimedia messages, incorporate advanced features and track the performance of your MMS campaign.
The process of getting started is simple:
- Find the MMS service that works for you
Take a look at pricing, features, and ease of use for different platforms so that you can better identify which platform works best for your business.
Check out this list of the best MMS platforms that you can use in 2020.
- Sign-up
Once you’ve finalized a platform, all you have to do is enter your basic details, upload/add your contact list, choose a pricing plan and you’re good to go!
- Conduct your SMS Campaign
Most platforms will provide you with help videos and guides to navigate you through the entire process.
You’ll be assigned a unique contact number as well as one or more keywords that your customers use to subscribe to your MMS Campaign.
If you require more details about your subscribers, you can go with platforms that have an online sign-up form so that you can customize it accordingly.
MMS vs. SMS
I’ll get straight to the point and list down everything so that you can compare:
Pros of MMS
- It contains visuals which attract 3x the attention as compared to text
- It’s powerful because you can pack so much information within a single picture, which also reduces the length of your message
- It’s more interactive, especially videos, which are one of the biggest marketing trends of 2020
- It’s more effective in creating brand awareness because you can send a picture of your logo which is easier for people to retain as compared to text
Cons of MMS
- Every phone in the world supports text, but not all phones support MMS
- MMS files are heavier so they take longer to send as systems require more time to process them
So I’d say the pros of MMS outweigh the cons, but let’s check out what SMS has to offer so that we can make a better comparison:
Pros of SMS
- SMS has a 98% open rate, which is higher than any other digital marketing channel
- It takes only 2-3 seconds for an SMS to send
- One text costs $0.02-0.03 on average, and the more texts you send out in bulk, the cheaper it gets
Cons of SMS
- SMS isn’t as engaging as MMS texting because it contains text only
- SMS are usually longer than MMS which can be an issue since there is a 320 character word limit
- It takes recipients longer to read an SMS as compared to MMS
There are a number of other advantages and disadvantages to both but I’ve only listed down the pros and cons that they both have against each other and not other channels so that you can better decipher which is more suited to your needs.
Plus, the disadvantages of SMS aren’t so concrete because marketers manage to keep texts short in order to ensure that readers remain engaged.
Plus, statistics back this up because it only takes 90 seconds to reply to a text right after a person receives them.
Uses of MMS
#1. QR codes
This is one of the best uses of MMS Texting and my personal favorite because it’s so convenient.
With SMS, you can use a hyperlink to access QR codes but MMS is simply more direct:
QR codes can be used for a number of purposes: event passes, discount coupons, identity verification and so much more.
Suppose you increase security at your firm due to a recent breach in your online system.
All you have to do is send authorized employees the QR code which they have to scan in order to access sensitive information.
On the other hand, suppose you’re hosting a corporate event and send out digital invites.
The people who receive an MMS can simply get their QR code scanned at the event entrance in order to go inside.
Not only does this save paper, time and resources but it also proves to be convenient for invitees because they don’t have to hold on to their passes.
Your phone is the one thing that you carry around with you everywhere, so why not utilize that?
You can create your own QR code online within minutes.
Check out QR Code Generator to make one for free and learn about privacy, terms and other relevant data.
#2. Coupons
Nearly 78% of consumers would like to have a conversation with businesses via text, primarily because the speed of communication is very important to them.
That means all your loyal customers want to get exclusive discount updates from you via text:
Incorporating a picture is much more engaging because the colors are more attractive.
Plus, you’ll notice your eye goes straight to the $5 off sign in the left picture and the 20% off sign in the right picture because that’s what the marketer wants you to focus on.
With visuals, you can experiment with fonts, logos, colors and text size so that you can manipulate the reader’s attention to the most tempting part of the offer, something that you can’t do as effectively with text.
#3. GIFs & Videos
Currently, video marketing has the highest ROI compared to any other marketing channel, and that’s exactly why more than 80% of marketers worldwide have incorporated it into their strategy.
With MMS, you can choose videos over text in order to engage users even more.
This will definitely improve your click-through rate, but you need to keep in mind that video files are heavier so it’s best to keep it as short as possible.
You could also use GIFs as an alternative:
Check out SMSBump for the live version of this GIF and you can also use this website for incorporating GIFs into your texts.
Another great thing about interactive content is that it’s not just limited to sending out discount coupons or offers.
Sometimes, the most effective marketing tactic is to entertain your viewers with whatever is trending.
You don’t necessarily have to talk about your business or anything related to it.
As long as your content is good enough to capture the attention of viewers, your business will automatically become the highlight of the marketing buzz around consumers.
It could be as simple as sending your subscribers holiday greetings or better yet, a funny meme that they can relate to!
If you send out content that your subscribers like, they’ll do the rest of the job for you and make it go viral.
With screen-recording features in smartphones, they can easily record your MMS and share it with friends and family, which is all you need to get your business trending.
#4. Redeeming offers
When you were younger you may have noticed different salespersons at grocery stores handing you and your parents coupons.
However, times have changed and these coupons are now sent digitally for obvious reasons: you can reach more people in less time, you save printing costs and it’s convenient for both parties.
You can use this for encouraging customers to purchase more items in-store, for example, if one of your store locations isn’t doing well you can simply send out an MMS with a discount offer and instruct customers to show it to the salesperson at the checkout counter to redeem it.
The discount acts as an incentive for customers to visit that particular store so that sales improve and companies can meet their overhead and direct costs.
Choosing the right platform
MMS has its disadvantages but there are platforms that allow you to overcome these.
For example, platforms like SlickText will compress MMS files and optimize images so that they load faster and consumers can view the best possible quality.
Plus, since some phones do not support MMS, SlickText’s software automatically converts these messages into SMS which means you won’t be losing the money that you spent on these customers.
You also need to ensure that you use a platform that provides good delivery rates, even if it is more expensive.
That is why it is extremely important to do your research and choose a platform that has advanced software because eventually, that is what will lead to maximum Return on Investment.
Pricing
I’ll be addressing a question that every marketer and business owner frets over when deciding between SMS and MMS. Is MMS more expensive?
Well, in generic terms, yes it is more expensive.
While one SMS costs an average of $0.02-0.04, picture messages can cost as high as $0.75.
However, as a business, you’ll be signing up with SMS platforms and services that provide you bulk pricing options so these prices aren’t applicable to you.
Some platforms absorb the extra cost of MMS and provide you with payment plans that are MMS texting enabled, meaning you don’t have to pay extra.
However, you’ll notice that these platforms are generally more expensive than for example, EZ Texting and ExpressText:
You’ll notice that the two pricing options cost almost the same, but Expresstext (on the right) offers 1000 extra text messages in its package.
However, as I said, some platforms may absorb the cost of MMS texting so the difference in the price of sending out a single text is minimal.
At the end of the day, you need to take it into account how many consumers you want to reach and how much you are willing to pay for that.
Then, you can make your decision accordingly.
Conclusion
MMS Texting is a great addition to any business’s marketing strategy because it turns texting into such an interactive platform, which is one of the major factors why it has survived as an effective marketing channel between social media and other channels.
I’ve listed the advantages, disadvantages and all other aspects of both MMS and SMS for you so that you can make a more well-informed decision based on the unique needs of your business because no two businesses are the same.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what will earn you the most ROI, but don’t follow your competitors. Incorporate things that work for you because that’s the only thing that will ensure you remain ahead of the competition.