Text messaging, or SMS (short messaging service), is a powerful tool to leverage in marketing campaigns thanks to its ubiquity, simplicity, and high open rates. However, with the increasing demand for more visual and dynamic content, MMS (multimedia messaging service) can be an impactful way to build on the success of your existing campaigns.

While SMS marketing is an excellent tool for engaging your audience, MMS adds an additional layer of storytelling and personalization through powerful visual media. If you’re considering how to revamp your messaging campaigns, this post will give you some ideas on how upgrading with MMS can improve your results.

The Advantages of MMS

Adding MMS to your marketing strategy can transform your campaigns, making them more engaging and impactful than SMS alone. By leveraging multimedia content, you can capture your audience’s attention, convey your brand’s message visually, and drive better results.

Rich Media Content

SMS is text-only. Meanwhile, MMS allows you to send images, videos, audio clips, GIFs, and even PDFs. This multimedia capability means you can create more engaging and visually appealing messages. This can be used to send your customers a video of your new product in action, a high-quality image of a sale item, or a colorful, attention-grabbing coupon.

High Engagement Rates

Text messages have an impressive open rate of around 98%, with most being read within minutes of receipt. This far surpasses the open rates of emails, which hover around 20-30%. This means that messages are more likely to be seen and acted upon, making messaging an effective tool for marketing, notifications, and customer service.

Because everyone has to opt-in, these customers want to hear from you. Your goal at this point is to get them to act. MMS can build up your engagement rates, as recipients are more likely to interact with messages containing visuals, resulting in a 20% higher campaign opt in-rate than SMS alone and a 15% click-through rate!

Information Density

MMS expands what you can communicate in a single message with longer character limits and room for multimedia content. A picture is worth a thousand words, and additionally, MMS allows for a limit of 1600 characters – a significant increase from the 160 character limit of SMS that can result in segmentation charges.

Enhanced Brand Image

Using MMS for marketing can enhance your brand image by showcasing your products and services in a more professional and polished manner than text alone. High-quality visuals and engaging multimedia content reflect positively on your brand and tell a specific story by allowing you to convey a specific mood or feeling.

Top Use Cases for MMS Marketing

Deliver promotions that drive conversions, share detailed product visuals, and tell your brand story more vividly. MMS can make all the difference in capturing your audience’s interest and driving business growth.

Tutorials and Demos

Videos are a helpful tool for showing your products in use. This can help customers understand the value and functionality of your offerings better than text descriptions with strict character limits. Share instructional videos or step-by-step image guides to help customers use your products more effectively or to troubleshoot.

Product Launches and Announcements

By incorporating multimedia elements, you can create buzz and excitement around new product launches or significant announcements. You can use MMS to send a teaser video highlighting key features or animated images showcasing the product in action. High-quality images, demo videos, or 360-degree views of the new product can help to build anticipation.

Interactive Contests

MMS is an excellent platform for running interactive contests, promotions, and giveaways. MMS allows you to send detailed instructions, eye-catching graphics, and entry links directly to your customers’ phones to increase engagement.

Loyalty Rewards and Exclusive VIP Offers

Loyalty programs thrive on engagement, and MMS is the ideal tool to make sure your VIP customers don’t miss any deals. By sending multimedia messages that highlight available rewards, special offers, or exclusive content, it’s easy to keep loyalty program members engaged and feeling valued.

Sales and Limited-Time Offers

MMS is perfect for creating urgency and excitement around flash sales, seasonal promotions, and limited-time offers. By sending eye-catching images, you can instantly grab your customers’ attention. Vibrant images, countdown timers, or holiday deals encourage customers to act fast before the sale ends.

Rules and Regulations for MMS Marketing

While MMS marketing offers many advantages, there are rules and regulations governing this channel to avoid legal issues and spam. Whether you’re choosing to send messages using local 10DLC numbers or short codes, you must obtain consent to contact your customers, and allow your audience to opt out.

Options for Obtaining Consent

Before sending MMS messages, ensure you have obtained explicit consent from your customers. This can be achieved through opt-in forms where customers agree to receive promotional messages or by texting a designated number. You can obtain consent through several methods:

• Text messages allow a subscriber to opt-in by asking them to text back “SUBSCRIBE” or a similar keyword.

• Physical signage in a brick-and-mortar store or at an event can give a customer instructions for texting “SUBSCRIBE” to a specific phone number.

• Forms at checkouts, account signups, or other relevant places allow customers to opt-in directly from your website.

Provide Help and Opt-Out Options

Always provide an easy and clear way for recipients to opt out of receiving future messages. This can be done by including a simple “STOP” message response option. They should have a way of contacting you, which can be done with a “HELP” message or similar.

Content Compliance

Ensure that the content of your MMS messages complies with all relevant advertising standards and regulations. Avoid misleading or deceptive content, and make sure all claims can be substantiated. Refrain from including any inappropriate or offensive material.

Cost and Expectations

If there could be an additional cost to the text messaging service, you must let your subscribers know. If a link opens a browser that could require cellular data, a simple “msg and data rates may apply” will inform them.

Additional Tips and Tricks for MMS Marketing

Avoid Stock Images

Visuals should be rich and engaging. If a picture is too generic, it might not do the trick in grabbing someone’s attention, even with the power of SMS behind it. Use your products and brand imagery to create colorful visuals or specific moods.

Offer Perks for Subscribing

An immediate reward for subscribing, such as a discount or sample, could help convince a customer to opt-in at checkout.

Don’t Send Too Much

Be mindful of the frequency and timing of your messages. Avoid bombarding customers with too many messages, as this can lead to frustration and increased opt-out rates. Consider the timing of your messages to avoid sending them at inconvenient hours.

Using SignalWire for MMS

MMS marketing offers a powerful channel to drive sales and promotions. By incorporating rich media, you can create engaging, personalized, and memorable campaigns that capture your customers’ attention and motivate them to take action. Choosing SignalWire as your messaging partner will get you:

Exceptional Customer Support

At SignalWire, we pride ourselves on our exceptional customer support. Our team of experts is always available to assist you, whether you have technical questions or need help optimizing your messaging strategy. We are committed to your success and will go above and beyond to ensure you get the most out of our platform.

Our team members are highly knowledgeable about industry regulations, ensuring that your messaging campaigns are compliant. Campaigns are registered quickly and efficiently, allowing you to focus on connecting with your audience.

Security and Compliance

We understand the importance of security and compliance in messaging. SignalWire adheres to the highest standards of data protection, ensuring your messages and customer information are secure. Our platform complies with all relevant regulations, giving you peace of mind and helping you maintain trust with your audience.

Scalability to Meet Your Growing Needs

SignalWire is designed to scale with your business. As your messaging needs grow, our platform can handle increased volume without compromising performance. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, SignalWire provides the scalability and flexibility to support your growth.

Ready to start building your MMS campaign? Get started with SignalWire by signing up for free, exploring our developer documentation, and joining our Slack community!