MMS Marketing Basics: Make the Most of Multimedia Messages

There’s no denying it—text messages are now a non-negotiable part of the marketing world. If you don’t incorporate texts into your business or organization’s marketing strategy, you risk missing out on vital opportunities for connection. 

However, there are all kinds of different messages and confusing acronyms to navigate. How do you know which types of texts to send?

In this guide, we’ll break down one type of text message you have to know about: MMS, which stands for multimedia messaging service. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is MMS Marketing?
• Benefits of MMS Text Marketing
• 7 MMS Marketing Examples & Use Cases
• MMS Marketing Best Practices
• Choosing an MMS Text Marketing App

The ability to send photos, videos, and other compelling visuals will transform your organization’s texting strategy. Read on to find out how.

What is MMS Marketing?

MMS (multimedia message service) marketing is a type of text marketing in which you send photos, videos, GIFs, audio, or other multimedia content over text. 

These elements add depth to your messages and expand your organization’s texting capabilities. Rather than limiting your team to text-only messages, you can send much larger file sizes to incorporate a wide variety of marketing collateral and strategies.

SMS vs. MMS Marketing

So, what’s the difference between MMS and SMS (short message service) marketing? They’re very similar, but MMS means you send more types of media through a texting service. Let’s break down the core differences:

• SMS messages only allow you to send plain text content. This is your standard text message—a few sentences of text, which carriers sometimes limit to 160 characters. You can send emojis and links to web pages through SMS, but no visuals. These messages tend to have strong deliverability and remain relatively low-cost.
• MMS messages support images, videos, GIFs, PDFs, and more. If you want to send any type of visual or attachment, you need to use MMS marketing. MMS allows for larger file sizes and longer character counts (up to 5,000, depending on the carrier), but it also costs more because it uses more data. The size limitations on MMS messages vary by carrier and device, meaning you may run into deliverability issues with large files. Additionally, you can typically only send GIFs in one-to-one messages (not bulk). 

For a more simplified version of these differences, check out this basic comparison chart:

Both types of messages should have a place in your text marketing strategy. Often, you’ll incorporate both MMS and SMS texts into the same campaign or customer journey to serve different goals. As long as you use the right text messaging solution, you can send both types of messages with ease.

Keep in mind that some platforms restrict the number of SMS and MMS messages you can send at one time. With Salesforce apps like Mogli, for example, you can only send 2,000 MMS messages at once without splitting them into batches of no more than 2,000 recipients each.

Benefits of MMS Text Marketing

The ability to send diverse types of media over text offers a few major advantages. With MMS, you can:

Boost engagement

Visuals naturally catch recipients’ attention and make them want to interact with your messages. According to recent research, “56% of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with text messages from a brand if they include GIFs, images, or emojis.” No matter what type of media you include in your MMS messages, recipients will be more invested in reading them and seeing what you have to say (or show!).

Just think about how you would feel on the receiving end. Which is more exciting: a few sentences about a new building that opened, or a 20-second video walk-through of the space?

Showcase your brand

The same study found that 32% of people say MMS makes them feel more connected to brands. Whether you work for a large company, a small business, or a nonprofit organization, you know the value of brand recall and loyalty. People who feel genuinely connected to your brand are more likely to continue supporting your organization and vouch for it to their peers.

Plus, it’s just easier to highlight your brand’s personality with visuals. You can share photos of new products, light-hearted animations, and fully branded announcements.

Communicate better and faster

We’re not sure if a picture really speaks a thousand words, but it’s true that they can communicate a lot of information quickly. Visuals make it easier to explain complex ideas, highlight important details, and express genuine feelings in just a split second.

For example, say you work for a higher education institution. Instead of hoping prospective students read your full message and see the application deadline, send them a standout graphic that reads “2/28 - last day to apply!” in big, block letters.

7 MMS Marketing Examples & Use Cases

Now that you know why marketers use MMS, let’s look at some of the many ways you might leverage MMS marketing for your organization.

Product Sales and Deals

Highlighting product and service deals is probably the first use case that comes to mind when you think of MMS. After all, nothing stands out in a text message like a big “40% off” graphic. 

Send branded graphics, short announcement videos, or celebratory animations over text to promote your sales. Don’t forget to include real photos of your discounted products, too—44% of customers say that product images are the most engaging types of content you can send.

Welcome Messages

Whether you’re saying hello to brand-new text subscribers, first-time customers, or newly admitted students, a welcome message can go a long way. Show recipients the warm community they’ve just joined by sharing a custom welcome graphic or video.

Customer Support

Marketing isn’t just about getting people in the door; it’s also about keeping customers interested in your business long-term. The customer support experience can make or break someone’s trust in your business, so why not leverage MMS to improve those interactions, too?

Take our example above. In this chat, a car dealership representative is helping a customer explore car color options. The customer wants a specific shade of blue, but doesn’t know if the dealership has the right SUV available. By sending a photo of the exact car the dealership has, the customer gets their question clearly answered in no time.

Event Invitations

Share digital flyers or promo videos to add excitement to your organization’s text invitations. Then, in the plain text part of your message, include a link to your event registration page so recipients can take immediate action.

Donor Engagement

For universities and nonprofits, donor engagement is vital. Text alone often isn’t enough to inspire donations, especially when you’re making urgent appeals. Just think about how much better you could connect with donors through a photo that visualizes your cause or makes it clear why you need donations now. 

Get creative with your MMS content when reaching out to donors. For example, you might send a fundraising thermometer graphic on GivingTuesday to quickly communicate how close you are to your goal.

Holiday Messages

Everybody likes a holiday greeting card, and you can easily send them over text with MMS marketing. Our example above includes a holiday thank-you video from a wildlife nonprofit, but you might also share photos of your store decorated for the holidays, team holiday greetings, or anything else that feels festive!

Appointment Reminders

Text messaging is the perfect channel for reminders, since texts cut right through the noise and are often read immediately. Make your reminder messages stand out even more by sharing visuals. This could be as simple as attaching a calendar graphic when you text about appointments—any multimedia content will catch your recipient’s eye.

MMS Marketing Best Practices

No matter how you use MMS marketing to support your organizational goals, follow these best practices to create more impactful messages.

Follow A2P Texting Laws

Application-to-person (A2P) text messages are any texts sent from a business, organization, or other entity to consumers using a texting application or service, and these types of messages are heavily regulated. Specifically, you need to understand and comply with a few vital text opt-in laws:

• The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires written opt-in consent from every recipient before you send text messages.
• The CAN-SPAM Act requires companies to identify text messages as advertisements and honor any requests to opt out of receiving texts.
• Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) guidelines promote voluntary SMS and MMS marketing best practices you should follow.
• The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides additional data protection regulations for California residents.

All of these regulations apply to both SMS and MMS marketing, so it’s critical to stay compliant. Fortunately, the right partner will make this easy for you. 

If you use Mogli, for instance, you’ll be backed by a team of mobile engagement experts who stay up-to-date on laws and carrier requirements so you don’t have to. We make it easy for you to manage opt-ins and stay compliant, no matter what kind of messages you send.

Consider Your Audience

Like any marketing strategy, MMS marketing works best when you have a thorough understanding of your audience’s interests and preferences. Evaluate your target audience each time you create a new MMS message or campaign, and take note of the strategies that don’t see strong results. If you send too many holiday messages that cause subscribers to opt out, for example, you should update your approach for next year.

For the best results, segment your MMS contact list into smaller groups with distinct characteristics. Effective segmentation helps you send more relevant, personalized messages that inspire audience members to engage with your messages, not opt out.

Optimize Image Sizes

Even though MMS marketing allows you to send larger file sizes and longer messages, don’t go overboard. Not every carrier has the same size restrictions, and overly large files can cause slower load times anyway. Use tools like TinyPNG and other image compressors to keep file sizes as small as possible without compromising quality.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for what file sizes to shoot for, but try to keep them under 300 KB in general. For videos, shoot for short clips of 15-30 seconds.

Choosing an MMS Text Marketing App

To send MMS messages at scale, you need a text marketing solution that supports both plain text and multimedia texting. Choose a quality texting app that integrates with your CRM so you can:

• Easily send MMS messages straight from your CRM. 
• Add text opt-in statuses to your existing contacts.
• Automate opt-ins and opt-out management.
• Segment your contact list for more personal messages.
• Pull data from contact profiles into MMS texts.
• Set up automated message campaigns and triggers.
• View and analyze MMS campaign results.

Not every texting app has the same features, so clarify your organization’s priorities and evaluate different options accordingly. Check out providers’ websites, browse reviews, and get live demos to find the right solution. Double-check that any options you consider integrate with your CRM!

If you use Salesforce, Mogli should be your go-to texting app. Our solution is built on and built for Salesforce, meaning it integrates seamlessly with your existing system and is incredibly easy to use. You get to use the same Salesforce functionalities you know and love, so there’s no learning curve required. Mogli includes all of the above features, plus WhatsApp messaging, surveys, scheduling tools, and more.

Getting Started with MMS

Once you have the right tools in place, you can start texting photos, videos, and more. As you develop your strategy and experiment with different content types, remember to check your engagement metrics regularly. Find out what kind of texts your audience likes most, and go from there!

Want more insight into the world of mobile engagement before you dive in? Check out these additional resources from our team:

• How to Create a Winning SMS Marketing Strategy: Full Guide. Now that you know the basics, it’s time to form a strategy. Follow the steps in this guide to get started.
• Top SMS Marketing Platforms for Salesforce: Reviewed. Need help choosing the right texting solution? We’ve reviewed the best options for tools that integrate with Salesforce here.
• SMS Opt-In and Out Guide: Navigating U.S. Texting Laws. Remember that A2P texts are regulated! Dive deeper into the laws and regulations surrounding MMS marketing to ensure you’re up to speed.