MMS Messaging for Marketers: The Easy Guide to Everything You Need to Know
Let’s face it — reaching your target audience has become increasingly difficult. Building and deploying a multi-channel advertising campaign is too expensive, pay-per-click programs never work, emails get missed, and social media messages fall on deaf ears. You’ve searched high and low for the right marketing channel for your business or organization and have come up short each and every time.
Introduction
What if we told you that there’s a marketing tool that actually works and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? The most successful businesses have been using this special tool for years. In that time, these businesses have inspired more engaging, personalized, and results-driven marketing communications with prospects and customers.
So, what’s the secret?
The Ultimate MMS Messaging Guide for Marketers
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is an affordable and engaging way to reach more customers in less time. Most people are familiar with plain text SMS messages, but MMS messages allow for a fuller audience experience. Here’s how:
- MMS messaging allows users to send images, audio, and visual files.
- MMS files can be images, audio or visual files taken on a mobile phone, uploaded to a computer or stored on other internet-ready devices.
- MMS messages can contain up to 500kb of data or enough for a 30-second video.
From helpful reminders to emergency notifications, there are hundreds of potential use cases for MMS messaging. In fact, 30% of surveyed customers use MMS reminders, 27% use MMS for promotions, and another 18% use MMS for alerts. Moreover, those who put MMS messaging to use saw an average 30% improvement in customer engagement.
Finding the right MMS messaging partner for your business or organization is a critical component of any successful text marketing campaign. In minutes, we can help you send your very first image, audio, or video file via MMS.
Grow Your SMS Marketing Capabilities
MMS Messaging: How to Send Your First Message
Step #1: Advertise Keyword and Short Code:
The first step towards building a high-powered MMS messaging campaign is to advertise your Keyword and short code. A Keyword is a unique word or phrase that prospects and customers use to communicate with your business or organization via text message. A short code is a five or six digit number recipients send the Keyword to in order to take advantage of special promotions, sales coupons, appointment reminders, and more.There are three types of short codes including:
- Shared Short Codes: This type of short code is shared by multiple clients of the same MMS messaging provider. A shared short code is ideal for small to medium-size businesses with limited marketing budgets.
- Dedicated Short Codes: This type of short code is used by a single business or organization. A dedicated short code gives large enterprises or marketing agencies the ability to secure an exclusive number and any Keyword.
- Vanity Short Codes: This type of short code can be fully customized by the owner. For example, a pizza restaurant could secure 74922 or “pizza” on a numerical keypad. Starting at $1,000 per month to lease, this is the most expensive type of short code.
As a best practice, consider adding your Keyword and short code to high-traffic areas of your website, social media, and other digital platforms. Additionally, try adding your Keyword and short code to in-store signage and printed receipts. A good online and offline Keyword and short code promotion strategy is key for driving prospects and customers to your MMS messaging program.
In addition to providing a powerful shared short code, EZ Texting has experience securing both dedicated and vanity short codes. To find out more, contact our customer support team. We’ll help you find a short code that works best for your unique needs.
Step #2: Segment Text Marketing Contacts:
Next, organize text marketing contacts within the customer database. The most successful businesses and organizations know that audience segmentation contributes to more personalized and engaging MMS messages. Most MMS providers automatically segment recipients by the opt-in source. However, many businesses and organizations pursue additional segmentation based on persona, purchase history, Keyword, and more. Organizing your text marketing contacts will help you:- Develop promotions, offers, and coupons that appeal to one specific audience
- Send messages at the time of day that works best for a specific audience
- Send information that a specific audience finds most valuable
- Create a call-to-action that aligns with a specific audiences’ pain points
Step #3: Deploy MMS Message:
Next, build and deploy your MMS message. Most MMS providers make it simple and easy to attach imagery, audio or visual files to the MMS. Additionally, many MMS partners allow users to incorporate personalization tokens, hyperlinks, calls-to-action, and more. Many of these MMS messaging elements help businesses and organizations to craft more engaging messages.
We’ll share some more components of highly successful MMS messaging campaigns further down — keep reading to learn more!
Step #4: Analyze Results:
Lastly, analyze MMS messaging results. Most MMS providers offer an easy-to-use analytics dashboard. Therein, businesses and organizations can easily track open rate, opt-outs, conversions, and more. A deeper understanding of MMS messaging performance allows users to craft personalized and targeted messaging. Use the key insights to determine the types of MMS messages that your target audience finds most valuable. Data gives businesses and organizations the firepower to build and deploy powerful MMS messages to prospects and customers.
Our tracking and reporting features allow you to gather valuable information and develop a deeper understanding of your target audience. Find spikes in engagement, monitor results, analyze, refine, repeat and profit — it’s that easy!
Highly Successful MMS Messaging Campaigns
Building a high-performing MMS messaging campaign requires expert implementation and management. The best MMS messaging campaigns are:
Timely: MMS messaging campaigns should be timely and relevant. There’s nothing worse than receiving an MMS promotion a week after the sale has already ended. Leading up to the sales event, sprinkle in a few MMS messages and after the event has launched, be sure to send daily or weekly sales reminders.
Actionable: MMS messaging campaigns should be actionable. Try to incorporate distinct and easy-to-access calls-to-action. Every MMS message should point recipients to the next step, whether that be visiting a website, completing a survey, etc.
Personalized: MMS messaging campaigns should be personalized. Remember to add personalization tokens to your MMS messages. Addressing recipients by their first and last name is a simple and easy way to make prospects and customers feel valued.
Well-Designed: MMS messaging campaigns should be well-designed. A captivating MMS message features colorful imagery, clear audio, customized overlays, and more. Think about it this way — which MMS message are you more likely to act upon, one that’s professionally designed or one that uses clip art and blurry images? The choice is obvious.
MMS Messaging Example
EZ Texting has worked with over 50,000 clients. In that time, we’ve seen our fair share of high-impact MMS messaging campaigns. The best MMS example that we’ve seen in a while was a campaign delivered by Situation, a digital-first marketing agency based in New York.
The group used MMS to promote the new Broadway musical, MEAN GIRLS. During BroadwayCon, a three-day expo where fans had an opportunity to interact with their favorite Broadway stars, Situation transformed the restrooms into a scene straight from the musical. Instead of scribbling the latest gossip onto the bathroom walls, Situation told visitors to text ‘FETCH’ to 797979. The campaign became a viral hit!
MMS Messaging Templates
Get Started With MMS Messaging
Start your MMS messaging journey with EZ Texting. We’ve worked with more than 50,000 global clients including retail businesses, faith-based organizations, food and hospitality corporations, fitness centers, real estate organizations, nonprofits, and more. We can’t promise to be the right fit for every business or organization, but we can promise to make MMS messaging simple and easy to understand. In just a few short minutes, we’ll help you upload your text marketing contacts, build a powerful MMS message, and send!
“We reach hundreds of customers and keep them up-to-date on education opportunities, promotions, new product launches, and more. The software works perfectly and we appreciate their excellent customer service.” - Bob Cazet, Alumni Football USA
“We specifically use EZ Texting for employee communications, emergency notifications, weather alerts, reminders, and more. I would recommend EZ Texting for the cost-effectiveness and ease of use.” - Steve Brownlee, Professional Salon Concepts
“We contact volunteers by text alerting them to time-sensitive volunteer opportunities. It’s affordable and easy to use.” - Sarah Nejdl, Families to Freedom
