Seeing Is Believing: Maximize Impact with MMS Picture and Video Messaging

“The more you tell, the more you sell.” So proclaimed David Ogilvy, one of the real-world inspirations for Mad Men, who revolutionized the world of advertising.

But wait, you say — “in a text blast, there’s only so much story to share, right?”

Not quite. Vividly bring your texts to life when you add heart, emotion, interest, and value via MMS messaging. This includes imagery, animated GIFs, video, promotional coupons, audio, and more.

Unlike the purely text-driven SMS (with its limitations of 160 characters or less), MMS opens up visual ways to communicate that resonate with subscribers at a far more impactful rate than text-only.

Connect Instantly, Emotionally, Directly

We relate to photos and images on the most basic, primitive level. After all, we’re visual creatures, and images speak louder than words alone. And there is both an art and a science to visual marketing. A few statistics to consider:

• 91% of buyers prefer visual and interactive content rather than traditional formats.
• 13 milliseconds: speed in which the human brain can process entire images.
• 60,000 times faster: The difference between how quickly our brains are estimated to process visual information over text alone.
• 250% engagement boost with MMS over SMS messaging.

Creativity May Not Be Automatic — But Delivering It Can Be

A 2017 study further revealed that visual content makes a noticeable impact on every major business goal, influencing lead generation and sales (71%), brand awareness (84%), website traffic (85%), and social media engagement (81%).

If those numbers sound good to you, you’re not alone. According to survey respondents, 80% leverage automation tools to boost visual content creation.

"It's undeniable that the need for visual content and tools to support its creation will continue to grow exponentially in the years ahead, yet there are so many ways to execute visual content creation that it's easy for companies to get lost,” said Zohar Dayan, co-founder and CEO of Wibbitz.

One of the keys to visual marketing, of course, is how you distribute it to your subscribers and customers. Tools like MMS messaging, which streamline the process of getting your message out to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible, are a best bet. You can also include a trackable link back to your website and monitor engagement.

Limitless Options with Visual Variety

While the English language offers over 170,000 words — if a picture is worth (at least) a thousand, you can just imagine the infinite possibilities you have to connect with an audience visually.

Visual content presents you with a virtual cornucopia of options to enhance your texts — from compelling photos, video, gifs, infographics, gifographics, memes, illustrations, visual quotes, and more.

MMS Video Content Leads the Charge

According to Zohar Dayan, “when it comes to visual content, video is king. It’s predicted that by 2021, video content will account for almost 82% of internet traffic, making it an ideal format for marketers to disperse a narrative to a desired audience.”

Naturally, MMS text messaging is the most efficient, seamless way to deliver your videos to subscribers, boosting overall engagement rates of up to 250% as compared to SMS-only texts — which already offer 6X the engagement of email.

Integrate multichannel campaigns... and you can also embed videos into your email campaigns and social media platforms. Best of all, you can invite customers to easily opt-in to your text subscriber list by promoting Keywords. Grow your audience by continuing to deliver a wide-array of value-driven content.

Personalize Your Branded Messaging

Just like customizing your texts (by addressing subscribers with their first names, locations, etcetera) will yield impressive results and boosts in engagement — personalizing your content elevates your messaging to a new realm.

Consider sending animated GIFs to add a playful dose of humor or emphasis to stir interest for what may be a major store sale or important open house. Perhaps a school or nonprofit could leverage a compelling visual image to generate extra buzz for a charitable bake sale or an important Text-to-Vote campaign.

"What sets you apart from anyone else is your own personality. To stand out as a go-to authority, lead with authenticity, have the confidence to truly be you in everything from your branding photos and marketing videos to social media," offers Sharon Haver, the founder of FocusOnStyle.com.