Drive e-Commerce Revenue Through MMS Marketing with This Guide

Texting is quick, accessible, and effective. A simple line of text can send subscribers to an online store in seconds while aiding support and saving employee time and energy. Still, one may desire a more spectacular and visual communication medium.

Enter MMS. With MMS, businesses can send subscribers pictures, gifs, and even videos. Senders can employ all sorts of creative ways to increase engagement, entice customers, and generate leads. In this article, we’ll discuss how e-commerce companies can use MMS marketing.

How is Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) Different from SMS?

While SMS and MMS both occur on cell phones, they have different functionalities.

Short messaging service (SMS) is text-only messaging, although it allows some emojis. Invented in 1992, it supports 160 character segments. Texts with more than 160 characters will be divvied up. They’ll appear may appear to be two messages on the user end (depending on their operating system) and cost the sender the same as two texts.

MMS was introduced a decade after SMS. It supports several media formats like gifs, pictures, videos, and even audio files. It also allows texts up to 1,600 characters. Due to the larger data cost, it’s more efficient for carriers to use SMS for text messages.

On just about every texting platform, MMS costs a little more. However, the benefits of visual engagement can’t be overstated. To use social media as an example, Facebook posts with pictures get 37% more engagement on average. Tweets with images attached get 35% more retweets. LinkedIn posts containing images get about twice as much engagement.

Businesses can use MMS to leverage the engagement power of visual media. This engagement, combined with the high and fast open rate of texting, ensures a uniquely effective way to converse with customers.

MMS Formats and File Types and When to Use Them

MMS is capable of sending a variety of file types. They have their benefits and drawbacks. Note that MMS messages have a maximum size of 500kb (600 in the US and Canada).

Images

The standard for MMS, pictures are efficient and effective. Their relatively small file size allows most recipients to read them. Pictures don’t require a lot of time to view; subscribers are subsequently likely to check them out. Furthermore, pictures are quick to make, so they can be easily tailored for a campaign. 

Read our MMS Image Size Guide for more information on picture sizing.

Gifs

Whether you pronounce them “gifs” (the right way) or “jifs”, a moving image adds some playful charm to a message. Depending on the sender’s marketing goals, can be a good or a bad thing. A well-made and relevant gif can zest up a text, while they may also appear unprofessional. We advise using gifs with purpose and deliberation.

You can make your own or use pre-made gifs like those on the gif keyboard.

Videos

Sending videos via MMS can be tricky due to the tight size constraints. 500 or 600kb isn’t feasible for most videos. They’ll have to be a few seconds long at a slow speed. It may be easier to send a link or use a gif.

4 Ways E-commerce Can Use MMS Messages

Making the most of MMS marketing takes a little creativity and planning. Once you find an effective strategy, however, the benefits can be vast. Here are a few ways companies are leveraging MMS.

1. Discount Codes

While many companies use discount codes, incorporating them in an image gives them an edge. Doing so adds flair and excitement, keeping the recipient engaged. It also grants subscribers an exclusive benefit that can’t be found with online coupon aggregators. You can tie these into double opt-ins to reward new subscribers or alongside product announcements. The sky’s the limit.

2. QR Codes

Quick-response codes are a superb and enticing way to send links. They’re enigmatic and mysterious, presenting an opportunity for the viewer to learn more. Announce an unexpected update, release an unusual product, or offer a unique experience. Use your imagination. 

3. Engaging Ads

As we discussed earlier, visual media tends to be more engaging than textual media. The same applies to text message marketing. Ads with a visual component attract attention; you should use this advantage when conducting campaigns.

Have a fancy new product you want to push? Show it off with MMS. You can even add some text to convey its more desirable features. Some sales announcements benefit highly from an image explaining discounts.

4. Elevate Support

E-commerce can utilize MMS to provide more effective support. This is especially true if customers have technical questions. Combine MMS with two-way texting and autoresponders to conveniently and straightforwardly help prospective and current customers. Doing so will ensure high reviews and long-lasting relationships.

For example, say a customer has questions about how to install software they bought. Using MMS, you can create gifs or images as a tutorial to solve queries. There are many ways to use MMS to help customers. 

How E-commerce Stores Can Send MMS

Sakari is the best way to send MMS. With integrations and other features, businesses can conduct exceptionally effective and accessible texting campaigns. Senders can even automate MMS with autoresponders.

For an in-depth demonstration of Sakari, book a demo today. We’d love to show you what our platform can do.

With the Sakari App

Sending MMS with Sakari is easy. It’s well-integrated with SMS and even works with the mobile app.

To send an MMS, use Sakari like you’re sending an SMS. At the bottom of the text box (where you write the message) will be an upload button. There, you can attach a file.

Note that Sakari only supports MMS in the United States and Canada. If you want to send MMS to subscribers outside those countries, you can turn on the “universal MMS” option to convert it to a clickable link.

With Integrations

Sakari can be integrated with a plethora of software platforms.

On HubSpot, you can send MMS with Sakari from the contact, deal, and ticket view, as well as through Workflows. Read the MMS HubSpot guide for a detailed tutorial.

Pipedrive users can follow this MMS Pipedrive guide to send images. They’ll have to ensure the picture is on a publicly visible URL.

Those using ActiveCampaign can follow the steps in this MMS ActiveCampaign guide for guidance.

Discover the Magic of MMS Marketing

Sakari is the best A2P software to engage in MMS marketing with customers and leads. Our versatile platform is well-suited for every organization, be they small businesses or large enterprises. In addition to MMS marketing, you can take advantage of two-way texting, autoresponders, and more.

Want to see for yourself? Strat a free trial now! No credit card required.