MMS Marketing

If you've ever sent a photo through your phone's messaging app, you've used MMS. While regular text messages have their place, MMS supports rich media content that grabs attention and drives engagement in ways that plain text can't match.

The difference between a text message and an MMS message can have a big impact on how your audience responds. A text-only sale announcement might be easy for some to ignore, but a message with a product photo or promotional video is much harder to scroll past.

MMS opens up creative possibilities for brands that standard text messages can't deliver. You can show products in action, share event photos, deliver scannable coupons, or tell visual stories that connect with your audience.

Keep reading to learn how MMS works, when to use it, and how to make it part of your mobile marketing strategy.

What is MMS (multimedia messaging service)

MMS is a messaging technology that supports multimedia content like images, video clips, audio files, and extended text beyond the typical SMS character limit.

While regular SMS (short message service) is limited to 160 characters of plain text, MMS can handle much larger messages and multiple types of media in a single send.

The key difference between MMS and plain SMS is what you can include. SMS is text-only with strict length restrictions. MMS lets you attach photos, videos, GIFs, audio clips, and longer text content, making it the better choice when you need to communicate visually or share more detailed information.

MMS is a carrier-based messaging standard built on existing cellular networks. It's been around since the early 2000s and has become a standard feature on virtually all modern smartphones.

How MMS works

When you send an MMS message, it's uploaded to a multimedia messaging center, which acts as a storage and relay point within your carrier's network. The receiving carrier then retrieves the message from this center and delivers it to the recipient's device.

MMS messages are sent over cellular networks using data connections to handle the larger file sizes. If the recipient can't receive MMS (due to device limitations or carrier restrictions), they might get a link to view the content online instead.

This differs from SMS delivery, which is simpler and faster. SMS messages also use storage centers, but because they're just text, the process is much more streamlined. That's why SMS tends to be faster and more reliable, but also more limited in capability.

What is MMS marketing?

MMS marketing refers to the use of MMS messages to promote products, services, or brand content to opted-in recipients. Instead of relying solely on text, MMS marketing campaigns incorporate rich, engaging media that can capture attention and drive action more effectively than words alone.

Businesses often send these campaigns through an SMS short code, which is a dedicated phone number that makes it easy for customers to recognize and interact with your brand.

Like any text-based marketing, you need explicit permission from recipients. People must opt in to receive your messages, and text messaging laws require easy opt-out options. Once you have permission, MMS gives you a direct line to customers' phones with content that stands out from plain text messages.

MMS marketing creates a more immersive experience. You're not just telling people about a product –– you're showing it to them. MMS campaigns can lead to higher engagement rates and better campaign results than SMS alone.

Uses of MMS marketing in business

Businesses across industries use MMS marketing to connect with customers in ways that plain text can't match. Here are a few MMS marketing examples to show you how your business might use these messages:

• Promotional offers and sales announcements: Send marketing SMS campaigns with eye-catching product images and limited-time offer graphics that help customers see exactly what they're getting.
• Rich visual storytelling (images, videos, GIFs): Share behind-the-scenes videos, product demonstrations, or customer testimonials that build emotional connections and give audiences a better sense of your brand personality.
• Event invitations or reminders: Include event photos, venue images, or video teasers to make invitations more appealing and help SMS subscribers remember important details.
• Coupons and scannable codes: Deliver QR codes, barcodes, or coupon images that customers can show at checkout, making redemption simple and trackable.
• Educational and instructional content: Share how-to videos, product assembly instructions, or tutorial images directly to customers' phones for onboarding or post-purchase support.

Benefits of MMS marketing

MMS marketing offers several advantages over traditional text-based campaigns that can significantly impact your bottom line. Adding visual elements to your mobile messages makes them more effective at capturing attention and driving action.

The ability to show rather than just tell gives MMS a competitive edge in crowded mobile inboxes where every message is fighting for attention. Here are some of the key benefits of MMS marketing campaigns:

Higher customer engagement compared with plain text messaging

Visual and interactive content naturally grabs more attention than text alone. MMS messages tend to get opened and acted on more frequently than standard SMS messages because the multimedia elements give recipients a reason to stop and look.

More space for creative messaging and branding

MMS frees you from the constraints of the SMS character limit, letting you tell a more complete story. You can also reinforce your brand identity through visual elements like logos, brand colors, and styled graphics that aren't possible in text-only messages.

Improved click-through and response potential

When people can see what you're offering, they're more likely to take action. Product images, promotional graphics, and video content make it easier for recipients to understand your offer, often leading to higher conversion rates.

MMS vs. SMS marketing

Both SMS and MMS marketing have a place in mobile advertising strategies, and understanding the differences helps you choose the right approach for each campaign. MMS marketing differs from SMS in several important ways. Here are the key differences:

• Content capabilities: MMS supports images, videos, audio, and longer text, while SMS is limited to 160 characters of plain text.
• Engagement potential: MMS typically generates higher engagement rates because of its visual nature. SMS has its own advantages in simplicity and universal compatibility.
• Delivery speed: SMS messages usually deliver faster because they're smaller and simpler. MMS takes longer since messages need to be uploaded, stored, and retrieved.
• Cost per message: MMS messages typically cost more than SMS because of the data and infrastructure needed to support multimedia content.
• Device compatibility: SMS works on virtually all phones, including older models, while MMS requires smartphones with multimedia capabilities.
• Data usage: MMS uses mobile data networks to transmit content, while SMS uses cellular signalling channels without any data usage.

So, when should you choose SMS vs MMS? Here are the best use cases for each:

• Use MMS when: You're showcasing products, sharing visual content, promoting events with imagery, delivering coupons or codes, or sending promotional messages that benefit from rich media.
• Use SMS when: You're sending time-sensitive alerts, delivering simple reminders or confirmations, or communicating with audiences where MMS might not be reliably supported.

The MMS marketing cost is an important factor to consider. MMS messages cost more to send because of the larger file sizes and multimedia handling involved. Deliverability can also be slightly lower with MMS since some older devices or carrier plans may not fully support it, though most modern mobile devices handle MMS without issues.

https://mailchimp.com/solutions/sms-marketing-tools/## Best practices for MMS marketing

Getting results from your MMS marketing efforts takes more than simply adding images to your messages.

When sending MMS messages, you need to balance creativity with technical requirements, compliance with strategy, and engagement with respect for your audience's preferences. Follow these best practices to improve your MMS marketing performance:

Get explicit opt-in consent from your audience

This is a legal requirement under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Before sending marketing messages via MMS, you need clear permission from recipients.

Make sure your opt-in process is transparent about message types and frequency. SMS automation tools can help manage opt-ins and track consent over time.

Use high-quality visuals and concise, compelling copy

Your images and videos should look professional and load quickly on mobile devices. Pair your visuals with clear, concise copy. With MMS marketing, you have more room than with SMS, but that doesn't mean you should write lengthy messages.

Track performance metrics like engagement and conversions

Monitor how people interact with your MMS messages by tracking open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. This data will help you refine your approach and figure out which types of content resonate most with your audience.

Respect carrier rules and file size limits

Different carriers have different requirements for MMS messages, including maximum file sizes and supported formats. Stay within these limits to ensure proper delivery. Generally, keeping images under 300-500 KB and videos under 1 MB is safe.

Potential limitations and challenges

While MMS marketing offers significant advantages, there are some challenges to keep in mind:

• Higher cost per message than SMS: MMS messages cost more to send than plain text messages, which can add up quickly if you're reaching a large audience. You'll need to budget accordingly and make sure the improved engagement justifies the additional expense.
• File size and device compatibility constraints: Not all carriers and devices support the same file sizes or formats. You might need to create multiple versions of your media to ensure broad compatibility, or accept that some recipients may have a degraded experience with your content.
• User preference and opt-in management: Some people prefer simple text messages over multimedia content, especially if they're on limited data plans or have older devices. Make it easy for subscribers to manage their preferences and respect those who want to receive text-only communications.

Using multimedia messaging service to enhance mobile marketing

MMS marketing can help businesses stand out. By combining the immediacy and directness of text messaging with the engagement power of visual content, MMS helps you capture attention, communicate more effectively, and drive better results from your mobile campaigns.

Whether you're promoting products, building brand awareness, or staying connected with customers, MMS gives you creative options that go well beyond what plain text can achieve.

Mailchimp makes it easier to incorporate MMS and SMS campaigns into your marketing strategy with tools designed for businesses of all sizes.

From audience segmentation and message scheduling to compliance management and performance tracking, Mailchimp's MMS marketing software helps you execute mobile campaigns that connect with your customers right where they are — on their phones. Get started with MMS marketing today.