Title: The complete guide to MMS marketing

URL: https://www.infobip.com/guides/mms

MMS MARKETING GUIDE / CHAPTER 1

# The complete guide to MMS marketing for businesses

In a world of instant communication, dominated by digital channels, we’ve forgotten where it all started: mobile messaging. Discover what MMS marketing is and why it's still a staple channel for your marketing communication.

[ All chapters ](#chapters)

[ MMS vs SMS: differences explained ](/guides/mms/the-difference-between-mms-and-sms)

In the modern tech world, old often means obsolete. But you'd be surprised to learn that MMS is actually more relevant and engaging than you would expect. In North America, it's one of the most reliable ways for businesses to communicate in a rich and engaging manner.

In the United States, we’ve observed 19% more interactions on our platform in 2022 than in 2021. 

This guide is your single source of everything you need to know about MMS messaging and why it’s still a strong contender in the communication space. Also, you will learn how MMS can amp up your marketing strategy. 

Let's take a deep dive into all you need to know about MMS, starting with the basics.

## 2.2 trillion

MMS and SMS sent in 2020 in the US alone

## What is MMS?

Multimedia Messaging Service is a standard form of messaging available on all mobile phones. While SMS is text-only, MMS lets you send different kinds of media along with text. Instead of a plain message, you can include images, sounds and videos.

This allows you to create a fully customized, rich message specifically tailored to your communication needs. You can even choose different fonts and change the color of the text to emphasize certain words and improve engagement. 

## Key features of MMS for marketing communication

Let's uncover the features that make MMS stand out as more than just "SMS with pictures".

<tabs>
<tab label="Branded messages: MMS feature #1">
####### Branded messages

MMS lets you attach your brand name to every message. Instead of displaying just an ordinary phone number, your customers can see the name and logo of your brand which lets them know that the message is coming from a trusted source. The best part is there are no technical requirements on your side or the customer’s side.  
</tab>
<tab label="Subject lines: MMS feature #2">
####### Subject lines

We’ve all seen them in emails, but did you know that you can add subject lines to your MMS messages? They quickly grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of what to expect from the full text. A well-written, catchy subject line can even result in 12% higher open rates and 75% higher click-through rates.
</tab>
<tab label="Time limits: MMS feature #3">
####### Time limits

With MMS, you can place expiry dates on your messages which is essentially an auto-destruct feature. When you give your customers a sense of urgency, they are more likely to engage with your campaign because they know that time is running out.  
</tab>
<tab label="Weblinks and previews: MMS feature #4">
####### Weblinks and previews

Sending links via SMS is nothing new, but an MMS with great visuals makes the links more clickable. The accompanying image or video thumbnail creates a more appealing message which increases engagement between your customers and your brand.
</tab>
</tabs>

## How to use MMS for marketing

MMS marketing enables you to use rich media for launching eye-catching campaigns straight to your customers' inboxes.

You can include multimedia and rich communication elements like images, links, and videos to increase engagement, visibility and yield higher conversions with their marketing efforts. Think of it as a level up from SMS marketing messages.

[ See MMS marketing examples ](/guides/mms/examples)

## Tips for your MMS marketing strategy

To make sure you're building a fool-proof MMS marketing strategy, take a look at some tips that can help you get there.

<tabs>
<tab label="Test: MMS marketing tip #1">
####### Test on different devices

With MMS messages that include carefully crafted creatives and CTAs you might find that the recipient doesn’t see exactly what you intended. This is because the same message may appear differently on different handsets and even on different OS versions on the same handset.

Some people will still have old non-smart phones that don’t support MMS. It is best to test using a range of devices and OS versions so that you can get it just right.

 
</tab>
<tab label="Size: MMS marketing tip #2">
####### Keep MMS messages up to 150KB

As we have mentioned before, 300KB is often mentioned as an upper size limit for MMS messages. Practically, if you are sending a lot of messages and you want to get the optimum delivery rates, then the limit will be far lower than this.

Through experience we have found that 150KB is a good balance between ensuring deliverability and being able to include the rich media that makes MMS messages so compelling.
</tab>
<tab label="Throttling: MMS marketing tip #3">
####### Use SMIL format to mitigate throttling

Service providers handle hundreds of millions of both SMS and MMS messages through their infrastructure every day. At times of peak usage, they will use throttling to manage the flow of messages through their network so that hardware limits are not reached.

This can cause a delay to some messages being delivered, or when you are sending a set of messages in a particular order, it may mean that the messages are actually delivered to recipients in the wrong order.

You can mitigate this with MMS by using SMIL Format to ensure that messages are received by users in the correct order. You can also use it to make sure that images and associated text are displayed in the required order within the messages.
</tab>
<tab label="Sender name: MMS marketing tip #4">
####### Use sender names

Recipients don’t react well to messages from unknown numbers. They are unlikely to have your number stored in their phone so with SMS and MMS messages use the option to include sender name so that the person will recognize that the message is from a trusted brand.

Sender name is slightly different to alphanumeric sender IDs as it can be used in two-way conversations whereas alphanumeric sender IDs are used to send messages that can’t be replied to.
</tab>
<tab label="Payment: MMS marketing tip #5">
####### Mind customer payment plans

Be aware that your customers will have a range of mobile plans, and some may not cover MMS. Some people may actually have to pay to receive an MMS message from you, so SMS becomes a great alternative to send your customers messages and avoid any unexpected charges.
</tab>
<tab label="Reporting: MMS marketing tip #6">
####### Use reporting to guide strategy

With both MMS and SMS you can create in-depth reports to track key stats and optimize your campaigns, including:

- Total Messages Sent
- Delivery Rate: (Delivered Messages / Total Messages Sent) \* 100%
- Unique Click-Through Rate: (Unique Clicks / Delivered) \* 100%
- Conversion Rate: (Converted / Delivered Links) \* 100
- Revenue Per Message: Total Revenue / Total Messages Delivered
</tab>
</tabs>

## FAQs about MMS

Still have questions about MMS messaging? Read on for frequently asked questions about this messaging channel.

<accordion>
<accordion-item title="Can anyone receive MMS messages?">
While all smartphones can receive MMS messages today, not everyone has MMS enabled as part of their cellular plan or in their phone’s settings. Receiving MMS also requires an internet connection.  
</accordion-item>
<accordion-item title="Can I send MMS messages to anyone or are there limitations? ">
If you have a smartphone with a cellular plan that includes text-messages: yes. Keep in mind that sending MMS comes with an additional charge which varies depending on your provider.   
</accordion-item>
<accordion-item title="Are there any additional charges for sending or receiving MMS messages? ">
Sending an MMS always comes with additional charges, but charges for receiving it depend on the country you’re in. The amount also differs depending on your cellular plan.
</accordion-item>
</accordion>

<accordion>
<accordion-item title="Is there a file size limit for MMS? ">
The maximum file sizes vary depending on your network operator, but all operators will reliably handle messages of up to 300 KB of data. 
</accordion-item>
<accordion-item title="Is MMS always a picture? ">
No, MMS allows you to send video and audio as well. 
</accordion-item>
<accordion-item title="Will MMS work without data? ">
MMS will not work without data. An internet connection is required to send and receive MMS. 
</accordion-item>
<accordion-item title="What happens if MMS is turned off? ">
If MMS is turned off, you won’t be able to send or receive MMS messages. If your sender has a good service provider that includes a failover channel, you’ll receive just the text in the form of an SMS without the media elements. 
</accordion-item>
</accordion>

## Continue reading our MMS marketing guide

## Build customer relationships over every possible channel

Deliver true omnichannel experiences on the most robust platform.

Currently reading:
Introduction: What is MMS marketing?

 

[ Read chapter 2: 
MMS vs SMS: differences explained

 ](/guides/mms/the-difference-between-mms-and-sms)[ Read chapter 3: 
MMS marketing examples &amp; tips

 ](/guides/mms/examples)[ Read chapter 4:
How to choose an MMS provider](/guides/mms/choose-a-provider)