WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA MESSAGING SERVICE?

Multimedia Messaging service is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from a mobile phone over a cellular network. Users and providers may refer to such a message as a PXT, a picture message, or a multimedia message.

MMS is a way to send messages on mobile devices, which include media objects. Advances in high technology have made multimedia personal communications over radio links between mobile users possible. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is one of these services. A multimedia message can be a simple text or voice message, or a sophisticated message containing media objects such as video, audio, image, and documents. Multimedia messaging can be compared to what color television broadcasts are to radio-based broadcasting.

MMS can be seen as the “best in breed” of several messaging services, including Short Message Service (SMS) and Internet Electronic Mail (eMail). The first SMS devices appeared in 2002, mainly targeting photo messaging with the availability of camera phones.

A multimedia messaging service (MMS) is a means of sending multimedia messages through a wireless network from one mobile communication device to another. The message can include any or a combination of graphic, sound, or video files, along with a text message. The communication device should preferably be capable of transmitting and receiving messages through a third generation (3G)network since multimedia files are usually large. Multimedia messaging service is an enhancement of the short messaging service (SMS) and the enhanced messaging service (EMS).

The store-and-forward technique is usually employed in implementing a multimedia messaging service. The communication protocol typically used is the wireless application protocol (WAP). The WAP is designed to handle secure communication between two wireless devices. A server called an MMS Center (MMSC), on the other hand, is usually set up by a communications carrier to handle MMS traffic.

A multimedia messaging service is usually used by a person to send a picture message. The images sent in this way may be able to be downloaded on some Internet sites. A message sender who has a phone with a built-in camera can also shoot pictures and store them on the phone. These image could later be retrieved and used in picture messaging.

Some marketing institutions may use multimedia messaging service also. A company engaged in a promotional campaign may be able to send a target consumer a multimedia message endorsing a product or service. It is also feasible to use a multimedia messaging service to answer a customer query. A politician could use the service to send a picture message to introduce himself to certain constituents.

Similarities between MMS and SMS

MMS and SMS do have some things in common, which leads many people to mistakenly use the acronyms interchangeably. They were built using the same base technology – MMS was initially created so SMS users could send multimedia files. And both MMS and SMS are delivered over a cellular network which means recipients need a mobile device with a text messaging plan to receive them.

Differences between MMS and SMS

The biggest difference between MMS and SMS is the capability to include rich media files such as images, GIFs, and videos. MMS can send up to 500 KB of data (up to 5,000 characters) and up to 30 seconds of video or audio. Depending on your messaging provider, MMS messages typically cost more to send than SMS messages.

SMS messages are restricted to text (which includes links), and are further limited to just 160 characters. Because of their simplicity, they are generally cheaper to send than MMS. Rates for sending messages of either type vary by provider, as do capabilities and rates for sending MMS and sms and mms messages internationally.

How businesses use MMS messaging

It’s hard to imagine all the possible ways companies could be using MMS to grow their businesses. Retail, travel and hospitality, financial services, healthcare, real estate, media and entertainment, telecommunications – there are applications in every industry and there’s certainly no shortage of innovative ideas out there!

Let’s take a look at some of today’s most common use cases for MMS messaging.

MMS messaging examples

Tired of getting lost in the inbox? Give MMS a try! Marketers lead the way in using MMS to increase reach, conversions, and sales with their captivating multimedia campaigns that feature powerful calls-to-action, and they’ve got the ROI to show it.

It’s not just for marketing, though. For the customer-obsessed leader in any business, two-way multimedia messaging can offer simple solutions for reducing churn and improving customer loyalty.

Here are just a few use case examples of how businesses are using MMS messaging:

• Marketing and promotions
• Sending picture proof for insurance claims
• Coupons, tickets, and passes
• Event brochures
• Short video tutorials
• Picture proof of package delivery
• Digital receipts and payment confirmations
• Shopping cart reminders
• Back-in-stock notifications
• New customer onboarding
• Sharing images and videos with customer support
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys

You can clearly see that MMS messaging isn’t just for creative marketing campaigns – it’s an essential channel for customer engagement that can help transform your entire customer experience. Understanding what MMS messaging is and how useful it can be for marketing and customer experience is critical to success in the modern business world. Learn how powerful personalized MMS messaging can be for keeping your customers informed and engaged .

How to Use SMS and MMS to Encourage Customer Engagement

People in the UK check their cell phones every two minutes during the day. This constant connection with their phones gives you an opportunity to engage with your customers. SMS and MMS are very different applications, and with them, you have lots of options on how to interact with your customers. But how you interact with them depends on the types of campaigns you send.

Here are some ideas of the types of campaigns you can send using SMS and MMS:

Examples of SMS campaigns

Since SMS is text-based, use it to send campaigns that include short, simple messages:

• Marketing promotions. For upcoming product launches or sales, send promo codes. These texts inform customers and give them an incentive to visit your store. Include a short message like, “Use code ‘SAVE50’ at checkout to save on your next purchase.”
• Customer onboarding notification. When new customers sign up for a service, keep them excited about the experience by sending them a welcome message. Include a link to your website and a number for customer support.
• Account notifications. Keep customers informed if there’s a change to their service. Briefly describe the change and include a number they can call if they have questions.
• Two factor authentication When users log into a secure area on your website, send an authentication code to their phone as a way to confirm their identity. This is an extra layer of security to make sure customer information is safe.
• Appointment reminders. For companies that schedule appointments with clients — dentists, and doctors — they need to send reminders of upcoming appointments. For these messages, include the time and date of the appointment and a number to call if customers need to make changes.

Examples of MMS campaigns

Since you can send media, like videos and GIFs, with MMS messages, your campaigns can be more complex. Examples of MMS campaigns include:

• New product launches. Include an image of new products followed by a short text message summarizing some of the key features. Include a link to your website to give campaign recipients the option to read more about your products.
• Sales announcements. Record an audio or video clip with exciting company news and send it to customers. Go one step further and segment your customer list, so they’re receiving relevant information based on products or services they’ve bought or used in the past.
• Coupons and promo content. Send images of coupons to customers. If you’re promoting an upcoming sale, include text like ‘Save 50% when you shop this weekend’ in the image of the coupon. Follow up with a text message with a link to your promotional landing page.
• Event invitations. If you’re hosting an in-person event, send an image of the invitation with details. Ask recipients to respond with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ so you can track responses.

5 Business benefits of MMS messaging

1. Your messages will be hard to forget

Images add color and depth to the messaging you share with customers. The option to use images, videos, and GIFs can make your MMS message more visually exciting compared to a simple SMS text. 

In fact, scientists have found that when people hear information, they will most likely only retain about 10% of that information three days later. But when a relevant image is paired with that same messaging, recipients remembered 65% of the information after three days.

2. The space to build relationships that last

The stark limitation of SMS texts to a measly 160 characters creates challenges for developing a message that actually connects with your audience. MMS messages provide an opportunity to craft more detailed messages of up to 5,000 characters. And adding images, videos, or audio files gives you even greater capacity to inform and engage. 

Support for two-way messaging means MMS isn’t simply the equivalent of a personalized pocket billboard – it can help you reduce friction in the customer experience and improve overall customer satisfaction. 

Say you text picture proof of a delivery to a customer and they don’t recognize the location. They can immediately text back to tell the driver it looks like the wrong address. The driver then corrects the error while he’s nearby. Problem avoided and your company earned the trust of a now fiercely loyal customer.

3. Subject them to all the feels 

MMS messages can also include subject lines, which not only creates a unique opportunity to spark an emotional connection with the consumer but also makes them more likely to open your text. Higher open rates for the win!

4. No MMS? No problem 

You may have a mobile number to text, but there’s no way to tell if the person’s device is MMS-enabled ahead of time. But don’t worry. If an MMS message can’t be delivered, they’ll still get an SMS fallback message. This fallback message has a dynamic URL to the original multimedia message you sent and ensures your communications are always received as you intended.

5. Personalize all the things 

Google data scientists report that 90% of leading marketers say personalization is a major contributor to building a profitable business. With the option to add images and short videos, you can get hyper creative with sending personalized MMS

DISADVANTAGES OF MMS

The main disadvantage of MMS is that not all cell phones are MMS-enabled. As a result, MMS messages appear as text when they’re sent to phones that can’t accept MMS messages. This drawback limits who can receive MMS messages — even when the sender has a phone number.

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