MMS, or multimedia messaging service, is a text message that has additional media attached to it such as images, videos, gifs, or files. While it is tempting to include an image with every text for added visual engagement, MMS messages are more expensive to send than SMS. The cost per message varies based on the location of recipients: MMS cost 3 credits per message in the United States, and 5 credits per message in Canada.
Surprisingly, there is no strong indication that MMS messages drive better engagement or results than SMS in general. That means you should create a strategy which uses MMS sparingly, and applies media to messages where it will add real value.
Send a virtual contact card.
One major use case for sending MMS is to deliver a virtual contact card within an SMS welcome series. Virtual contact cards can be configured within account settings, and they are delivered to recipients as MMS messages due to the file attachment.
There is value in sending a virtual contact card because it encourages recipients to save the brand’s phone number to their contacts, making them a known sender. Known senders will bypass any filters that may be put in place on mobile devices since the user has indicated that they know the sender. This can help with deliverability and message engagement down the line.
Learn how to add a virtual contact card to a flow.
Add dynamic images to product-specific flows.
Subscribers are used to seeing abandoned cart emails, which usually contain images of the items that have been left in their cart. Including an image in your abandoned cart SMS flow or another product-related flow can help to remind the recipient of what they’re leaving behind. Images in this context can help convert the purchase for someone who is not fully committed to making a purchase. MMS can also be helpful for back in stock flows, as well as price drop flows, to remind users of the products they were excited about.
Learn how to add dynamic images to an MMS.
Avoid sending MMS campaigns during the holidays.
Holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas are some of the busiest days of the entire calendar year for ecommerce. Mobile carrier infrastructure is under enormous pressure during this period with a huge influx of message volume since all companies are trying to send messages at the same time. MMS messages are larger than SMS and require more processing power to send, which can slow down message delivery time. Avoid sending campaigns that include MMS messages during this time of the year to ensure that your text campaigns are not delayed or canceled due to the limited bandwidth of the carrier network. This applies mainly to accounts who use toll-free sending numbers or branded sender IDs, as these are both low-throughput numbers to begin with.