Marketing with SMS, Short Message Service, has proven to be a revolutionary tool for companies driving aggressive campaigns to gain more customers, reach new markets and bolster sales and profits.
But now MMS, Multimedia Messaging Service, represents the next stage in the evolution of SMS. While the latter is centered around text messaging, MMS provides an efficient way to go beyond texting with the ability to send wireless images, audio files and video clips.
You might say MMS is SMS on steroids. It’s already proving to be a game-changer.
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Emerging MMS Features and Innovations
Firms that have already established significant text message networks and that are engaging their customers with tiny 160-character text messages can now command the attention of this captive audience by sending video instead of or in addition to text.
Video enhances SMS text (and makes it MMS) in several ways, including:
- Product demo videos — Potential customers can make better and faster decisions to buy if they see a product in action. A video showing a prospect what a product or service can do instantly increases consumer understanding, boosts their interest and fosters excitement about the item or service.
- Technical Support How-to Videos – Drives the concept of customer support to a new level by showing customers video demonstrations of how to solve problems or use a product more efficiently or as intended
- Video Newsletters – Keeping in touch with customers via newsletters is among the most time-tested and proven customer loyalty and relationship-building tools, and that began in the days when paper-and-ink newsletters were sent via snail mail! Well, SMS texted newsletters have built on that tradition, and now the multimedia capability of MMS puts newsletters marketing tools in a whole new category.
The “old” text versions of newsletters (paper or digital) take time to read. But a video newsletter makes it exponentially easier for the receiver to engage with the newsletter content and absorb the marketing communication that results in action.
- Events promotion – Inviting a customer to an event is far more dramatic when delivered by video. Showing brief highlight clips from a previous event offers a visceral and vivid idea of what they can expect if they opt to attend. Video event promotion via MMS is the most exciting way to bolster participation.
- Video reminders – Important meetings, scheduled events, appointments and other xxx are magnified when a CEO or manager takes a short video of him- or herself to explain what’s happening and why it’s important to attend. Sending a video also makes the recipient feel more valued because this format is more personal – the next best thing to live face-to-face contact.
MMS Trends in Audio
A recent story broadcast by NPR called “voice texting the new text messaging for Gen Z.”
The story shows how young consumers are more frequently favoring the use of short audio messages over short text messages when interacting with their friends, family and workmates.
Just when you thought a super-brief 160-character text message was the ultimate hedge against failing to engage a micro-short attention span, audio texting is proving to be a solution in getting through to the millions of people today who can’t be bothered to read a few words on a screen.
But what works for Gen Z is proving to be effective across a wider range of demographics.
GIFS, Animations, Graphic Presentations
Professional MMS providers and services are embracing a full array of tools that go beyond texting as they continue to transform this 21st Century, Digital Age form of public address– it’s the logical way forward because it makes no sense to leave valuable capabilities on the table.
That means taking advantage of GIFs, photo files in JPG format and short animation. Another form of MMS that shows tremendous potential is the use of graphic presentation for things like stock quotes, news statistics, sports, weather updates and more.
Thus, it’s clear that, in addition to audio and video, MMS is truly just that – multimedia – and it offers all-new ways to penetrate the minds and grab the attention of target markets with well-defined and pre-qualified interests.
A Technology Whose Time Has Arrived
MMS is a way to create highly impactful media content across an array of platforms and formats. It goes light years beyond SMS (text messaging) because it’s simply more engaging, easier to follow, and people are more willing to grant their attention to the content and central message. The more positive and exciting a message sent to a recipient, the more likely that action desired by the sender will be taken.
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