The Value of SMS and MMS Messaging for Business
As people walk down the street, there is one thing that most of them have in common. They have a cell phone on them somewhere, often in their hands. In fact, some research says that 97% of adults in the US have some form of cell phone. Of that 97%, 85% are smartphone owners. Along with cell phone usage comes the capability of voice calls, emails, and text messaging. Did you know that 59.1% of users open and respond to text messages within 1-2 min? Businesses can take advantage of all these statistics by marketing with SMS and MMS messaging.
SMS vs. MMS
Before we jump into the nitty-gritty, let’s get some clarity on the differences between SMS and MMS. SMS is the abbreviation for short message service. This is the official name for what people call text messaging today. However, SMS messaging has a character limit of 160, including spaces.
Multimedia messaging, or MMS, allows users to send media with their texts. Media includes pictures, gifs, videos, audio, and other larger files.
Business Benefits of SMS and MMS Messaging
Businesses can take advantage of the popularity of messaging through their business marketing. SMS and MMS messaging have different use cases that are beneficial to both the business and the customer. SMS messages are a quick and easy way to communicate with stakeholders. Businesses can send basic information quickly. MMS messaging allows you to delight your customers with a more stimulating message such as pictures and imagery of business collateral or order information.
SMS
The ultimate VIP experience through sales offers and promotions
There is nothing customers like more than to feel like they have the inside scoop on steals and deals or feel special through VIP treatment. Creating a loyalty program for returning customers is as simple as having clients “opt-in” to receive messages. Once they have done this, they can unlock secret sales and events that are only sent to those customers. This can create a stickier customer by letting them ”see behind the velvet rope“ and receiving exclusive information.
Appointment reminders
Missed appointments can cost a company thousands of dollars throughout the year. A simple fix for missed appointments is to send appointment reminders to clients in the weeks and days leading up to the appointment. With business messaging, not only can the business send appointment reminders, but also these messages can be automated. That means that employees do not even need to take time out of their day to send individualized text messages. The system takes care of that.
Emergency Alerts
There is nothing more important than transparency when it comes to emergency situations. Depending on your industry, you can let your customers know about emergency closings, important changes due to weather, or other natural disasters that may occur. If you’re a school decision-maker, emergency alerts can Inform key stakeholders about school closings, soft and hard lockdowns, or other unexpected changes. Transparency is key to building a trusting relationship between your business and your clients.
MMS
Product video walkthrough
When a company releases products, there is an opportunity to do an in-depth review of the product through video. With MMS messaging, businesses can send these videos to their customers and leads.
Support issues with screenshots
Screenshots are a wonderful tool to help explain and troubleshoot issues that may arise. With the use of MMS, customer support can send these screenshots in real-time.
Visual content
Similar to offering special events and discounts through SMS, MMS allows you to send discounts and important information through imagery. The difference here is that not only can you send your customers a coupon that they can ‘show in store’ to take advantage of, but you can also send more high-value content. This includes items like menus based on mealtimes from restaurants. Real-time information has high value to customers. This high-value content can help boost engagement.
Humanize your brand or service with visual content
As you build your visual marketing, your clients can start to associate your brand and your logo with your company. The more often your customers see and interact with your visual marketing, the more brand recognition works in your favor.
Get Your Business Going with SMS and MMS Messaging
If you have not yet started using SMS and MMS messaging for your business marketing, it’s time to get started. NUSO is here for any questions you may have, from how to get started to what you can do with SMS and MMS once you incorporate messaging into your strategy. Contact us to start experiencing the value and benefits of messaging today.
