MMS vs SMS: What Are The Main Differences?

When subscribing to text messaging services, you have probably heard about SMS and MMS. This article will educate you by going into detail on the differences between MMS and SMS messaging.

First, the basics: What does SMS and MMS stand for?

SMS is short for short messaging service. It is one of the oldest and frequently used texting technologies that was invented back in the 1980s. It allows both phone and desktop users to send and receive character-based text messages. MMS stands for multimedia messaging service and it allows for images, videos, sound bites, and other multimedia to be sent and received by others. While they are both built using the same underlying technology, there are some key features that differentiate the two messaging services.

Amount of Space

SMS messages have a 160-character maximum limit for all messages sent between devices. If a message exceeds the 160 character limit, it is sliced into multiple segments of 160 characters each. Currently the majority of carriers automatically concatenate these messages together to ensure they arrive in the order they are sent. MMS messages allow many more characters, giving you almost unlimited space to type messages and send media of all kinds.

Most wireless carriers limit the amount of characters per message, so limits differ across carriers, but MMS still provides much more space than SMS services do.

Media in Messages

MMS brings the ability to embed media into messages, including videos and gifs. Images can be seen without having to click on a link to a website, and audio clips are sent with ease. SMS is limited and cannot send or receive multimedia material, only links to the material.

Including media in messages generates more attention with eye-catching images and videos. If you are using standard SMS messaging for your text services, you may be missing out on opportunities to show your subscribers exactly what they should expect from your company or promotion. It is still important to make use of SMS marketing, but it must be done with precision to increase your responses. This increases the chance of interactions from receivers, as they are more likely to click material if it looks interesting.

Rate of Outreach

MMS messages cost a bit more due to the increased range of materials that are able to be sent. But images aren’t always necessary, as texts can effectively carry information and call subscribers to action.

The increased range of short message services give more users a chance to view the information you send them and perform the desired actions.

Even though MMS messages may not available to all users due to their cellular plan, they do hold the advantage of presenting users with easy-to-absorb multimedia. Images do not require users to know any particular language, increasing the overall reach of campaigns. A picture is worth a thousand words, so you can share an immense amount of information through a single image.

Advantages of SMS

SMS marketing allows you to contact mobile users throughout the day, no matter where they are. Areas with low signal may not be able to show an MMS message, but an SMS message will get through to users even when they have no data or cell service.

There are tools and tricks to employ that make your text messages more productive at generating subscribers and interest in your company or product. Messages can also be targeted to specific individuals based on their past behavior and interests. If users are not able to receive MMS messages, SMS messages are an excellent fallback tool to reach all users.

Short messaging services cost less to use than MMS texts. This is due to the fact that they are limited in text capacity and cannot deliver multimedia. Only text links can be received through SMS, making them a more affordable option of communication.

Advantages of MMS

The good news is that each and every phone on the market today has the capability to receive MMS, so your marketing has the possibility of reaching more people than you thought. If a MMS message is sent to a user that can only receive SMS due to their phone plan, they may not receive the message at all. You still reach users, but there is a chance you will not be able to get in touch with about 2% of your target subscribers.

Along with increased range of media, MMS services also include an increased number of text characters available. This means you can be a little more detailed in your message than you would be able to in a standard SMS message without having to send multiple messages to users as some carriers will split the message into multiple segments and send over each segment as a separate message. Multiple messages can lead to customers feeling annoyed by your messaging service so it is advisable to limit the characters in each message.

MMS and SMS messaging both have their advantages and disadvantages, such as character count and cost, but they are both highly effective in the marketing industry if you want to build loyal and lasting customers. Both MMS and SMS marketing tools allow you to reach a vast amount of users, bringing more traction to your text campaign and both can be used together at different times depending on what strategy you want to employ.

Conversion rates will steadily increase with well-designed SMS and MMS text campaigns utilizing the multimedia benefits of MMS and the wide reach of SMS. Users don’t need to own a smartphone to receive information, promotions, or surveys from your business to keep them interested and up-to-date on the latest in your business.