Bulk MMS
Bulk MMS is a simple and inexpensive channel of communication that businesses can use to get their marketing messages heard by consumers above the noise of other direct marketing vehicles. It takes advantage of one of the most popular forms of person-to-person messaging - multimedia messaging - in order to deliver pictures, videos and audio files to consumers´ mobile devices simultaneously.
Due to its immediacy and intimacy, MMS marketing is one of the most effective options for developing brand awareness, generating consumer engagement and increasing sales. Furthermore, MMS messages are up to eight times more likely to be shared among friends, families and colleagues, thus broadening the reach of businesses that utilize this channel of communication.
Getting Started with Bulk MMS Marketing
The first thing to be aware of when considering bulk MMS as a marketing vehicle is that MMS marketing is a permission-based activity. This means that businesses have to get permission from consumers to send marketing messages to their mobile devices. Rather than seek each individual consumer´s permission personally, businesses usually obtain permission through the use of keywords.
Keywords are short, memorable words that businesses ask consumers to text to a dedicated number - usually to take advantage of a promotion or to be the first to hear about an upcoming special offer. When the consumer texts the keyword, they opt into the business´s mobile marketing service and are considered to have provided the required permission.
Keywords – and shortcodes, the dedicated numbers to which they are texted - are supplied by a bulk messaging service provider. The service provider also gives the business access to a browser-based bulk messaging platform. The platform maintains details of the business´s consumer database and is used to send MMS marketing messages in bulk once a suitable database of consumers has been developed.
How to Send a Bulk MMS Marketing Message
When your business is ready to send its first bulk MMS marketing message, you log into the bulk messaging platform from any Internet-enabled device and select which consumers - or group(s) of consumers - you want to send your message to. You then select the message type you want to send, upload the multimedia file, and click send.
Being able to select individual consumers or groups of consumers allows you to send targeted messages to just those for whom your message will be of interest. If, for example, you ran a general store and had a promotion on wines and spirits, the promotion would be of no interest to customers you knew to be teetotalers. Being able to select to whom you send marketing messages also helps reduce marketing costs.
When you first start building your database of consumers, it is unlikely you will be aware of their specific interests. This can be resolved by using different keywords for different marketing campaigns, or for different goods and services. The bulk messaging platform will add new consumers to the appropriate group within the database according to the keyword they use to opt into your service.
Monitoring the Results of Your Marketing Campaign
Within minutes of your first bulk MMS marketing message being sent, the consumers opted into your mobile marketing service will receive your message wherever they are, whatever they are doing. You can monitor analytics such as open rates and spikes in engagement via the bulk messaging platform, and use that data to fine-tune future marketing campaigns.
One of the features of the bulk messaging platform is the option to send messages as soon as they are ready, or to schedule them for a time when they will attract maximum attention. This feature can be used to adjust the times or days on which your messages are sent, or to run “drip” or recurring marketing campaigns - whatever you identify as working best for your business.
The platform can also be used to run contests, surveys and polls. Replies from your database are received by the bulk messaging platform and collated into easy-to-view data. Contests, surveys and polls often have the effect of developing brand awareness and generating consumer engagement; and, the more stimulating they are, the more likely they will be shared between friends, families and colleagues.
Increasing Sales with Bulk MMS Marketing
Bulk MMS marketing is not a new concept. Bulk MMS has been around since consumers were first able to receive and view multimedia on their mobile devices, and there has been a great deal of research into its effectiveness as a marketing vehicle - especially since 2012, when the Coca Cola Company revealed it allocated 70% of its mobile marketing budget to mobile messaging.
Since 2012, smartphone ownership in the US has almost doubled - enabling a larger audience to view or listen to multimedia marketing and share it on social media. Twice as many consumers have indicated a preference to receive marketing messages and loyalty-related communications on their mobile devices rather than other channels of communication and bulk MMS marketing delivers an engagement rate six to eight times higher than businesses normally achieve with email marketing.
As a result, MMS marketing in bulk has grown in popularity with both businesses and consumers. Invitations to text keywords to a business´s dedicated number are everywhere - and they work. Research has shown that out-of-store, on-demand coupons attached to a marketing message have a redemption rate of 30%-50% and drive to consumers to your business premises. Once on the premises, in-store, on-demand coupons achieve a staggering redemption rate of 70%-80%.
Considerations before Starting an MMS Promotional Campaign
5 Compliance Tips from the CTIA
- No Unsolicited Messages
- Use Proper Opt-In Methods
- Explain You Recurring Text Program
- Allow Customers to Opt-Out Easily
- Your Content Must Be Appropriate
Bulk MMS marketing has a lot of positives. It is simple, it is inexpensive - certainly more inexpensive than TV, radio or billboard advertising - and it is effective because when consumers opt into your mobile marketing service, they are in essence indicating they want to hear what you have to say. However, before starting an MMS promotional campaign, there are legal considerations to bear in mind.
The frequency of your messages and the way in which you handle personal consumer data is governed by the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The Mobile Marketing Association has condensed the regulations relevant to bulk MMS marketing into its Code of Conduct, and it is recommended that you read this document along with your service provider´s terms and conditions before starting an MMS promotional campaign.
The organization representing telecommunications carriers - the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) - also has rules about what can and cannot be included in the content of bulk MMS marketing messages and their multimedia attachments. You should be in the clear if you avoid profanity, pornography and hate speech, and you do not endorse illegal drug use or violence.
Try "Pay & Go" Bulk MMS Marketing from EZ Texting
If your business could benefit from developing brand awareness, generating consumer engagement and increasing sales, why not try bulk MMS marketing from EZ Texting? Our “Pay & Go” plan is the simplest way to become familiar with bulk MMS, as you only pay for the messages you send, we provide a free keyword and dedicated number, and you get access to our multi-function bulk messaging platform.
There are no contracts to sign, no minimum use limits and no commitment on you to upgrade your account to any other level of service. You will receive an excellent level of customer support from our Client Success Managers, who will offer advice about how your business can optimize the effectiveness of bulk MMS marketing and answer any questions you may have.
To find out more about bulk MMS marketing, how it might be of benefit to a business in your particular industry, and to register for a “Pay & Go” account, contact us today.
