2020 was a wild year that pushed us all to our limits. We had to learn how to navigate an entirely new world and find ways to serve our customers in new and creative ways.

But even through the craziness of the year one thing still remains true: text message marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your customers. In fact, it’s a great way to reach your customers directly and encourage them to visit your website and make a purchase – even if they’re stuck in their own home.

When you consider that 82% of people open every text message they receive, you can understand the value this marketing tactic provides. Whether you choose to stick to the traditional SMS marketing or are venturing into the world of MMS marketing, you won’t regret it.

Now that 2020 is in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to start thinking about 2021 and what your goals for the new year are. If one of your goals is to better engage your customers and increase revenue, then text marketing is the tool you need.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the trends and tools, specifically around MMS marketing, you need to know to get 2021 started right.

Here’s a look at the MMS tools we’ll discuss and feel free to jump ahead if that’s what you’re here for:

Listrak
SlickText
Avochato
Birdeye
Zingle by Medallia
Yotpo
Attentive
SimpleTexting
Textedly
SumoText

Why use MMS marketing?

Before diving too far into all of the MMS marketing trends and tools, let’s take a step back and define MMS messages.

You may be more familiar with the term SMS messaging. SMS (Short Message Service) is probably the most commonly used type of text message marketing due to its simplicity and that it’s more cost effective, but it comes with limitations. Messages are limited to 160-characters and can include links, but cannot include any imagery to support the content.

MMS marketing is a very valuable tool. Your customers are going to see the message and read it within minutes — something you can’t accomplish with any other marketing tactic. Having the ability to engage your customers via MMS messages will directly impact your engagement and revenue.

On the other hand, MMS (Multimedia Message Service) allows you to send messages beyond the 160-character limitation, including images, GIFs, and audio files. MMS messages do cost more to send but results in higher engagement rates.

MMS messages have a 15% average click-through rate and 20% more campaign opt-ins than SMS messages.

If that statistic alone isn’t enough to entice you towards MMS messages, here are a few additional benefits you can expect to see:

Share imagery to help convey your message and capture the reader’s attention
People are much more likely to share messages that include some form of media
You can incorporate video content that engages audiences
Increased character limits that allow you to do more with each message

Now that you have taken a quick MMS 101 course, you’re ready to learn more about the trends you can expect to see in 2021.

MMS Marketing Trends for 2021

Looking for ways to keep your MMS marketing plan ahead of the competition?

Then you’ve come to the right place. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at some of the trends you can expect to see happening in 2021.

From cross-channel integrations to personalization and influencer marketing, there’s a lot to unpack. Each of these trends will help you improve your current efforts and continue to stay relevant in an ever changing environment.

Investing in Cross-Channel Marketing Opportunities

Cross-channel marketing provides companies with a huge opportunity to improve the customer experience and increase sales. By creating a seamless experience from one channel to the next you can connect with customers on the channels they prefer and see higher customer engagement metrics as a result.

Companies with an effective omnichannel marketing strategy in place are able to retain 89% of customers.

In most cases, your customers are taking the time when it comes to making a purchase. They may be doing research on what their options are, checking out your competitor’s website, or simply browsing before they make their decision.

That’s why it’s important to be present and keep your brand top of mind. Cross-channel marketing can help you achieve this by reaching customers at a variety of different touchpoints in their journey.

It’s been proven that campaigns that use multiple channels to reach audiences outperform those only using a single-channel. When you compare the stats from a single-channel campaign and one using three or more channels, the numbers speak for themselves. Image courtesy of Clickz

MMS marketing works very well with other channels and is a great option to expand your cross-channel marketing capabilities. From email and social media to in-store promotions, you can create a comprehensive brand experience.

Here are a few different ways that you can integrate MMS with your other marketing channels to improve your cross-channel strategy:

Use both email and MMS messages to promote campaigns
Send MMS messages to your customers when their close to your store
Promote new website content with MMS messages
Encourage users to sign up for your MMS campaigns through social media

Cross-channel marketing is a trend you should expect to see more companies starting to adopt in 2021 and beyond. If you’re looking for ways to take your MMS marketing to the next level, this is a great place to begin.

Continued efforts to increase personalization

Personalization is so important in today’s marketing world and it can make a huge impact on how your customers view your brand. Sending irrelevant content is more likely to frustrate and annoy your subscribers — which will lead to unsubscribes.

Taking the time to build a personalized experience will not only provide you with happier customers, but it will also encourage people to purchase from your company and increase repeat customers.

91% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers and recommendations that are relevant to them.

MMS marketing offers a variety of ways for you to personalize each message. Having real-time customer insights will help you learn more about their interests and behaviors. With this information, you can send timely messages that resonate with each customer.

Sending relevant content will pique the interest of your customers. This means they’re much more likely to open the message and then click-through to make a purchase due to its relevance to their interests or needs. Image courtesy of Outgrow.

Not sure where to start when it comes to personalizing your MMS marketing messages? These are just a few examples of how it can be done:

Incorporate the customers name
Share products the customers previously browsed
Send messages based on customer data such as birthdays and anniversaries
Promote sales based on their interests and previous purchasing behaviors

Adding personalization to your MMS strategy will turn your text marketing into a highly engaging, revenue generating powerhouse.

Influencer marketing

Over the last few years, influencer marketing has become a great way for companies to expand their reach and attract new customers. Many people who follow influencers trust their recommendations and use them as a source to find new products they’ll love.

49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations and 74% of people trust social networks to guide purchasing decisions.

It’s become a very effective way to build brand awareness and get your products in front of more people. And as this marketing niche continues to expand, it’s very likely that you’ll start to see it cross over into the text message marketing world.

One example of how these two tactics can work together is through dedicated short codes. Influencers can share their code and tell fans to text that code to a phone number associated with your campaign. You can then send an automated response with a discount to anyone who sends the short code.

This is definitely a trend you’ll want to keep an eye on in the next year. It’s something that hasn’t gained a ton of traction yet — meaning it could be your competitive edge.

Using MMS Messages to Increase Cross-Selling

When it comes to looking for new ways to increase sales and revenue dollars, cross-selling is a great place to start. When you consider that it’s easier to sell to a current customer than to attract a new customer, it’s easy to understand how cross-selling can impact your sales.

Repeat customers spend 300% more money than new customers.

Utilizing product recommendations in your cross-selling strategy provides your customers with relevant products and drastically increases the chances of increased sales. The more you know about the customers, the more personalized their recommendations can be — and the more likely they will be to make a purchase.

Product recommendations are a great way to increase site visits and sell more products. Using the customer data you collect will allow you to identify the most relevant products to share. This will result in increased engagement and improve campaign conversion rates. Image courtesy of Business 2 Community.

MMS messages can be used to help expand your cross-selling capabilities. By sharing visually appealing product images, you’ll capture the attention of your audience and see more conversions.

Even if you’re written the most amazing copy, using MMS messages to promote products will always be more impactful. Someone is much more likely to click-through a text message that shows them a picture of a product that was picked out just for them.

Finding ways to integrate your MMS marketing into your cross-selling efforts will prove to be an effective solution. If increasing revenue is one of your goals for 2021, you’ll want to consider jumping on this bandwagon.

An increase in adoption by B2B companies

Historically text marketing has been used by B2C and retail companies, but were starting to see a shift in that dynamic. More and more B2B companies are starting to see the value in this marketing tool and are jumping on the bandwagon.

When you think about how a B2B company operates, it’s all about building and maintaining relationships. By adding in texting into your marketing mix, you can better communicate important information and share new products to your customers in the most direct way possible.

These are a few examples of the ways that B2B companies can start to utilize SMS and MMS marketing:

Communicating order updates and logistics
Sending product and service updates
Generating business leads
Gathering client feedback

Having a direct channel to your B2B customer base will allow you to provide better customer service and build trust and loyalty. This is why we expect that in the coming year, you’ll start to see more B2B companies tapping into both MMS and SMS messaging.

10 MMS Marketing Tools for 2021

Now that you have a little better understanding of what MMS marketing is and some of the trends to expect in 2021, it’s time to look closer at the available tools.

Whether you’re just starting out on your text marketing journey or looking to expand and grow, finding the right tool can make all the difference. By finding a tool that can support your current business needs and provides resources for you to grow, you won’t have to go back to square one again in a year or two.

Taking the time to vet each company and choose the right partner for your needs is a very important step in a successful text marketing plan — especially if you want to make the investment in MMS messages.

There are a number of things you’ll want to consider when investing in a new tool such as:

How do you expect your subscriber list to change in the coming year?
What types of messages do you want to send?
How many messages do you think you’ll send each month?
What capabilities do you need beyond basic scheduling and sending?

After you’ve gained a better understanding of what you want to accomplish with your text marketing strategy — not it’s time to find the perfect tool for you.

1. Listrak

Listrak is a digital marketing automation platform that can help your business take your text marketing to the next level. With the ability to manage all of your SMS and MMS marketing needs – you can find everything you need from this platform.

Easily send MMS messages to your customers that are visually appealing and quickly catch their attention. By investing in MMS marketing, you’ll stand out from the crowd and have a leg up on the competition. Image courtesy of Listrak.

MMS marketing highlights:

Develop and send both scheduled broadcast messages and timely, triggered messages based on real-time customer interactions
Use advanced targeting capabilities such as time zone optimization, previous purchase and browse behaviors, and more to improve relevancy and personalization
Share rich content with the help of multimedia to better promote your products
Leverage cross-channel marketing opportunities by integrating your MMS marketing with your other digital tactics including email and social media

Additional considerations:

Pricing varies based on business needs
Listrak is a good solution for companies of all sizes but does have a focus on retail businesses
This platform is a full-scale marketing automation platform and can provide capabilities beyond text message marketing

2. SlickText

SlickText is a text message marketing platform that has perfected the art of SMS and MMS marketing. If you’re looking for a dedicated platform that can help you focus on improving your text message capabilities, you’ll want to consider SlickText.

MMS marketing highlights

With intelligent image optimization, your MMS message will appear at the best quality on every device
Auto-convert messages to SMS format for customers who do not have a device that allows them to receive MMS multimedia
Scheduling capabilities to ensure you’re messages are sent out right when you want them to
Develop drip campaigns that automatically send messages to keep customers engaged over a specified time period

Additional considerations:

There are multiple plan options available, including The Basic plan ($29/month), The Step Up plan ($49/month), The Lil Bro plan ($79/month), The Big Bro plan (139/month)
SlickText provides services specific to text message marketing
This platform is a good solution for businesses of all sizes

3. Avochato

Avochato is a messaging platform that can help your business manage all of your live chat and text message marketing needs. From sending MMS messages to engaging with your customers in two-way conversations — you can do it all with this platform.

MMS marketing highlights:

Improve personalization through segmentation and always send the right message to the right audiences
Create automated text responses to quickly and efficiently respond to your customer inquiries
Develop campaigns that automatically enroll audiences and keep them engaged
Utilize templates to save time and keep your messaging consistent

Additional considerations:

There are multiple plan options available, including the Core plan ($27/user), the Standard plan ($40/user), and the Pro plan ($57/user)
Avachato is a messaging service platform and focuses on providing live chat and text message marketing capabilities
This platform is a good solution for businesses of all sizes

4. Birdeye

Birdeye is a marketing platform that provides customers with a better understanding of their customers through direct feedback and monitoring. With this platform you can easily manage and send MMS messages and find new ways to improve your customer experience.

MMS marketing highlights:

Easily send mass MMS messages to your customers it doesn’t matter if you have only a few hundred subscribers or tens of thousands
Use templates to incorporate personalization into your messages to increase engagement
Schedule messages to be sent at a later date and time and automate your sending capabilities
Integrate your text communications into your CRM to ensure your contact list is up-to-date

Additional considerations:

There are three plan options available to help meet your needs at the price that works for your business
Brideye does provides customers with some additional marketing capabilities beyond text marketing
This platform is a good solution for companies of all sizes and has solution options available to both

5. Zingle by Medallia

Zingle by Medallia is a marketing platform that helps companies interact with customers in real time and automate everyday workflows. From improving personalization to reaching customers in the moment to increase revenue — this tool can help you achieve your goals.

MMS marketing highlights:

Use text marketing capabilities to reach customers in the moment to gain valuable insights through direct feedback
Deliver dynamic content to customers to improve personalization and increase response rates
Implement AI-driven automation and response tactics to improve response rates and lessen the burden on your employees
Gain valuable customer insights to send the right message, to the right person, at the right time

Additional considerations:

Pricing is customized based on business needs
Zingle provides customers with additional capabilities beyond simply just managing text message marketing campaigns
This platform is a good solution for businesses of all sizes

6. Yotpo

Yotpo is a eCommerce marketing platform

MMS marketing highlights:

Create automated workflows to send campaigns such as abandoned cart, retention, cross-selling opportunities, and more
Improve personalization of your messages through advanced segmentation
Access valuable reporting and analytics data that will help you identify what is working and areas for improvement
Easily integrate this platform with your eCommerce store to drive revenue increases

Additional considerations:

There is a free plan available, the Premium plan is built based on specific business needs
Yotpo does provide customers with additional marketing tools beyond just text marketing
This platform is a good resource for companies of all sizes

7. Attentive

Attentive is a text message marketing tool that helps its customers improve revenue and better engage their audiences. By integrating your eCommerce site and creating triggered messages based on customer interactions, you can quickly increase your revenue dollars.

MMS marketing highlights:

Develop triggered messages to engage your audiences based on their real-time actions
Use dynamic segmentation to improve personalization and optimize your campaigns through testing capabilities
Integrate your eCommerce platform to send more strategice messages and drive revenue
Reporting capacity to help you better understand what works for your customers

Additional considerations:

Pricing is customized and based on business needs
Attentive mainly focuses on helping customers improve their text messages strategy and does not provide a wide variety of additional marketing services
This tool is a good solution for businesses of all sizes

8. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is an all-in-one text messaging service that allows businesses to develop campaigns and engage with audiences one on one. This platform will provide you with everything you need to create your MMS marketing campaigns.

MMS marketing highlights:

Better target your audiences with the right customer data to improve personalization and segmentation
Implement autoresponder messages that are sent to customers based on their qualifications
Create templates to help speed up the development process and keep communication consistent
Integrate your other marketing platforms to make the most out of your data and cross-channel marketing

Additional considerations:

Pricing is dependant on how many messages you plan to send each month and can vary from $25/month to customized plans
SimpleTexting focuses on providing customers with the services they need for all of their text messages marketing needs
This platform is a good solution for companies of all sizes

9. Textedly

Textedly is a text message marketing service that can help you improve your current SMS and MMS marketing efforts. With experience across multiple industries including retail, schools, restaurants, and more — Textedly can help you improve your strategy.

MMS marketing highlights:

Send mass group texts to your entire subscriber list in one go
Built-in link shrinking to ensure you’re making the most out of the content you’re sharing
Receive multimedia messages back from your customers to build a two-way conversation
Create drip campaigns to keep your customers engaged and automatically send them messages over a specified time period

Additional considerations:

There are multiple plan options ranging from the Bronze Plan ($29/per month) to the Champion Plan ($2,800/month) — with lots of options in between
Textedly is a tool that focuses on improving your text message marketing
This platform is a good option for companies of all sizes, but they do have some specialized industries they have experience in

10. SumoText

SumoText is a mobile relationship management platform that focuses on marketing tactics related to SMS, MMS, and mobile wallets. This tool can help you build the text marketing campaigns you need to impress your audience and stay ahead of the competition.

MMS marketing highlights:

Easily create MMS messages with a drag and drop editor tool
Optimize all of your messages based on each subscriber’s carrier to ensure messages appear properly on every mobile device
Create barcodes that can be sent directly to customers via text messages
Get your message across with more characters, images, and even develop slide shows

Additional considerations:

Pricing is customized and based on business needs
SumoText provides services that focus on mobile management
This platform has solutions for businesses of all sizes

Make the most out of your MMS marketing

So what do you think – are you ready to level-up your MMS marketing this year?

Text marketing is the most effective way to reach your customers and increase conversion rates and that won’t be changing anytime soon. Now’s the time to join in and start connecting with your customers via text messages.

If you continue to stay ahead of industry trends and find the right tool for your needs, you’ll be unstoppable.