With open rates around 98% and click-through rates up to 38%, SMS has become one of the most popular and engaging channels for customer communication. Virtual SMS messaging has played a vital role in making this happen. Let’s take a closer look at the how and why!

What is a virtual SMS?

A virtual SMS is a text message you send online, without needing a physical phone or a SIM card. With a virtual SMS service, you can still use a local phone number to send and receive text messages online, even internationally. This is especially useful when you’re trying to reach someone abroad or when travelling outside the country. Private users typically use services like TextFree or VoIP providers like Skype to do this.

But virtual SMS goes beyond private usage. In Australia, business SMS is at an all-time high, and experts still predict that the SMS ad market in Australia and Oceania will reach 16.16 million U.S. dollars in 2024 and grow to a market size of 16.17 million dollars by 2029.

The future of business SMS

Read our report to learn about the most important SMS trends in Australia.

Get my free guide

Why should I send virtual SMS?

The reason SMS has taken off is because it works! It delivers open rates of 98% and conversion rates of up to 64%, and – most importantly – customers really love it!

Chatting with customers via SMS opens up a new and engaging way to communicate with your target audience on a channel they love. If you’re not already doing it, now is probably a good time to start.😉

Virtual SMS is especially useful because it moves the communication from manually sending a text from your phone to professional web-based services, which makes it more efficient, scalable, trackable, and easy to integrate with other cloud software.

How can I send virtual SMS?

Aside from sending text messages online as a private user, there are also professional business messaging platforms for companies. These use a secure SMS gateway to enable businesses to send SMS online.

You get access to these messaging platforms through an application programming interface (API) or a software.

API for virtual SMS

When you have developer resources available or very specific business needs, working with an API makes sense. It’ll allow you to code your own virtual SMS and texting service and connect it to the ecosystems you already use.

Pros: You can build a software that’s 100% adapted to your personal use case.

Cons: It binds a lot of resources, not only for setting it up, but also for maintenance. You also have to deal with different carriers and their requirements and costs.

Software for virtual SMS

Another way to send virtual SMS is through an out-of-the-box software like Sinch MessageMedia. Here, everything is already set up, so your teams can start texting right away.

You get access to a variety of business texting tools (templates, bulk SMS, automated messaging), a dedicated virtual number, sender ID or alpha tag, access to all the relevant ecosystem integrations you might need (HubSpot, Zoho, NetSuite, Salesforce, Shopify, etc.), SMS analytics, and much more.

Pros: This is the easiest and most convenient way to use virtual SMS.

Cons: You have to put in some time to research the best solution for your business case.

Want to try virtual SMS?

Start a 14-day free trial with Sinch MessageMedia and get 25 free credits.

Start messaging for free

What are the benefits of virtual SMS?

Choosing a virtual SMS service has several advantages.

It’s scalable

As beneficial as SMS is for customer communication, it only truly pays off if you can scale it. Sending marketing texts manually or looking up your customers’ individual phone numbers is neither efficient nor resourceful.

With virtual SMS, you move your business texting to an internet-based software. Here, you can message directly from your computer, use time-saving templates and automations, and get detailed insights into your data to improve your communication.

It’s connected

You probably already use a variety of internet-based systems for your customer communication and management. So when adding SMS to your multichannel strategy, it should not only be possible but also easy to connect already existing tools. It is!

Specialised messaging platforms offer you easy integration for SMS with tools like HubSpot, NetSuite, Zoho, Salesforce, Shopify, BigCommerce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and many others.

And even if you want to branch out into business texting through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp, it’s easy to add these on for an internet-based messaging solution.

It’s streamlined

With a virtual SMS service, you can streamline your entire customer communication. Forget switching from one platform to another, because an internet-based messaging service allows you to manage your texts centrally from one inbox.

It’s safe

Consumers love to interact with businesses via messaging. However, if your team starts doing so by using their personal phones or other unofficial solutions, you face different security risks.

For one, this communication might not be in line with business texting regulations. In addition, it’s difficult to ensure that customer data stays safe on your employee’s private phone.

With a virtual SMS provider, however, you’ll already work in a secure environment. Of course, you’ll still have to ensure that you follow regulations and best practices for business SMS messaging, but many issues, such as data security or permission rules, are already built in.

It’s easy

Especially when using a ready-to-go SMS software, sending a virtual SMS is as easy as pie. All you have to do is:

1. Register an account or sign up for a free trial.
2. Set up your number and contacts.
3. Start messaging.

Yep, it’s really that simple!

What type of phone numbers can you use with internet-based text messaging?

You can either use a dedicated 10-digit mobile phone number or an alpha tag. A dedicated number, also known as virtual number or static number, ensures that all your business messages come from the same number. This builds trust and loyalty with your user base since they can easily recognize that the messages come from you.

Short codes also exist in Australia. However they’re more expensive and have higher compliance requirements, which is why more businesses have switched to virtual mobile numbers (dedicated numbers).

If you’re a Sinch MessageMedia customer, you can enable the dedicated mobile number feature and choose your preferred number straight from our hub. Alternatively, you can also send virtual text messages by using alpha tags.

Alpha tags give you a unique sender name rather than a number. This name can include digits, text, and some special characters. Sinch MessageMedia alpha tags let you have up to 11 characters to identify your business.

Can I send virtual text messages from or to a landline?

Yes!

You can enable a landline to receive text messages, without losing the ability to make or receive phone calls. When a customer sends an SMS to your landline number, it can be either put through as a voice call. Or, with call-to-text enabled, you’ll see the message in text form in your inbox.

Vice versa, it’s also possible to enable an existing or new toll-free number for texting. Even if you’re using a VoIP number, it’s possible to text from this number or reach customers on their virtual phone numbers through text.

What regulations do you need to keep in mind when using virtual SMS?

Depending on your business location and on the location of your customers, different regulations might apply.
In Australia, the following laws deal with SMS regulations:

• The Privacy Act (1988)
• The Spam Act (2003)
• Spam Regulations (2021)

According to these laws, here are some of the rules you should follow to stay compliant:

• Always get prior consent (opt-in) before texting contacts.
• Make sure to provide an easy way to opt out of your messages as well.
• Don’t ever buy contact lists.
• Don’t use free link shorteners.
• Identify yourself and clearly state the purpose of your message.
• Include unambiguous calls to action.

When dealing with an international customer base, local guidelines like the Data Protection Act in the UK, the GDPR in the European Union, or the Digital Personal Data Protection Act in India might apply. Always make sure to brush up on the most recent rules and double-check with a legal expert.

14 use cases for virtual SMS

You can use virtual SMS throughout the entire customer journey. Here are some examples for getting started with virtual SMS.

Virtual SMS for marketing

Personalised two-way conversations

Reach out to customers individually and engage in personal two-way SMS. This could be a personalised birthday offer or a special deal for new customers.

By the way, this doesn’t have to be a manual process. By using SMS templates, you can create a general message and use variables that’ll be automatically filled with personal information for the recipient.

Inbound messaging

Don’t underestimate the consumers’ wish to reach out to brands. Research from Sinch MessageMedia found that 83% of Australians say that having the option to message a business helps them feel more confident about a brand.

Enabling customers to reach out to you on a virtual mobile number, not only increases trust, it also opens the door to true conversational messaging. When using an SMS platform, you’ll also be able to get back to these inbound messages faster and even in real time, as you’ll handle them all from your computer through a centralized inbox.

This is actually also very important to ensure trust in your brand. When we asked Australians about their need for speed, 91% said they expect either an immediate response or an answer within 24 hours. Otherwise, they’ll lose trust in the brand or simply abandon the purchase.

Bulk messaging

With virtual SMS, mass texting is really easy. Simply set up one message, add all the contacts you want to reach out to, and hit send. Bulk messaging is especially useful when you want to reach multiple users at once, for instance for special announcements, a product launch, or staff communication.

“Using the SMS system increases our business efficiency, for example, we really find the bulk messaging application useful, because it only takes a few minutes to get the same message out to a big group of people. It saves us so much time.”

Sarah McIntosh

Customer Service Manager, RSPCA ACT

Targeted campaigns

If you run dedicated SMS campaigns around certain events or want to select a specific target group, virtual SMS comes in very handy. You can simply pull the relevant customer data from your CRM and use it to segment your audience for a more targeted marketing approach.

Multimedia campaigns

Another benefit of a virtual SMS service is that it’s very easy to run multimedia campaigns. You can easily add images (MMS) and even send trackable mobile landing pages for an interactive customer experience.

Simply use the pre-designed templates from our platform, customise them for your brand, and get more engagement and a better return on investment on your marketing campaigns.

Virtual SMS for sales

SMS messages are a very effective sales tool. With virtual SMS, you can get even more out of your text messages.

Personal consultations

SMS is already a very personal channel. Why not use that to create an even closer connection to potential customers?!

Reach out to them through a two-way conversation, send helpful information via text, or offer them to schedule a personal one-on-one consultation. Once a consultation is scheduled, you can also send friendly appointment reminders for the upcoming meeting as SMS notifications that they surely won’t miss.

Conversational commerce

If your brand already has an online presence, it’s a great chance to include virtual SMS into the customer journey. Add your SMS number to product pages or social media profiles and let users know that they can reach out to you via text. This is especially helpful when they have questions before making a purchase.

If you already work with e-commerce tools like Shopify, it’s the perfect opportunity to include SMS into your existing customer communication. For instance, send abandoned shopping cart text messages or schedule in-store pickups via SMS.

Grow with SMS for Shopify

Quickly boost sales and recover abandoned carts with SMS – easily integrated into your Shopify store.

Get the appBook a demo

Even after a purchase, customers really appreciate follow-up texts like an order confirmation or shipment tracking.

Easy sign-ups

The easier it is for users to sign-up for a service, buy a product, or book an appointment, the better your conversions. As more and more web traffic moves to mobile devices, users will prefer processes that they can complete conveniently on their phones.

Make this easier for them by sending mobile landing pages for sign-ups or by enabling an SMS flow that leads straight into a purchase.

(Automated) upsells and cross-sells

Since SMS is a very personal channel, it’s also great to improve customer loyalty and drive more upsells and cross-sells.
With virtual SMS, you can benefit from one of the most engaging communication channels to drive more conversions. As virtual text messaging is an online service, it’s also easy to integrate internet-based CRM tools you’re already using, such as Salesforce or Zoho for a more targeted approach.

[Text us #signup to set up your account and get 10% off for the first 3 months]

Virtual SMS for customer service

Virtual SMS makes your customer support more flexible and more accessible. Customers can reach out to you on the go, and they can answer whenever is most convenient for them. This is a huge opportunity to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Answer frequently asked questions

Let your customers know that they can reach out to you with their questions via text. Make it easier for them to get faster answers by offering them keywords for questions.

Text #return if you need help with returning an item, #troubleshoot if you need help with a product you bought, and #support for general questions.

This will make it easier to guide customers to the right agent and solve their issues faster.

Send important updates

Work with SMS alerts to reach customers faster with important updates. This could be anything from a relevant product update to a limited-time deal for loyal customers.

Using SMS gets your message out quicker!

Use SMS for two-factor authentication and one-time passwords

A two-factor authentication (2FA) process isn’t only legally required in many cases, it also adds an extra layer of security for your customers. Sending verifications as one-time passwords (OTPs) through SMS allows your customers to access time-sensitive information from anywhere, at any time and through a secure channel.

From government to healthcare to tech services, there are many use cases where SMS authentication comes in really handy.
Are you already using a 2FA solution? Perfect! With Sinch MessageMedia’s SMS platform it’s easy to integrate our OTP feature.

Collect feedback

SMS is also a great channel for collecting feedback, especially if users can simply type an answer or fill out a form on their phones. This will help you increase the number of responses you get.

Drive re-engagement campaigns

Text messages show great results in re-engagement campaigns, especially when using personal customer data or targeting your messages to a specific audience. You might even be able to get to customers that you’re not reaching on other channels.

“SMS is really, really helpful because it has given us a way to reach our customers that we did not previously have access to. Since the introduction of SMS, we have seen a 40% increase in loyalty card redemption.”

Belinda Donaghey

Director and GM, American Doughnut Kitchen

Also consider that SMS re-engagement campaigns are more cost-effective than running expensive ads on search engines or social media, especially considering their high conversion rates.

Getting started with virtual SMS

Virtual SMS adds a powerful tool to your customer communication kit, and with a specialised business solution like Sinch MessageMedia, you can get a lot more out of your SMS.

Plus, it’s really easy to get started! You can keep your existing tools and simply add SMS to the mix. You get access to convenient templates, fast bulk messaging, engaging mobile landing pages, and much more.

And the best part is, you don’t need any coding skills or IT resources to get started.

The post What’s a virtual SMS? Definition, benefits, and use cases appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

When it comes to connecting with your customers, you should never underestimate the power of a text message. It’s familiar, instant, personal and unobtrusive — all at the same time — giving you a quick and easy way to reach out.

Yet despite the fact that everyone uses text messaging all of the time, many businesses still get it wrong. And now that customers can easily block messages, even the slightest mistake can be costly. So when someone gives you their phone number, you want to make it count.

Here are eleven golden rules for how to write SMS for marketing purposes. Follow these rules to send messages that connect with your customers, each and every time.

1. Have something to say

Text messages have open rates of 98% as most people read SMS within minutes of receiving them. That’s why SMS marketing campaigns can reach incredible click-through rates of up to 36%. However, you can only reach these metrics if your message is truly meaningful. Before blasting your audience with unwanted text messages, consider what type of content they would be interested in. Then craft your campaigns around that. If you’re not sure, ask them in a survey!

The better you understand your target audience the more successful your SMS marketing will be.

2. Be clear

SMS feels more personal than other channels. Lean into this. Be clear about why you’re getting in touch, or show them why you think they’ll be interested in whatever you’re promoting. This transparency will help show that your message isn’t spam.

Likewise, if there’s something they need to do with the message, spell it out. For example, do they need to keep the message to show in-store? Tell them. Do they need to reply Y or N to confirm an appointment? Make it known.

3. Time it right

Most people have their phones with them. All. The. Time. But it doesn’t mean they want to get a notification from you at 9pm on a Friday night. Generally, the best time to send business messages is mid to late afternoon on weekdays. Of course, this isn’t true for every brand. If you’re reaching out to a commuter audience, 7am might be a much better time for them to read your texts on their way to work. Busy parents, on the other hand, will have more time to check their messages after bedtime.

Feel free to experiment until you find the best timing for your target audience. Don’t forget to consider different timezones if your customers come from different geographic areas. With professional SMS marketing tools, you can also schedule your messages, so you don’t have to manually send them in the middle of the night.

While timing’s on your mind, remember that time-bound texts can work a treat if you’ve got a limited-time offer coming up.

Ready to hit the ground running?

Start a 14-day free trial with Sinch MessageMedia and see how easy it is to craft successful SMS campaigns with our marketing text message service.

Start messaging for free

4. Avoid inappropriate txt speak

Do you use acronyms IRL? Ever write “ur” instead of “your” in an email? Unlikely. Be true to your brand values by using the words and grammar you’d use in all your other marketing communications. If you try to be clever with text-speak, you could end up alienating people. ICYMI (in case you missed it), your customers don’t have time to decipher all your shorthand.

Now, if your customers actually DO use text speak and this is what your brand is about, by all means, GFI!

5. Keep it short and sweet

That said, if you’re not using acronyms, you still need to keep your messages short, as you’ve only got 160 characters to get your message across. Keep things succinct and steer clear of jargon (and fluff).

To keep things brief, follow this format for your SMS: introduce yourself, state the purpose of the text, and include a clear call to action. Of course, there are always going to be times when you need to say more — and you can make your messages longer if the need arises. But for standard texts, less is best.

6. Make it personal

When thinking about how to write SMS for marketing, staying close to your audience is key. To do this, you need to make it personal. Use your customer’s name, and customise the message with any other information that could be relevant to them — like their location, their shopping preferences, or how they’ve interacted with you in the past.

Most SMS marketing tools will have automations set up that let you add variables to a template. With these, you just add a variable like #FirstName# once when you set up your message, while each reader gets a personalised SMS.

7. Segment your audience

When thinking about how to write SMS for marketing, tailoring your message to the right audience is essential for engagement and conversions. So, aside from sending valuable content and getting the timing right, it’s also important to segment your audience. After all, sending a promo code for a new dog treat won’t be interesting for cat parents.

You can easily create target groups by integrating your CRM systems like HubSpot, Zoho or Salesforce with your SMS marketing platform.

8. Introduce yourself

How will your customers know your message is from you? To help build familiarity, consider using an SMS Alpha Tag, which replaces your phone number with a name of your choosing. Alternatively, you could use a dedicated number each time you send — if you go down this path, it’s a good idea to include your company name in your message so your customers don’t mistake your message for spam.

9. Add relevant, engaging imagery

Grab your customers’ attention by adding a beautiful, high-quality image to your text message. Use MMS to add eye-catching visuals, or take things further by building mobile landing pages that you can personalise for every customer.

10. Brush up on regulations

If you’re sending out marketing messages to (potential) customers, you need to follow certain regulations like the Australian Spam Act. This includes getting your recipients’ prior consent (opt-in), stating clearly who you are and what the purpose of the message is, leaving your contact information, and offering a way to opt-out as well.

11. Check, test, modify, repeat

Triple-check your message before you hit ‘send’. The last thing you want is an embarrassing typo or awkward autocorrect. Don’t forget to check that your texts comply with the rules — and always include the easy ability to opt out of future messages.

Once sent, track response rates and use the insights to continually improve your messages. For example, you could test different offers to see what gets the most traction, or compare SMS to MMS to see what’s most effective.

How to write SMS for marketing: Ready to hit the market

With the above tips in mind, you’re ready to start marketing with SMS. Whether you use it for sales promotions, appointment reminders, payment reminders, special offers or something else entirely, these best practices will help you get the best possible returns and lowest possible unsubscribe rates.

Got questions about getting started? Reach out to Sinch MessageMedia — we’re here to help make your marketing work smarter.

The post 11 golden rules for how to write SMS for marketing appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

SMS has been around for 32 years, since Neil Papworth, an engineer for the Sema Group sent out the very first SMS message on December 3 in 1992. Since that very first text, saying “Merry Christmas”, SMS has remained a key way to communicate.

According to Forbes, people send 23 billion text messages each day. That’s 270,000 messages every second. Businesses have also seen a steady growth in revenue through SMS.

All of this goes to show that SMS communication is still going strong. And honestly, do we even need texting statistics to know how often – and how quickly – we engage with SMS on our phones? The answer is very often, and very quickly. That said, let’s explore what SMS is all about and how it works.

What is SMS?

SMS, also commonly known as text messaging, stands for short messaging service. The SMS protocol allows sending text messages of up to 160 characters between mobile phones and is a top texting method because it works with almost any mobile device, all around the world.

DID YOU KNOW: SMS messages use communication protocols that were standardized in 1985 by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). In the GSM system, an SMS message is limited to 160 characters. Learn more about GSM character types and message lengths.

When adding special characters or emojis, the character limit drops to 70. Similarly, in some languages like Japanese or Arabic that don’t use the classic GSM 7-bit character set-up, but UTF-16, the maximum number of characters is 70.

SMS also supports multimedia messaging service (MMS) for sending multimedia files like images, audio clips or low-resolution videos.

How do SMS messages work?

When you, as a regular person, send an SMS to your mate, it doesn’t just magically appear on your recipient’s phone. That SMS will go through your mobile phone network.

And if you’re a business, the process is slightly different.

Business SMS get sent through a gateway or SMS provider like Sinch MessageMedia, which allows you to send large volumes of messages out to customers in a secure, compliant, and reliable way.

Sending messages between private users

Here’s what happens (in very simple terms) when you type out a message to a friend on your phone. When you hit ‘send’, your mobile phone carrier uses the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to convert the message and the recipient’s mobile phone number into data sent to the nearest mobile phone tower.

From there, it’s routed to the tower closest to the recipient, where the data lands on your friend’s phone, unscrambled as your message.

Sending SMS as a business

While the carrier network works well for single messages, it’s not as effective for businesses that want to send out bulk SMS messages to all their customers. Enter the SMS gateway.

Gateway technology solves the challenge of sending messages out to thousands of customers in one go, quickly and reliably. A gateway is an online platform or engine that can rapidly intake and direct huge volumes of SMS in a short amount of time – making it ideal for businesses that send bulk SMS.

For example, Sinch MessageMedia’s gateway can process over 10,000 events per second and deliver 95% of messages within two seconds.

Get more out of text messaging

Start a 14-day free trial with Sinch MessageMedia and take your business SMS to the next level.

Start messaging now

Is SMS secure?

As mentioned, text messages are not sent directly from sender to recipient, but go through a messaging service first. This means that SMS doesn’t offer the more secure end-to-end encryption that some might want or require.

That’s why, especially in business messaging, you want to add an extra layer of security with two-factor authentication (2FA). Through 2FA, you can send one time passwords to users’ phones to verify their identities and to ensure that they have the right to access a service.

What is SMS, and how does it differ with RCS and messaging apps?

SMS, RCS, and messaging apps are often mentioned together, but they’re not the same thing.

What is SMS: SMS vs. RCS

RCS stands for rich communication service. It’s a newer technology supported by Android devices that makes the messaging experience “richer” by enabling engaging multimedia features like videos and images.

Unlike SMS, RCS runs through Wi-Fi or mobile data. All new Android phones are RCS enabled and as of 2025, iPhones will begin supporting RCS, too. RCS is fast growing as a next-generation messaging channel because of what you can do with it (but can’t with plain text SMS):

• Build trust with verified sender profiles
• Engage more with rich media including images, videos, rich cards, smart buttons, and carousels
• Track reads, clicks, and replies, and use performance data improve your messaging campaigns

Learn more about RCS as a customer messaging channel.

What is SMS: SMS vs. messaging apps

Unlike SMS and RCS that exist as a native app on your mobile phone, messaging apps are third-party apps that users have to install first in order to send messages through them. Some of the most popular messaging apps are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and Telegram.

In the past years, messaging apps have become hugely popular.

• Cross-device compatibility: No more iPhone vs. Android issues—messaging apps work seamlessly across all devices.
• Multimedia made easy: Sending and receiving images, videos, and voice notes takes just a tap.
• Lower costs in some regions: In some regions, using a data plan can be more affordable than sending traditional SMS.

Is SMS still relevant?

With all these new mobile messaging options on the rise, some people might wonder if the SMS is still relevant.

The short answer is: yes!

For starters, SMS still offers the broadest reach. Everyone that has a mobile phone can receive a text message. It doesn’t require a special app or even a data plan.

SMS is also the fallback in case another type of message doesn’t go through. For example, if someone sends an iMessage from an iPhone to an Android phone, it shows up as an SMS. The same happens if you send an RCS message to a phone that doesn’t have RCS enabled. Even when you use WhatsApp for sending one-time passwords, it’ll use SMS as a fallback if the code doesn’t go through.

SMS is also the base for the Advanced Mobile Location (AML) service. AML is used when making an emergency call from a phone. In some regions, like the European Union, it’s required by law that all cell phones have to have AML enabled. Other countries are following this model.

With its universal reach and unique functions, it’s pretty safe to say that SMS isn’t going anywhere anytime soon! As a business, what’s most important is choosing an SMS marketing platform that is easy-to-use, secure, and can scale with you – whatever your texting needs may be.

Get started with SMS business texting now

Start messaging for free

The post What is SMS, and how does it work? appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

After all, it’s this data that shows you if you’re successful, what works, and where you need to improve. And: SMS analytics give you insights if you’re really getting a good return on your investment (ROI).

Let’s take a closer look at what key metrics you really need to watch for marketing, sales, and customer support. 

The main metrics to track for SMS analytics and what they tell you

When looking at your SMS performance, these are the top metrics to track for your SMS reporting. 

• Delivery rate 
• Opt-out rate
• Response rate
• Number of inbound messages 
• Time to response and resolution
• Click-through rate

Delivery rate

The delivery rate is the percentage of your text messages that have been delivered to the recipients’ phones. This metric tells you if your messages are actually going through.

You calculate it by taking the number of total texts that were delivered and dividing it by the total number of texts you sent (and multiply this by 100). 

A solid SMS reporting tool will therefore not only show you the delivery rate itself, but also information on sent and received messages. 

Opt-out rate

The opt-out or unsubscribe rate shows you the percentage of people that opt out of your SMS communication. This is mostly a marketing metric when someone has subscribed to your marketing messages. However, it can also be important for customer support if you keep existing customers updated with regular SMS alerts, for example. 

Response rate

The response rate reflects the percentage of people that answer your text messages. It’s an important engagement metric. The average response rate for SMS is 45%. 

Number of inbound messages

How many people reach out to your business via text message? That’s what the number of inbound messages tells you. This number is relevant for sales and customer service. 

Time to respond and time to resolution

In SMS analytics, the response time tells you how fast your team is getting back to the inbound messages they receive from leads or customers. It’s calculated from the time an inbound message is received to the moment an answer is sent. 

Time to resolution is slightly different, as it refers to how long it takes to resolve an issue with a customer. While response time can be relevant for sales and customer service teams, time to resolution is mostly a customer support metric. 

Click-through rate

The click-through rate shows you the percentage of people that clicked on a link you included in a message. Marketing teams track this if they include links in their text messages. In sales, it could be additional information that your team sends out to leads. And customer support people might use this as well if they send out links to help center articles or tutorials. 

Get more insights on SMS for business growth

Claim your ultimate guide to SMS

How to use SMS analytics to grow your ROI

When diving into SMS reporting, it’s not only important to track certain metrics, but also to understand how they can affect your ROI. 

SMS analytics for marketing

In marketing, you’re mostly focused on how many you’re reaching with your campaigns and how much people engage with the content you send out. 

The delivery rate, for example, gives you more insights into how many people you’re actually reaching. It’s also helpful for your budget to cut out phone numbers that don’t work. After all, you don’t want to spend money on texting people that don’t even receive your messages.

If you see a certain pattern in the numbers that don’t work, you can even draw conclusions about how to optimize your targeting. 

Similarly, the opt-out rate shows you in marketing if you’re getting the right content to the right people. If you have a very high unsubscribe rate, it’s time to re-evaluate if you’re really sending valuable content. People also unsubscribe if messages are not personalized. Surveys show that personalized messages can double engagement, so it’s definitely something to consider for a better ROI.

The click-through rate (CTR) is obviously one of the top engagement metrics for SMS analytics in marketing. It shows you how well people engage with your content and if they’re interested in making a purchase. A high CTR is one of the best indicators of a good ROI in marketing.

By the way, some SMS reporting tools also offer link preview insights. These show you if a link unfurls on a user’s phone. Why is that helpful? Because sometimes a low CTR doesn’t have anything to do with your content, but might be due to a technical issue. Having the link preview information can then help you to fix it, and not waste marketing budget. 

Something that marketeers might underestimate is the response rate and time to respond. However, text messaging is inherently conversational, so many times people actually respond to marketing messages as well. If you’re using two-way messaging in your campaigns (which, you absolutely should!), that is also something to watch out for, as it can show high engagement, and if you don’t respond to these messages quickly, or forward them to your sales team, you might also loose out on some leads. 

SMS analytics for sales

If your sales team talks to potential customers via text message, you should absolutely track SMS metrics. 

The delivery rate is one of the top sales metrics to track in order to know for sure if your messages are reaching the leads. 

Also make sure to monitor the response rate. A low response rate can give your sales team information about how they can improve their customer communication. It can also be an indicator of bad leads. This is something you can take back to your marketing and sales development teams in order to improve the lead quality. 

SMS analytics for customer support

SMS analytics are also relevant for customer support. 

The number of inbound conversations shows you, for example, how busy your team is. If you have a high number of inbound conversations, your team might need additional resources or you might consider automated responses to relieve your agents. If you see unusual spikes, it’s probably also a good indicator that there are issues with a product or service that might require extra attention.

The number of inbound messages can also help you establish peak communication times which helps you adjust your resources more efficiently and improve your ROI.

In customer service, you should also monitor response times and time to resolution to see how fast customers get help. Speed is one of the top customer satisfaction metrics and can even be a decisive factor in customers churning. 

In order to track SMS analytics you need a good reporting tool that offers you detailed insights into all these important metrics. 

Sinch MessageMedia, for instance, offers an easy-to-use messaging tool that lets you connect with your customers effortlessly. This includes detailed insights into your SMS communication. Our SMS reporting tool shows you delivery rates, response rates, opt-outs, CTRs, and much more to make sure you really get the most out of your SMS communication. 

Get more out of your SMS communication

Start a 14-day trial with Sinch MessageMedia and take our SMS reporting tool for a spin.

Get more insights into your SMS communication

The post SMS analytics: The metrics you should really track appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

When selecting the best-fit SMS provider for your business, make sure they help you kick these nine goals.

1. Sail through set-up.

Look for an SMS provider that makes it as easy as possible to get up and running. If you have an existing marketing platform, you’ll want the easy ability to integrate SMS into your current platform instead of adding a whole new tool into the mix. 

With this in mind, ask about APIs and SDKs. These handy little acronyms pack a punch when it come to ease of integration. Plus, check out their developer code – ideally, it’s a breeze to use in various programming languages so you can effortlessly add to your systems and apps.  

Don’t be shy in asking about help guides and documentation, too. If you haven’t used an SMS platform before, guidance is golden in the set-up phase.

2. Protect yourself (and your customers). 

Security and compliance are non-negotiables. Your SMS provider should have multiple data centers in different locations, just in case something goes wrong. They should also be PCI and ISO27001 certified, which gives you the peace of mind that they follow the best security practices and have a solid plan to protect your business information.

While you’re on the serious subject of security, as potential providers how often they test their systems against hackers, and what their backup plans look like. You need someone you can trust with your sensitive data.

3. Power up performance.

When choosing an SMS provider, look for nothing less than outstanding performance. Delivery rates should be sky-high, while latency should be lower than low. It’s all about making sure your campaigns get where they need to go, in an instant.

If results matter, then don’t strike for anything less than a Tier 1 Network provider. They give you the same connection quality as you’d get from individual agreements with multiple operators all over the world, saving you time and resources. Ultimately, they help you reduce latency, lower costs, and boost customer satisfaction.

4. Make things easy-as-pie to manage.

There’s no point investing in an SMS platform if it’s too hard for your teams to use. Look for a provider that offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface and integrations with the tools everyone’s already familiar with.

If you or your teammates are often on-the-go, then you’ll also want to check the platform’s mobile capabilities. Ideally, a mobile app that helps you stay on top of your conversational messaging – wherever you are.

5. Set up two-way chat.

Do you want to give customers the ability to reply to your text messages? Two-way SMS is the way to go when you want to chat with customers.

To set this up, then you’ll need to use inbound numbers, preferably in each market where you plan to offer your service. It’s really important to choose a supplier who can guarantee that messages will be delivered directly to the recipient’s phone and that customers can easily respond.

Ask about how the provider’s platform can integrate with your CRM or marketing automation systems, so your team can focus on what really moves the needle – like customer engagement.

It’s time to get conversational with your customers.

Get playbook

6. Send from a dedicated number. 

To build rapport and trust, you’ll want the ability to send messages from the same phone number each time. Not only does this make it easy for customers to recognise you, but it means your conversations stay in the one thread.

Choose a provider that gives you options for using the same phone number each time. You may want a trusted dedicated virtual number for affordable, high-volume messaging. Or an easy-to-remember alpha tag. A dedicated number can help you stay familiar and keep track of conversations.

7. Make multichannel your go-to.

Today’s customers hang out in all sorts of channels. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Business Messages … you name it. But just because your customers are all over the place, it doesn’t mean you need to juggle a whole bunch of separate platforms.

Look for an SMS provider that helps you manage multichannel messaging from a single place. Ask about their OTT capabilities, and how easy they make it for you to keep an eye on every conversation in every channel.

Take our messaging platform for a spin.

Start messaging for free

8. Check the capacity to scale.

It may seem obvious, but always ask your provider how many messages their SMS gateway can process in a minute.

The last thing you want is a bottleneck during a peak sales periods, which can happen if the provider’s SMS gateway lacks the technology to scale.

Scalability also comes into play as your business grows. Look for a partner with robust infrastructure that can handle ever-increasing message volumes, so you can reach larger audiences down the grack without compromising on delivery speed.

9. Crunch the numbers.

Want to keep improving the performance of your SMS campaigns? You’ll need detailed reports. Find out how granular the provider can get with its reporting and analytics. For example, do they provide delivery receipts to show if a message was delivered to individual recipients? Can you monitor total traffic and easily compare the impact of different campaigns?

Ideally, you should be able to get your hands on real-time tracking data and powerful analytics that help you kick your marketing goals.

Ultimately, it’s all about how an SMS provider can help you.

Your business will no doubt have unique needs. As well as ticking off all the common SMS goals above, ask your shortlist of SMS service providers how their platform will help solve your specific business messaging goals. 

If Sinch MessageMedia’s on your shortlist (we certainly hope so), we’re here to answer any questions you have. Get in touch here.

The post How to choose the right SMS provider for your business. appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

Unicode is the cornerstone of any digital text. Whether you’re writing an email, programming software, or simply sending a text message, you’re using Unicode. It is designed to include every character from all scripts and symbols from all the major writing systems in the world.

How Unicode works.

At its core, Unicode represents characters as abstract entities rather than specific visual representations.

Code points and character encoding.

In Unicode, every character is assigned a unique code point, typically expressed as a hexadecimal number. These code points serve as the foundation for character representation in digital text. For example, the code point for the Latin letter ‘A’ is U+0041.

Unicode supports various character encoding schemes, such as UTF-8, UTF-16, and UTF-32, which determine how code points are stored in binary form.

Multilingual support.

One of Unicode’s greatest strengths is its capacity to accommodate a multitude of languages and scripts like Arabic, Chinese, or Indic languages, making it the foundation for global digital communication.

Emoji and symbols.

Emojis and symbols have become ubiquitous in our digital conversations. Unicode ensures their consistent representation across devices and platforms. Unicode’s role in standardising emojis ensures that a smiling face or a thumbs-up emoji sent from one device appears the same on another.

Using Unicode in SMS.

When you use Unicode in SMS, you’re including a wide range of characters and symbols from different writing systems and languages, making text messages more versatile and inclusive. Unlike standard SMS, which is limited to a 7-bit character set and primarily supports the Latin alphabet, Unicode SMS enables the transmission of multilingual content.

However, it’s essential to know that Unicode characters use message space, typically reducing the maximum characters per SMS from 160 to 70 or even fewer, depending on the specific encoding used. This can result in additional spend you might not be aware of until you receive your invoice.

Using Unicode in SMS can bridge language barriers, boost expressiveness, and enable richer communication, but it’s important to consider potential limitations in terms of message length and compatibility with the recipient’s device.

Benefits of Unicode.

Unicode offers numerous benefits that make it indispensable in today’s digital age. 

Universal standard.

Unicode facilitates a universal standard for character encoding, which means that it supports characters and symbols from all languages and writing systems around the globe. 

Forward compatibility.

Unicode is forward-compatible, meaning that the development of new characters and languages won’t disrupt existing ones. As languages evolve and new characters are created, Unicode adapts.

Compatibility with ASCII.

Unicode’s compatibility with ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) – a legacy encoding system – makes it easier for systems and apps to switch to the new universal standard. And it also has provisions for diacritical marks and special characters.

Flexibility.

Because Unicode can be stored in different encoding forms (like UTF-8, UTF-16, and UTF-32) it means that it’s flexible when it comes to memory usage and data transmission.

Curious how businesses handle Unicode?

Unicode is a technical concept that’s nice to know, but you don’t necessarily to be an expert in unless you’re a software developer or in IT. But as a business, Unicode comes into play when you’re using channels like business texting. MessageMedia, as a leading mobile messaging platform and SMS gateway provider, can help you with anything you need when it comes to sending business text via SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and more.

The post What is Unicode? appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

Sending business SMS and MMS from a text messaging service is a cost-effective way to broadcast to hundreds of customers at once. You can stretch your budget, as each text message may only cost a few cents (otherwise known as an SMS credit).

So how many characters can you fit in a single text message? What counts as a long message or a multi-part message? What about special characters, like Unicode and emojis? We’ll answer all of these questions and more, so keep reading or jump to our infographic.

How long is a standard text message?

The length of a text message without any bells or whistles is 160 characters, including spaces. An SMS message can certainly exceed 160 characters; it will, however, become a ‘multi-part message’.

DID YOU KNOW: By standard message, we refer to content that only contains the Global System for Mobile (GSM) character set. GSM includes Latin letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, and a few special characters (such as exclamation marks).

As soon as your text becomes a multi-part message, the character limit changes to 153 characters per part. More data is required to create a sequence of messages, so the count decreases from 160 to 153. Those seven characters get used for invisible headers and footers. You will get charged per part; in other words, one part is one SMS credit.

Regardless of how many parts you send, your recipients will only receive one, albeit long, message. Don’t get concerned about cluttering your contact’s inbox or sending multiple notifications. It is wise, however, to consider how engaging you are being. There is a delicate balance between being concise and informative.

Here is a guideline to follow when composing a standard message or multi-part message:

• 1 – 160 characters = 1 SMS credit
• 161 – 306 characters = 2 SMS credits
• 307 – 459 characters = 3 SMS credits
• And so on…

The text message body limit is 5000 characters, which creates 33 ‘parts’ in a standard GSM message. In other words, 5000 characters / 153 characters = 33 SMS credits.

TOP TIP: You won’t need to memorise this, as our online portal will automatically display the number of characters and SMS credits you use as you type.

Ready to go?

Get a free MessageMedia trial and start exploring messaging features.

Let’s go

What length can an SMS with Unicode be?

If a message contains any characters that are not standard GSM, its maximum character length will become 70 characters long. Because Unicode is more complex than the traditional Latin alphabet, each character requires more data to be stored.

DID YOU KNOW: Unicode makes encoding characters excluded from the non-GSM alphabet possible across most technologies, including smartphones. Encoded characters are made up of technical symbols like mathematical signs, brackets, dashes, arrows, and non-Latin letters such as Chinese or Thai.

Like standard messages, once you go beyond 70 characters, they become segmented into multiple parts. Each part can then be up to 67 characters long, as it takes up extra data to create a sequence of messages. Note that as soon as one technical symbol gets added to your message content, it will get deemed a Unicode text message.

Here is a guideline to follow when composing a single or multi-part Unicode (non-GSM) message:

• 1 – 70 characters = 1 SMS credit
• 71 – 134 characters = 2 SMS credits
• 135 – 201 characters = 3 SMS credits
• And so on…

The maximum number of characters in a Unicode text message is 5000 characters, which is 75 message parts. In other words, 5000 characters / 67 characters = 75 SMS credits.

Can you send emojis in business messages?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words… when it comes to SMS, an emoji is worth two Unicode characters. That’s right, smiley faces will turn your message into a Unicode SMS and take up two characters. Therefore, you may want to keep these short and sweet.

The use of emojis in business communication gives you a little more personality and allows you to show off your fun side. We recommend playing around and testing this to see if emojis work for your audience and use case.

TOP TIP: Reporting and analytics can let you know how your recipients are engaging with your text messages. Download tailored reports from your dashboard and gather insights to finesse future campaigns.

How many SMS credits will you need for your message?

SMS credits are the currency of text messaging. Use this flowchart to figure out how many credits you’ll need for your message.

Tips to stay within SMS character limits.

Using SMS for customer communication is a powerful way to engage your audience. Open rates are far higher than e-mail, and, in most cases, the shorter the message length, the better.

Be careful when copy/pasting.

Avoid copying message content directly from a word processor, as it may contain hidden Unicode characters. Instead, copy content from a plain text editor before pasting it into the Hub. Doing this will help to flush out any unwanted Unicode characters.

Use SMS templates.

Setting up SMS templates that can be re-purposed and saving them in our portal is easy. Not only will this help you contain your characters, but your tone-of-voice will also remain consistent regardless of who in your team is sending.

Use Short Trackable Links.

As soon as you type HTTPS:// into your message content, we can automatically turn your URL into a short, trackable link. Not only is this a great way to report on who and when recipients clicked on it, but your otherwise lengthy URL will also become just 22 characters (for example, https://nxt.to/abcdefg).

RECOMMENDED READING: 8 rules for crafting the perfect SMS marketing copy

In conclusion, whether you choose to send a standard text message, a message containing Unicode or want to add in a few emojis, make each character worth it.

The post How many characters can a text message contain? appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

With so many marketing channels to choose from, it can be hard to work out which one’s best when you want to reach your customers on their phones. Here, we put two channels head-to-head to see which one stands out. Enter the ring, SMS vs push notifications.

SMS and push notifications: what’s the difference?

Both SMS and push notifications can appear as clickable ‘messages’ on your customers’ phones. A push notification comes from an app or website – think breaking news or an offer from a retail app. As long as the app is downloaded on a customer’s phone and push notifications are enabled, it can be an easy way to blast out time sensitive alerts. 

SMS, or short messaging service, is a way of sending messages directly to people using their mobile phone number. It’s used for a wide range of business and marketing purposes, such as marketing promotions, appointment reminders, survey and feedback incentives and business alerts, just to name a few. Even better? You can enable two-way conversations with customers via text. 

Before we dive into when you’d want to use SMS vs push notifications, let’s take a look at the key differences between the two.

Here’s why SMS is best for engaging with customers

One less app to download

To send push notifications, you need to build an app. Then, you need your customers to download it and enable notifications. It’s a big ask.

With SMS, all you need is your customer’s phone number and consent to receive messages. They don’t need to download anything or change any settings on their phone.

TOP TIP: Start building your database of mobile phone numbers. Get tips on how to capture customers’ phone numbers here.

No WIFI, no worries

For push notifications to work, an internet connection is needed. If your customer isn’t connected to WIFI or the internet, they may miss the notification. 

You don’t need WIFI for SMS. Instead, the message is sent using the customer’s mobile network – which typically has a lot more reach and reliability.

All phones included

Across the globe, more and more people are ditching their smartphones in favour of an old-fashioned ‘brick’, or dumbphone. So much so that global purchases of dumbphones hit 1 billion last year.

Most apps will only work on a smartphone. But all mobile phones can send and receive text messages. By choosing SMS over push notifications, you’re not excluding any customers who choose the ‘brick’.

Vanishing notifications

Ever received a push notification, swiped to open your phone and it’s disappeared? This can be super frustrating. And it could lose valuable sales, especially if a customer can’t find the offer you’ve just promoted. 

SMS messages don’t disappear. They’ll appear as a preview on the home screen, and then customers can easily open their messaging app to find and engage with the full message.

The issue of consent

When a customer downloads an app to their phone, they may unwittingly have notifications set to ‘on’ by default. In fact, Android phones automatically enable them. Yet if you bombard customers with too many messages – or the wrong types of content – then you’ll lose them in a flash. 

With SMS, customers must actively consent to receive messages. This puts them in control, making them less likely to opt out. Of course, you still need to nail the timing and type of content you send via SMS. Always remember to include an opt-out option and be mindful of the fact that you could lose customers if you send the wrong message at the wrong time.

Convinced that SMS is the way to go?

Now you know the pros and cons of push notifications and SMS text messages. Unless you’ve already invested in an app and it’s got great uptake, then SMS is clearly the best way to reach and engage with customers on their phones.

Get started with text messaging.

Start a free trial and explore our features. Plus, get 25 free messages.

Let’s go

The post Push notifications vs SMS: which one is better for your business? appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

It’s numbers like these that point to why SMS is such a powerful marketing and communications tool for businesses. But there’s more to it. Let’s take a look at why SMS has so many advantages over other channels.

Tap into these handy advantages of SMS

SMS is an invaluable and incredibly versatile business tool. Retailers use it to promote upcoming sales. Medical centres and restaurants use it to reduce no-shows. Service-based businesses use it to collect customer feedback. And so much more.  

Whatever way you plan to use it, the benefits of SMS speak for themselves.

RELATED: Want some SMS inspo? See all the different ways you can use SMS to your advantage.

1. There’s nothing faster than SMS

If you need to get an urgent message out to your customers, SMS is the way to go. For example, you might want to hold a flash sale to clear out some stock, or you may need to send out an important update to all customers. 

It’s ultra-quick and easy to send a bulk SMS broadcast to everyone on your database using our web portal features. Even better, more than 60% of people read their SMS within 5 minutes. 

Automation makes SMS even easier and more efficient. You can set up automatic text messages for different scenarios, which helps reduce the burden on your team.

TOP TIP: Use SMS automation for internal reminders, too. For example, say you send automatic payment reminders for overdue bills. You could also send an automatic text message to a customer support agent, reminding them to follow up with the customer if they don’t pay.

2. Every text message can be personalised

As your business goes from strength to strength, it can feel harder to deliver the personal touch. Yet personalisation becomes even more important when you’re growing. 

Use SMS automation to easily add customers’ names and other details to your messages. This way, it feels like you’re speaking directly to each and every customer – yet behind the scenes, all you have to do is click ‘send’ once.

RELATED: Click-through rates and conversions have taken off for The Athlete’s Foot since they started customising and personalising mobile landing pages.

3. You can reach more people

Did you know that 7.26 billion people own a mobile phone? That’s over 91% of the world’s population. Not all of these phones are smartphones – which means they might not feature the latest apps or email tools. But they can certainly receive and reply to SMS messages.

With SMS, all you need is your customer’s phone number and their consent, and then you’re good to go with messaging them. There’s no risk of emails going to junk folders, or posted mail getting lost along the way. Just instantaneous messages out to the masses.

4. SMS is oh-so-simple

The MessageMedia web portal has been designed with simplicity in mind. The clean, uncluttered interface is super intuitive, so anyone in your team can easily jump in and start sending SMS messages out to customers.

Not only is SMS easy for you to use, but it’s simple and easy for your customers, too. Pretty much everyone knows how to read and respond to text messages. These days, they’re also comfortable following instructions in your texts, whether that’s clicking on a link or confirming an appointment.

Ready to go?

Sign up for a free trial and get 25 SMS credits to play with.

Try for free

5. SMS is a direct marketing channel

Ask any marketer, and they’ll tell you that the biggest benefit of SMS is its immediacy. SMS offers a direct route to customers – which simplifies your marketing strategy.

As a direct way to get in touch, you can set up two-way conversations with your customers, too. And this, in turn, helps strengthen relationships and boost loyalty.

6. SMS is incredibly cost-effective

SMS is one of the most cost-effective communication channels available to marketers. It’s cheap to set up and send SMS messages, and with great results on marketing messages like product offers and sales promos, it delivers a strong return on investment.

Experience the benefits of SMS in your business

Discover how quickly you can expand your reach, engage with customers, and grow your business with our SMS messaging service.

Ready to go?

Sign up for a free trial and get 25 SMS credits to play with.

Try for free

The post 6 powerful benefits of SMS that every business needs appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.

As we’ll explore below, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a powerful tool in your marketing toolbox. It expands your texting character limit and allows for engaging pictures and videos. But depending on your budget and business needs, it doesn’t always pay to use MMS vs. SMS, as it’s a more costly form of messaging.

Let’s start with a quick explainer of SMS and MMS.

What is SMS?

SMS stands for Short Message Service. As its name suggests, it’s used to send short messages – limited to 160 characters. Because of this, it’s cheaper to send than MMS.

What is MMS?

MMS messages, on the other hand, can include an image or GIF, and a subject line. The message itself can be a lot longer, too – with up to 5,000 characters to play with. While more costly than its texting counterpart SMS, MMS does come with some serious benefits. You can:

• Get creative.
  Add a bold headline and an eye-catching image to grab your customers’ attention.
  
• Say more.
  Include more detailed marketing messages and special offers with a higher character limit. 
  
• Boost engagement.
  MMS beats SMS in the engagement stakes, with 15% higher click-through rates and 20% fewer unsubscribes. Plus, MMS is 4x more likely to be shared.
  
• Receive images.
  With MMS, your customers can send you images, too. This comes in handy when they need to show you a receipt, or a problem or fault with a product. 

Whether you use MMS vs. SMS can come down to your budget, and what you want to achieve from your marketing messages.

What is the difference between SMS and MMS?

In looking at the differences between MMS and SMS, it boils down to the content each allows you to send. SMS allows you to send short lengths of plain text while MMS enables you to send longer texts along with other forms of media like images, audio, GIFs, and more. Here’s a list of specific SMS and MMS differences:

SMS

• Text length: up to 160 characters 
• No images, video, or audio
• Great for quick updates, alerts, links to more information

MMS

• Text length: up to 5,000 characters
• Images (including animated) of up to 410KB
• Great for brand-led messaging, sending product promos, tickets, QR codes, and more

RECOMMMENDED READING: Check out our Complete Guide to MMS Messaging to learn how to stand out.

Pros and cons: comparing MMS vs. SMS.

Almost all devices support both MMS and SMS, so you typically won’t have to choose only one or the other. Depending on your industry, business offerings, and your needs in different areas of mobile customer communication, you can use MMS for some things and SMS for others. We’ve laid out the SMS pros and cons and MMS pros and cons for you:

SMS pros

• Shorter messages that won’t require as much time 
• Cheaper than MMS
• Most universally available

SMS cons

• Only allows for plain text
• 160 character limit can be restricting
• No images/videos can be included

MMS pros

• Longer character limit allows for more flexibility
• Images and GIFs can create a more eye-catching message

MMS cons

• Not all phones can receive MMS (though most do now)
• Costs more than SMS
• Takes more time

Which one should you use: MMS or SMS?

Not sure whether you should be using SMS or MMS messages, or looking for specific examples of when you should use SMS and when you should use MMS? It all depends on the type of message you’re sending. Here are some common use cases where one is better than the other.

A special offer or marketing campaign: use MMS.

Imagery shines in MMS marketing campaigns. If you want customers to click through to your site to browse and buy, adding an image could make all the difference. Here are some ideas:

• For special offers and promotions, include an image of the products on sale
• For abandoned carts, add an image of the item in checkout
• For aspirational purchases like luxury holidays, add an enticing image of a faraway location

For marketing campaigns: MMS wins.

An appointment reminder or confirmation: use SMS.

One of the most common uses for SMS? Confirming a customer’s booking or sending an appointment reminder. Short and sweet, a simple text works perfectly to let people know their booking is confirmed. And a follow-up reminder the day before is super helpful to reduce the likelihood of no-shows.

Need help here? Read our guide to SMS for appointment reminders.

For booking confirmations and reminders: SMS wins.

An emergency update: use SMS.

Whether you need to warn locals of an extreme weather event, or you need to let employees know about a site closure, text messaging is a proven way to get information out quickly and easily. 

When sending emergency updates, it’s best to keep things brief and to-the-point. It’s why SMS is best here. And, because costs are lower, you can send regular updates without breaking the bank.

For emergency updates: SMS wins.

An event invite and ticket: use MMS.

Got an event coming up? If you’re sending an invitation via text message, add an image to capture your customers’ attention. Put simply, MMS is more inviting.

Then, once they’ve accepted your invite, send a custom QR code with their ticket. This way, it’s easy for them to pull up at the door – no need to print tickets or dig through cluttered inboxes on the day. 

For event invitations: MMS wins.

A customer support message: use MMS.

Say your customer support team needs to see an image of a faulty product before issuing a warranty replacement. Or they need to see a receipt before sending a refund. That’s where inbound MMS comes in handy. 

To take customer support to the next level, give your customers the ability to take a quick photo on their phone and text it back. Too easy.

For two-way support messages: MMS wins.

Ready to get started?

Clearly, there’s no outright winner in the SMS vs MMS stakes. The good news? With Sinch MessageMedia, you’ve got the option of both – so you can pick the right format for different marketing messages.

Take our platform for a spin. Send an SMS or MMS (or both) today.

Start messaging for free

FAQs.

The post SMS vs MMS: What’s the difference? appeared first on Sinch MessageMedia.