Knowing When to Use SMS vs MMS

Published by Smart Office


Knowing when to use SMS vs. MMS is one of the most valuable skills you can have when planning your marketing strategies using iZigg Mobile. The choice depends on your campaign goals and the type of message you want to send. Let’s break down the differences between them.


SMS is very simple, it’s just a text message. People tend to use the word “text” to mean any inbound message in their phone’s texting app, but SMS is the basic, stripped-down, text-only communication. SMS does not involve any pictures or videos – just text. However, what you absolutely need to know is that when you are sending just a text message through iZigg Mobile, you have a 160 character limit. Anything more is going to require additional message credits.

SMS is an ideal communication medium for most quick marketing messages. Texting has an impressive open rate of 97%, and it is one of the most preferred forms of communication by many people. In fact, every single year, there are roughly around 6 billion messages being sent around the country every single day. Because of its ease of use and simple integration with other platforms outside of iZigg, SMS texting is the ideal way to communicate. 

In September of 2020, two carriers decided to take action against messages containing public URL shortener links. T-Mobile and AT&T published specific guidelines regarding these URLs, along with best practices for mobile marketers.

They are a great way to show off new products or even explain processes through diagrams and tutorials. MMS allows you and your company to get creative in the ways you are engaging your customers and employees. We highly recommend using MMS in order to make your product or services more appealing. 

SMS messages should be your go-to delivery method within the United States. Not only are they cheaper to send and cost nothing to domestic subscribers, they also guarantee that your contacts are actually reading your messages. While some may see 160 characters as limiting, it can also keep your marketing team accountable. Keeping your messages short and relevant guarantees that they don’t become overwhelming. 

While MMS may be more eye-catching and captivating, it can also cause people to ignore some content, especially if it requires more work. And not all carriers deliver MMS messages for free – or at all. So limit MMS messages to non-critical information, or use them to add context to a previously-sent SMS. Knowing which messages can be kept simple and which ones need more of a push can be an enormous difference maker when trying to strengthen your campaigns.

Follow the practices above to improve client engagement and watch satisfaction rates soar! And check out our other articles for more advice on specific industries and use cases.