It’s no wonder that the messaging trend is exploding and becoming an increasingly powerful tool for businesses to get in direct contact with their customers. Marketers expect business messaging and the use of mobile devices to be an enduring technological force, not just a dying trend. The terms SMS and MMS are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different types of messages. But what’s the difference? Let’s talk.

What is SMS Messaging?

SMS stands for SMS service. The first SMS was sent by SMS in 1992. Today it is the oldest, most popular, and most common messaging technology supported by all cellular networks. No internet connection is required to send/receive an SMS. The standard cellular service is sufficient for the transmission of SMS messages. SMS is an easy and inexpensive way to send messages to almost any mobile device. With an SMS you can send up to 160 characters to another device. Larger messages are usually split into several messages. SMS has revolutionized the way companies communicate with different audiences. It enables you to connect with anyone and anywhere in the world. As a result, many companies are using SMS to issue mobile coupons, conduct surveys, and broadly spread information about their business offerings.

What is MMS Messaging?

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. So you can conceive of it as an improvement over the basic SMS message. The MMS method adds a lot of functionality to texting, such as facilitating the sender to share images, videos, GIFs, audio clips, and more. Furthermore, MMS permits up to 1600 characters in the messages, which is way more than a regular SMS. Such multimedia capability necessitates an internet connection. This multimedia function requires an internet connection. A conventional cellular connection is not sufficient for the transmission of audiovisual media. Sending and receiving MMS messages almost always requires a mobile data plan.

Difference Between SMS and MMS Messaging

There are a few differences between SMS and MMS that will affect the cost and experience of introducing each of these services to your business. First, SMS messages are transmitted conventionally, including transit through various base stations and servers. MMS messages, on the other hand, are carried over sophisticated communication systems that allow users to share pictures and media. MMS uses TCP or IP technology to encode and then decode media from the sender to the receiver. The use of SMS is widespread because of the open values ​​of these messages. It can be easy to ignore an email, but not a text message that keeps showing an unread warning. MMS messages also offer a better success rate than simple e-mails, as more characters and media content can be recorded with a detailed newsletter.

If you want the text message to reach a larger audience, you need to choose a messaging system carefully. It is important to note here that MMS may not be compatible with all mobile devices that can be used by the target users. Sending MMS to a device that does not support internet protocols is unnecessary and inefficient. While SMS effectively access all types of devices as they use cell towers that are accepted by both analog and smartphones. The goal is to reach your target audience effectively, and delivering inconsistent text messages is of no use to you. Studying analytics is key to making the perfect decision and ensuring that your carefully crafted content reaches audiences.

Conclusion

Each protocol has its advantages and disadvantages, but SMS is more accessible and very concise. In addition, not all users can receive MMS messages. While most people use smartphones these days, not everyone does. Some may not even have allowed MMS in their mobile data plans. Plus, information like appointment confirmations, system alerts, delivery tracking, and reminders are great candidates for text messaging. After all, most marketing messages open in three minutes and text messages have an open rate of 99%. If you want to explore different messaging solutions and learn about your options, reach out to GetItSMS. It offers a simple, robust, self-service messaging platform that makes adding and managing links, composing a rich text, and sending bulk SMS very convenient. To get more sales and customer satisfaction for your business with Smart SMS Campaigns, Alerts, Instant WBS, Bidirectional Interactions, and more, join today with GetItSMS.