SMS vs MMS: Which One to Choose

SMS is an abbreviation for Short Message Service, while MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. A newer generation of messaging apps, working on smartphones over Internet connection, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Viber, are collectively referred to as OTT (Over The Top). Marketers often wonder which one is best for reaching their customers, and we’re providing detailed answers in this article. Read on as we dive deep into OTT, MMS, and SMS, their differences, benefits, and limitations.

SMS vs. MMS: What is the difference?

The development of SMS technology began in 1984, however the first SMS message was only sent in 1992. MMS was introduced in the 2000s as an upgrade to SMS technology.

Both technologies enable people to communicate seamlessly via mobile devices using cellular infrastructure, yet they differ a lot. SMS is limited to to text and links, while MMS allows you to send pictures, audio, and video files. An MMS message contains up to 1,600 characters, which is ten times the 160-character limit for SMS.

MMS is more versatile than SMS, enabling you to send interactive messages that combine text and visual elements. The tradeoff is that MMS costs much more than SMS as you send higher data volumes over mobile networks. That's why most people prefer to use SMS messages except when absolutely necessary.

Benefits and limitations of SMS messaging

Let’s examine the benefits and limitations of SMS messaging compared to MMS.

Benefits

Faster sending: SMS contains less data, which makes messages travel faster over mobile networks. SMS is your best bet if you need a way to send time-sensitive notifications to your customers, such as account verification codes.
More affordable: SMS messages are cheaper because they distribute less data over mobile networks. It's a cost-effective option for mass mobile marketing campaigns.
High open rates: SMS messages have a higher open rate than other marketing media, such as email and social networks. People usually keep mobile phones at hand, and the SMS notification sound compels them to look.
Easy to read: An SMS message contains only text, which makes it easier to read than MMS messages with emojis, GIFs, and other potentially distracting elements.

Limitations

Character limit: An SMS message can not exceed 160 characters, which restricts the extent of information it can convey. Long messages will be automatically split into several shorter ones.
No visual content: You cannot include images, audio, or video files in an SMS message. This feature hinders interactivity with your target audience.

Benefits and limitations of MMS messaging

Benefits

There’s no hard length limit: MMS allows up to 1,600 characters in a single message, compared to 160 for SMS messages. This lets you convey much more information at a go.
Interactivity: You can include images, video, and audio files in MMS messages, which enables you to interact better with your target audience. However, many mobile carriers limit the size of a single MMS message to 5 MB.
Versatility: MMS lets you combine different types of content in a single message instead of sending customers a bland line of text.

Limitations

More expensive: MMS messages can contain large files, making mobile carriers charge more. MMS marketing campaigns may be way more costly than SMS campaigns.
Slower speed: MMS messages take more time to travel across mobile networks than SMS messages. Slower speed makes MMS unsuitable for conveying urgent messages to your audience.
Accessibility issues: Older phones do not support MMS messages. MMS messages won't yield good results if your target audience is in a region with low smartphone penetration.

What are OTT applications: iMessage, WhatsApp and others?

MMS and SMS are not the only messaging options for mobile marketing. Many businesses now use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Line, and similar apps to communicate with customers. These apps are called “Over the Top” (OTT) applications because they run on internet protocols rather than cellular connections.

OTT campaigns are cost-effective because there’s no mobile carrier collecting fees for each separate message. You can send as many messages as desired if there’s an active internet connection.

To use an OTT app, you must first download it from the App Store or Play Store. You'll need a phone number to sign up and create a business account. Once installed, give the app permission to access your contact list and identify every contact who uses the same application. Then, you can start sending text and multimedia messages to these contacts.

OTT applications vs SMS: Protocols, requirements, and benefits

OTT and SMS/MMS use entirely different mechanisms to send messages. OTT relies on an internet connection, whereas SMS uses mobile network connection. OTT apps work only on smartphones, while all phones support SMS.

Every modern phone comes with built-in SMS support; OTT apps must be downloaded by smartphone owners. SMS is universal, whereas WhatsApp and the like are “walled gardens”: someone using WhatsApp can't message another person on Line or WeChat and vice versa. In contrast, you can send SMS messages to any type of phone hassle-free. Consequently, integrating your marketing software with different OTT apps can be quite challenging.

OTT technology offers versatility that neither SMS nor MMS can match. Besides images, video and audio files, some OTT apps also provide ways to conduct surveys, gather user feedback and even make in-app purchases.

SMS is preferable when your target audience includes people in remote areas with patchy internet connections or in regions where many people do not have smartphones. OTT is ideal when your target audience is in developed regions where most people use smartphones and in urban areas with reliable internet connectivity. The best solution would combine all three technologies, but such solutions are currently still immature.

Worldwide use of SMS and MMS

SMS is very popular in the U.S. because most carriers offer plans with unlimited texting. SMS usage has exploded over the years, such that nearly 6 billion SMS messages are sent daily in the U.S. alone. iMessage, an OTT app that works exclusively on iPhones, is a close second. MMS traffic is much lower than SMS, with about 300 million messages sent daily.

Unlimited texting plans are less common outside the U.S. and Europe. In developing countries, person-to-person SMS messaging is cost-prohibitive, and people have turned to WhatsApp and similar apps for unlimited internet-based texting. WhatsApp has over 3 billion active users, making it the most popular OTT app worldwide.

However, still SMS remains the best medium for business-to-consumer mobile communication. SMS messages have high open rates, with over 90% being read within three minutes of being sent. If you have urgent information to pass on to customers, as with an online store sending a delivery notification, SMS is your ideal choice. The key is to send relevant messages your target audience will appreciate. Sending irrelevant messages constitutes spam, and mobile carriers never hesitate to block violators.

Conclusion

SMS, MMS or OTT, which one to choose? This article has clarified this question, diving deep into SMS features, and what differentiates it from MMS. We also examined the differences between SMS/MMS and OTT messaging apps. With this information, it should now be easy to choose the best mobile marketing medium for your target audience.