How to Optimize Your SMS and MMS Strategy at Every Funnel Stage‍

Need a fruitful way to send marketing messages that convert?

Then you can’t underestimate the value of guiding prospects toward conversion using SMS and MMS strategies. 

If you’re ready to uplevel your next marketing campaign with personalized messaging, stick around. In today’s article, you’ll discover how to optimize your SMS and MMS strategy at every marketing funnel stage.

Let’s get started!

The importance of having access to quality data analytics

SMS and MMS are powerful tools to communicate with your customers and prospects at every stage of the marketing funnel. Whether you want to raise awareness, generate leads, nurture relationships, or drive conversions, it’s vital to craft engaging and relevant messages that resonate with your audience. 

But how can you know what works and what doesn’t? How can you measure the effectiveness of your SMS and MMS campaigns? That’s where having a data analytics strategy comes in. 

A data analytics strategy is a plan that defines how you’ll collect, analyze, and use data to optimize your marketing efforts. It helps you identify your goals, key performance indicators, data sources, tools, and best practices for data-driven decision-making. 

For example, you can use data analytics to segment your target audience based on their behavior, preferences, and needs — and then tailor your messages accordingly. You can also use data analytics to test different variations of your messages and see which ones generate the most clicks, responses, or conversions.

To get access to valuable data analytics, it’s essential to utilize software like a customer data platform (CDP), so you can track all interactions with potential customers. 

This prevents mistakes such as duplicate communication or sending the wrong campaigns to certain leads. It’s also one of the best tools you can use to track valuable lead data, so you can personalize your messaging, tailor your campaigns, and segment your audiences according to their unique needs and preferences. Personalized messages = higher engagement rates for your SMS campaigns.  

For businesses looking to reach a large audience efficiently, utilizing a bulk SMS service can be a game-changer, streamlining communication and ensuring message consistency.

What’s the difference between an SMS and an MMS?

An SMS is a text message (read: text-only message) with a 160-character limit without an attached file. A text message that includes multimedia content, on the other hand, is known as an MMS. 

SMS messaging doesn’t include files like pictures, videos, links, or emojis. But multimedia messages (MMS) do include.

Using SMS and MMS to meet prospects and customers at various touch points throughout the buyer’s journey is key to maintaining ongoing communication, nurturing leads, and staying relevant. 

One of the most strategic ways to do so is by optimizing your approach according to each marketing funnel stage. 

For instance, you might save your promotional messages for the decision stage, your product launches for the customer loyalty stage, and event invitations for the consideration stage.

In the next few sections, we’ll take a look at how to optimize your SMS and MMS strategy at every funnel stage. 

Pro-Tip: Consider using a message service to automate your SMS and MMS campaigns. 

The awareness and discovery stage 

Let's start with the awareness stage, the topmost part of the funnel. At this point, you need to capture attention and generate interest. 

For instance, imagine that you're a student loan lender. In this case, you could send a text message to prospective clients about the benefits of your loan services, mentioning lower interest rates or flexible repayment plans. But keep it concise and intriguing enough to pique their curiosity.

For example: “Curious about your student loan options? Here’s an overview for you!”

Consider using a photo collage maker to create a colorful collage or an infographic and capture prospects’ attention‌ while summarizing any dense text. In this case, you’d be sending an MMS to top-of-the-funnel leads.

Here’s an example:

The consideration stage 

As you descend into the consideration stage, personalization becomes key. You already have your potential customer's attention — now, it's time to demonstrate value. 

Piggybacking on our previous example, consider sending tailored SMS messages highlighting how your student loan options cater to their specific financial situation. You might also consider sending an event invitation to a virtual student loan webinar so they can dive deeper into their options. 

If they accept the invitation, send over an MMS with a video or audio file thanking them for signing up and explaining any relevant next steps.

The decision stage

At the decision stage, prompt communication is essential. You’re likely not the only lender on your prospects’ list of choices, so make it fast and personalize your approach as much as you can. Here, SMS can serve as a direct line for the final push. 

During this phase, potential borrowers might have questions about your loan packages. Quick and concise responses via SMS (or a simple MMS with an emoji) can help provide immediate answers and demonstrate that your company values customer service.

Consider sending an enticing offer or a last-minute APY discount straight to their phones, nudging them to finalize their student loan application with you, like this:

If they’re not converting yet, consider setting up an automated series of MMS messages that help prospects visualize the final stages of applying for a student loan, accessing the funds they need, and managing their loans.

Nurturing customer loyalty 

Ultimately, an effective SMS and MMS strategy goes beyond just sending messages. It's about understanding your audience, delivering the right messages at the right time, and continuously engaging with them to keep your brand at the forefront of their minds. 

In other words, it’s vital to deliver a pristine and consistent customer experience after you’ve nudged leads to conversion.

Stay committed to nurturing customer loyalty for years to come by continuing to explore your customers’ pain points and delivering the value they need most. It’s the secret recipe to any successful marketing strategy. 

Wrap up 

And there you have it.

Today we discussed the importance of having access to quality data analytics, the differences between an SMS and an MMS, and examples of how to optimize your messaging approach across each funnel stage. 

Ready to turn these insights into action?

Be sure to bookmark this article and share it with your team for easy reference. Then, start planning your SMS and MMS campaigns. Or tap into the power of a multimedia messaging service.

PS: Looking for more resources to help you master the digital world? Check out our Ultimate Guides & How-Tos for Top Social Platforms. 

Here’s to your success!

Author Bio: (Ioana Wilkinson)

Ioana is a Business, Digital Marketing, and SaaS content writer for B2B brands. Born in Transylvania and raised in Texas, Ioana has been living the digital nomad life since 2016. From Barcelona to Puerto Vallarta to her new abode in windy Oklahoma City, you’ll never know where Ioana will head off next.