Event communication like invitations and reminders is commonly done through snail mail and emails. Occasionally, organizers send out SMS to guests as event reminders and include a link to share information that cannot be included in the SMS. In the last years, not a new but often overlooked messaging option has become more and more popular for events: MMS.
Richer media content
MMS, which denotes Multimedia Messaging Service, is a richer form of SMS which gives you much more flexibility to integrate media in the message, such as images, short video clips, audio and GIFs files and even QR codes. Additionally, SMS allows up to 160 characters in each message, while MMS allows up to 1600 characters. The only limitation is the overall size of the message of up to 300kb, which is usually more than enough to include comprehensive event information as well as the company or event logo.
Reach your guests instantly
Compared to emails, sending MMS provides a faster and more direct way to deliver your message. The average person checks his/her phone 80 times a day , while emails are checked sporadically. Most smartphone users, however, receive an instant SMS/MMS as soon as the message is sent. Furthermore, not everyone checks emails on their smartphones or does not utilize the inbox function while MMS is a pre-installed application across all smartphones and basically cannot be removed.
Increase message delivery rates
The email delivery rate for newsletter and invitations varies and can be below 20% depending on the quality of your mailing list. However, another hindrance are junk or spam filters which makes it even harder to know if the guest has actually received the email. While it is possible to block unknown MMS and SMS via your phone number provider, only a small percentage of smart phone users actually blocks MMS. There is also no spam filter for MMS or SMS which can boost delivery rates for MMS campaign to up to 97%.
Better entry management at the event
A significant delay during check-in is caused by guests trying to find their event ticket or QR code by browsing through their crowded email inbox. The result is a bottleneck and longer queues at the entrance. If organizers send out the confirmation and QR code through MMS, however, it is usually easier for guests to access the message, reducing the check-in time to 5-10 seconds per guest.
Innovative, quick and easy to set-up
Last but not least, most event planners rely on emailing and mailing to send out event messages because they do not understand how to send and implement MMS campaigns. Indeed, emails are standard, and a safe bet and organizers usually have the email address of most guests but not the mobile number. But systems are available, which allow organizers to send small or large MMS campaigns within a matter of minutes. Try out MMS for your next event invitation to impress your team and your guests and most importantly, create a memorable impression from the first touch-point with your guests.
Central Pacific Consultants Ltd. is a Hong Kong based event technology company which provides full set-up and tech-support services in Hong Kong. Contact our event technology specialists to receive a free consultation.