5-Step Framework: How to Measure the Impact of MMS Campaigns

Whether you’re sending a branded opt-in, a payment request with a statement attached, or a reminder to complete an application, MMS can do more than just look good. It can drive results.

But to know what’s actually working, you need more than just gut instinct. You need a smart, structured approach to testing and measurement that lets you optimize for impact.

Here’s your blueprint for building measurable, data-driven MMS campaigns:

Step 1: Start with a Hypothesis

Before you send a single message, define the key metric you want to improve and how you believe this test will impact this metric. Common goals include:

• • Increasing payment rates
  • Decreasing time to payment
  • Boosting application completions
  • Reducing opt-outs
  • Improving click-through or response rates

Your hypothesis could be simple or specific:

“I believe I can increase my payment rate by 5% by including proactive account statements via MMS in my payment request campaigns.”

Or keep it broad with no percentage estimate, if you’re early in your testing and tracking journey. Either way, be intentional about your hypothesis for the test.

Step 2: Establish Your Benchmark

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Before launching your test, determine your current performance baseline.

For instance: If you are testing an MMS template against an SMS template, and your SMS payment conversion rate is 20%, you know that your test must surpass a 20% payment rate to “win” the test.

What If You Can’t Find Benchmarks?

Good data isn’t always easy to get. But you have options:

• • Use your overall performance KPI as a baseline (for example, what is the current revenue per month or conversion rate overall?)
  • Keep all other variables constant (audience, timing, offers)
  • Timebound your test, and at the end of the period, compare your selected KPI’s new measure to your original baseline

Even if you’re not tying results to a single campaign, template or CTA, consistent tracking will still show improvement.

Step 3: Get Technical (Just a Little)

Want to tighten things up? Here’s how to level up your success measurements:

• • Collaborate with marketing or ops to use UTMs in any of your CTA links (links to the portal, links to the website). This allows you to see, in your own portal or web tracking, how each of your channels is performing.
  • Choose a texting partner (like Solutions by Text) that integrates with your CRM and payment systems, so conversion data is passed back to you.
  • Consider a third-party vendor who specializes in centralizing data from multiple sources, and ensure that each channel is represented, as well as your conversion system of record.

Step 4: Set a Timeframe

Pick a duration that makes sense based on your audience size and messaging frequency. A week may be enough to see a statistically significant difference. Or, if you’re running fewer messages, you may need a month.

Tip: Set a retroactive meeting before your test even begins so that you have a built-in deadline to review your hypothesis, benchmarks, current campaign status, and then refine your approach as needed.

Step 5: Measure and Learn

At the end of your test window, capture the metrics. Compare against your benchmark.

• • Was your hypothesis correct?
  • Did MMS outperform SMS?
  • Did your branded creative drive more engagement?

You don’t need a perfect answer, just a clear next step. Maybe that’s refining your message, changing your CTA, or trying a new media type (like a PDF attachment or animated GIF).