Educational SMS

Today, students are leading more complex lives. An increasing number of students are in full or part-time employment and of these, some also have family and parenting responsibilities. This results in students spending less time on campus, presenting a communication challenge to the university when they need to pass important information on to students and parents.

These challenges, among others, can be overcome with the use of SMS. Text message alerts are the ultimate tool for communication between educational institutions and students, parents or guardians, and staff.

Ways schools and universities can use SMS

Schools and Universities can benefit greatly by integrating text messages into their existing communication systems. Below are some of the ways educational institutions can benefit from SMS:

Admissions

Schools and universities can use SMS services to recruit students, send status updates to applicants and admission confirmation to students. The messages may include embedded links to direct prospective students to the right department and other useful resources. SMS notifications can also enable the admissions office to streamline enrollment by scheduling text reminders for tuition payments and class registration.

Emergency alerts

SMS makes it easy for institutions to send out mass emergency notifications to staff, faculty, and students instantly. In the event of a safety or crime alert, extreme weather conditions or even a last-minute lecture room change, text message alerts can be sent out to targeted recipients. SMS services make it easy to modify and specify the type, severity, and frequency of events that trigger SMS notifications.

Related: Emergency SMS alerts & notifications

Reminders

Universities can use bulk SMS to send reminders prior to assignment deadlines reminding students of submissions. Reminders can also be sent for outstanding payments, admission, and course registration deadlines, upcoming tests, and other approaching events. Triggered SMS notifications can also be used to inform parents or guardians about upcoming PTA meetings.

Event Notifications

Event notifications make students aware of future events and have the potential to increase attendance. Schools can send out SMS notifications for sporting events, career fairs, upcoming volunteer opportunities and any other gathering taking place on or around the campus.

Academic services

Text messages can be a great way of sending homework information and academic support to students. Tutors can send SMS notifications about workshops and courses, information on majors and career options as well as class cancellations. Additional information that schools can communicate via SMS can include exam dates and extensions of library hours, especially during finals.

Student Interaction

Text messaging solutions for schools and universities can encourage student participation, and increase interaction. Through SMS services, institutions can conduct student satisfaction surveys, facilitate voting for campus elections and enable students to participate in contests via text message. Surveys enable school administrations to gather student feedback and respond appropriately based on the feedback.

Additionally, by employing RSVP tactics, schools and campus event organizers are able to correctly estimate the attendance of school functions, lectures, and other campus events.

Benefits of SMS to schools and universities:

It's cost effective

Marketing campaigns can become a costly affair, especially when you encompass print media, visual media, PPC adverts, and so on. Sending an SMS online, on the other hand, comes at a fraction of the cost. Saving time and money considering the high conversion rates of SMS, it's possible to achieve an incredible ROI.

It's direct