Colleges and universities are constantly working to improve the student experience. However, a lack of access to students outside of the classroom makes engagement especially challenging. Between guiding, advising, and answering students’ questions, it would be nearly impossible for administrators to personally reach out to each individual student. There is simply not enough time in the day.
Many higher education institutions still use email to try to reach their students, but that’s not the channel today’s students prefer to use. The average student checks their phone more than 150 times per day — but they don’t usually use their phones to read email. It’s easy to see why response rates are 4x higher with SMS — or texting — versus other communication methods. Texting is simply the most convenient and efficient way for students to access the information they need.
To keep up with students’ expectations, colleges and universities are turning to behaviorally intelligent chatbots to build meaningful relationships via text messaging.
How Can Texting Improve the Student Experience?
If your institution has invested in a tool for texting students, you may have asked yourself, “How do I impact an individual student’s academic journey with a text conversation?”
Two-way texting can cultivate meaningful interactions that help both students and staff alike, but it’s important to make sure that communications offer value to the students you’re reaching out to. Utilizing artificial intelligence to deliver relevant information and answer students’ questions in real-time enables active listening at scale to deliver on your students’ individual needs.
By working with hundreds of colleges and universities, AdmitHub has learned a thing or two about the principles of texting students, and we’re here to share a little insight.
Personalize the Student Experience With Texting
Generic messaging is ineffective, so how can your institution cater to the individual needs of students?
Behaviorally intelligent chatbots are purpose-built to help institutions gather information to create robust student profiles. Through progressive profiling, colleges and universities can gain an understanding of individual students’ specific characteristics and interests, like whether a student receives financial aid or roots for the school’s sports teams. With this information at hand, you can send students text messages that are personalized to their interests and needs.
Texting Keeps Your Students Informed Faster
Higher education institutions always have important information to communicate. Whether it’s admissions registration reminders, new program announcements, health and safety alerts, or financial aid reminders, students require immediate access to the things they need to know. We have found that 35% of messages from students come through after standard business hours. AI makes it possible to provide guidance around the clock. Enabling students to text their questions to a chatbot and get answers in real-time provides a more efficient and more engaging experience than phone calls or emails.
Help Students Navigate Their Own Journeys With Texting
Creating texting campaigns to proactively engage with students, keep them on track, and offer helpful campus resources will help them stay on track throughout their journey.
No two students are alike. Every student comes from a different background and will experience different roadblocks throughout their college career. Some need more support than others, and communication is the most effective way to check-in with students to support their well-being. Likewise, students can text questions to your institution’s bot to find the information they need to chart their own path, on their own terms.
Drive Meaningful Engagement by Texting Students
Download our white paper, “Building an Empathy Engine for Meaningful Communication” to further explore the benefits of texting students. You will discover how chatbot texting capabilities contribute to improved enrollment, retention, and student engagement.
