In the fast-paced world of education, effective communication is key to keeping students, parents, and staff informed and engaged. Luckily, mass messaging offers an easy way to connect with large groups of people while providing extra benefits such as personalization and automation.
In this guide, we’ll explore the various options available for mass messaging in education and dive into how schools and universities can leverage these tools for efficient communication.
Schools and universities have a few different communication methods at their disposal. Each should be used at the appropriate time and in the right capacity to have the greatest impact.
Bulk SMS is the best way to deliver short, specific messages. It provides instant communication and has a high reach since most individuals always carry their phones. However, it's not suitable for long or confidential messages.
Voice calls add a personal touch to mass messaging, allowing you more time to explain information in detail. Many people will send a combo broadcast, sending a short mass text message to inform their contacts of a situation, followed by a voice broadcast to explain the situation in greater detail. Voice calls are also more likely to reach older recipients, making them ideal for parents and staff.
Emails remain a classic choice for sending detailed information and documents, but beware that emails have a very low open rate due to spam overtaking inboxes. To ensure your email isn't overlooked, consider sending a text alert prompting contacts to check their inbox.
There are various applications for mass text messaging and automated calling when it comes to connecting with students, parents, and school staff. We’ll break down a few specific instances where SMS is most effective.
If your students are old enough to own a phone, they will probably respond well to text messages–and communicating with them on a platform they frequently use could enhance their engagement. Here are some ways you can use SMS to reach out to your students:
While many of the above-mentioned points can be broadly shared, a few types of messages tend to be more relevant to parents. Here are some examples of when you would send school text messages to parents:
Messaging staffing to keep them informed and on target is a great way to help the school year run smoothly. Here are a few ways you could message staff:
As with any type of mass communication, ensure you follow the proper text messaging etiquette, rules, and regulations. Schools also have specific privacy laws that apply to text messaging, so anyone sending out text messages should review these rules before sending out messages.
At Text-Em-All, our goal is to provide our customers with an easy-to-use application that meets their communication needs. We created our platform with informational messaging in mind, and we serve hundreds of schools and universities’ needs daily.
The process of sending your first message is simple, with no catches and no hidden fees.
One of the benefits of using Text-Em-All includes extended message length. While each message segment is typically only 160 characters long, we offer 960 characters (6 message segments) in each message on our Credits plan. This allows you to include all the important details you need in your message.
Another benefit of using Text-Em-All is that we don’t limit your group size, meaning you can message any number of contacts you please, whether five people or 50,000. You can feel confident knowing that your texts will be delivered quickly, no matter the size.
If you’re ready to upgrade your school’s communication and boost student engagement, give us a try by creating your free account today and exploring all we have to offer!