In today’s world, education goes beyond the walls of traditional classrooms. Tertiary educational institutes need to have a robust communication strategy to cater for both students and staff. Communication at universities, trade schools and colleges need not be burdensome, and it should be easy for students to get support and information as and how they need. Especially as education moves online.
When it comes to automating corporate processes and services, chatbots are a natural solution. They enable institutes to engage, convert and nurture students – and help teachers and staff access information 24/7.
Provide an accessible student experience
Communication at universities and colleges should not be onerous. You need to be able to easily reach and educate your students to get the necessary support and information.
- Drive admissions and enrolments
- Find and apply for courses effortlessly
- Streamline the application process
- Transfer the orientation process online
- Gain access to financial aid
- Chat with experts for any queries
Transform staff operations and communication
Make staff’s life easier by providing them with all the necessary tools to help students – and themselves.
- Help the staff find and process a variety of information
- Search for facilities – parking, library, & other information
- Facilitate remote learning
Customer Retention & Relationship Management
Education institutes are like any other business sectors, who have to minimize customer churn. Subsequently, relationship marketing is essential as it helps institutes develop meaningful connections necessary for retention and loyalty.
Bot to human handoff
If the chatbot is unable to answer, or the user wants to talk to a human, it will seamlessly hand off the conversation to human(s). Staff will be prompted to take over the conversation and advise on queries. Alternatively, if no one is available, the bot can offer the student to schedule a meeting or a call.
Common uses cases
A WhatsApp chatbot can be used to send out notifications and announcements by making use of WhatsApp broadcast message templates. Some of the common uses are:
1) Admissions lists
Checking admissions lists online can be time consuming, and frustrating for students.
When applicants opt-in for messages via a WhatsApp chatbot, you can create campaigns to broadcast messages to them about the admission lists, so they can easily check whether they’ve been successful with their applications.
2) Exam schedules
Gone are the days of posting schedules on a notice board or your website. All you need to do is push it out on your WhatsApp chatbot as a broadcast message and your students will get instant notification.
3) Exam results
Don’t leave students wallowing in anxiety, wondering when the results will be announced and if they cleared the semester. Just broadcast a message to them via your bot.
4) Assignment submissions
Being a student is demanding, especially if you factor in the social life! It’s very easy for them to forget that they need to submit their assignments. You can use your WhatsApp bot to broadcast messages about assignment topics, and send out reminders as submission deadlines approach.
5) New lectures or course material
You can use your bot to broadcast messages about new lecture recordings or learning material that has been uploaded to your Learning Management System (LMS).
6) Extracurricular activities
Students often miss out on extracurricular activities, simply because they don’t know when and where they are happening. Broadcasting messages ensure everyone knows what’s happening, and gets a chance to participate in these activities.
In conclusion
A WhatsApp chatbot is a powerful tool for educational institutes. With education shifting online, institutes need to have a solution to cater for students there. And with WhatsApp’s popularity and intuitive interface, you have the perfect solution.
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