Text message alerts have become the new normal for many schools and universities worldwide. COVID-19 has drastically changed the way many educational institutions are operating in 2020. UNICEF reports that more than 91% of the world’s children are impacted by school shutdowns, so it’s time to start thinking about new ways to adapt to remote learning.
As more and more schools scramble to make the switch to remote learning, having effective means of communication has become a key factor in their continued success. How will schools engage with students, faculty and their communities? How will schools continue to foster positive relationships and increase campus-wide participation? With more than 5 billion people around the globe owning mobile devices, it only makes sense for text message alerts to be the answer.
What Are Text Message Alerts?
Text message alerts are typically sent in the form of mass texts. Mass texting refers to sending a large number of text messages to multiple recipients at the same time. Some refer to this as sending one-to-many. With a 98% open rate and about 90% read within the first 3 seconds of being delivered, bulk SMS messages are the most effective way to get your message across and engage with your target audience.
What Are The Benefits of SendHub’s Text Message Alerts?
At SendHub, we make sending text message alerts through bulk SMS easier than ever. Our simple, out-of-the-box SMS platform helps businesses, educational institutions and non-profit organizations keep in touch with customers, vendors and other important groups of individuals.
Our mass text message alerts allow you to initiate large-scale outreach to your target audience all from a unified platform. This allows important messages to be sent quickly from you to your audience, connecting you to what matters most. Learn more about how you can organize communication with SendHub’s text messaging platform for schools here!
How Can Schools and Universities Use Text Message Alerts?
With SendHub’s text message alerts, it’s easy for schools and universities to send notifications and messages to hundreds of students, parents and staff all within moments. Not to mention, setting up and using a school SMS alert system is a very simple process. The first thing you need to do is get students, parents and faculty to subscribe to your text message alerts through an opt-in keyword. For example, students can text “EDU” to your number for school updates and reminders. Then go ahead and market your text-to-join keywords to watch your list build itself!
Text message alerts can be integrated into a school’s communication strategy in a number of ways. Here are a few examples showing how:
1. Scheduling Class Reminders
A school’s number one priority should be being able to communicate and interact effectively with their students. Nowadays, students may not check their emails very often, but they definitely can’t resist looking at their phone when they receive a text. Whether it’s to notify students of registration deadlines or assignment due dates, text message alerts are a great way to send time sensitive messages efficiently, and have them read quickly! By sending out a simple mass text, schools will be able to provide students with a reminder of the information that they need to succeed.
“Hope everyone is having a great first week back to school! Don’t forget that Chapter 1 reading and homework is due tonight at 11:59PM.” – Mrs. Johnson, Math 101
2. Announcing Office Hours
University professors can send weekly text message alerts to notify students when their office hours are. With such busy schedules, it’s beneficial for students to be well-informed about a teacher’s availability in advance so that they can plan their schedule accordingly.
“Week 9/21-25: Professor Ladd will be holding his ECON 101 office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-5 PM. Click here to access the video conference link: {Insert URL}.”
3. Ensuring High Attendance Rates
With no more in-class learning, it’s more important than ever to make sure that students are still attending their mandatory classes. Teachers can send quick automated text message alerts 10 minutes before the start of every class to remind students of their schedule.
“REMINDER: Accounting 101 with Professor Lee is starting in 10 minutes. Please log into your student portal to access the video conference link and join the class.”
4. Increasing Class Participation
Although attendance may be higher for online classes, participation actually decreases. Students tend to simply just “show up” to their classes rather than engage with teachers and classmates in chat discussions. Schools can use mass texting alerts as a way to get more interaction from student attendees, allowing them to answer questions or respond to comments. Students are more likely to participate in a conversation when it’s through texting, a tool they already use and love.
“Hi class, why do you think Jack acted the way he did at the end of Chapter 2? Please reply to this text with your answer and reasoning.”
5. Connecting with Parents
According to a recent report from Blackboard and Project Tomorrow, 55% of the parents surveyed said text messaging was their most preferred communication tool. Schools and universities are able to quickly get a hold of parents with mass text message alerts. You can even schedule automated SMS reminders to inform parents of upcoming paperwork that needs to be completed and where to submit the necessary forms online. Higher education universities can remind parents of overdue fees or tuition balances with quick text updates to prompt them to take action sooner rather than later and increase timely pay.
“Dear Parents of {Student’s Name}, the deadline to pay the school fees for the next academic year is May 31st. Please check your parent portal for the payment structure.”
6. Communicating with Faculty and Staff
Parents and students aren’t the only ones that need to be on the same page. Schools and universities can use text message alerts to remind campus faculty and staff about important meetings and upcoming deadlines. This makes sure that the entire campus community is always well-informed without adding to the sometimes overwhelming existing workload of teachers and administrators. Sending out mass text message alerts saves time, effort and worry.
“Good morning Westfield Elementary School teachers! Tomorrow will be the last day to complete the quarterly student evaluation forms. You can access the survey here: {Link URL}”
7. Arranging Club Meetings
Remote learning shouldn’t stop students from still being active and participating in on-campus clubs. Organizations can use text message alerts to notify active members of upcoming meetings with an attached video conference link.
“Hi {First Name}, the first meeting of Fall Quarter will be held on September 30th. All active members are required to attend. Please find the meeting link here: {Link URL}”
Pivot to Remote Learning with SendHub’s Text Message Alerts
The transition from in-class learning to a digital environment can be a tough process. But we’re here to make it easier.
SendHub’s innovative and simple SMS solution allows schools and universities to easily engage with students, connect with parents and communicate with faculty while staying safe and social distancing. Interested in switching over to text message alerts for remote learning? Request a free trial of SendHub’s SMS solutions today! Feel free to also contact us by email at sales@sendhub.com or by phone at 844-736-3482 and press 1 for Sales.