We are contacted regularly by administrators, librarians and educators interested in text messaging with students for a variety of reasons. We’re not talking about campus emergency SMS blasting. While it is a valuable security tool for alerting students and faculty of danger in real-time, we specializing in conversational, two way text messaging. Essentially it is the same way students are accustomed to texting with each other.
Here are 10 things we hear from our prospects and existing customers regarding implementing text messaging to communicate with students. We recently did a Q&A session with Curtis Marsh from KU Info (University of Kansas) about using text messaging for student services that is worth a read. KU Info is one of the more popular services at the University of Kansas, set up originally in the 1970s to dispel rumors and now used as a general information line.
1. “They don’t respond to email.”
2. “They have so many different types of phones and text messaging reaches them all.”
3. “Your service lets me document my text conversations in a single place.”
4. “Texting lets them share information easily with each other.”
5. “I don’t have to text from MY phone, I type on your website.”
6. “We need to communicate with a lot of students at the same time.”
7. “We have been using instant messaging, but it doesn’t reach [students] away from their computers.”
8. “I like that I’m able to get back to them later after I find what they’re looking for, sending a single text message follow up.”
9. “Sending a single message update to a handful of our students and then letting them respond directly to us is so cool!”
10. “Answering questions was easy. I just sat down and clicked on the big red Answer button.”
You might have your own reasons for reading this list. If you have any more you’d like us to add, let us know and we’ll add them. Bottom line, text messaging is the best way to communicate with students, on or off of campus.
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