SMS Text Messaging for Schools
Traditionally, schools have relied on flyers in student backpacks, e-mails, or even phone trees to distribute information. Education systems and groups receive immediate access to school staff, parents, students or teachers.
Turn to easy-to-use text messaging systems like Textedly to increase communication and quickly get started sending school texts.
Why Send School SMS Messages?
In order to ensure that community members are reading your notices, it is essential to send communications through the most convenient channels. Research shows that 73% of younger parents prefer text messages for communication. Using a system to send school SMS messages will engage your community more effectively than ever.
Benefits of Text Messaging for Schools
As you move to adopt text messaging for your school with the help of a platform like Textedly, you will find these, and many other benefits:
- Fast - Especially when it comes to information about their children, parents want to know what is happening right now. Whether you are communicating about weather delays or alerting them to an increased law enforcement presence on school grounds, families will feel more comfortable knowing they heard it from you first.
- Digital - Whether you serve elementary, middle, or high school students, depending on them to carry important notices home is unreliable. Oftentimes notices don’t even successfully make it in the backpack to leave the school. By utilizing school SMS messages you are able to turn your information digital. With the average individual spending 3 hours per day on their device, these digital notifications stay with the recipient and will not get lost.
- Engaging - According to research, customers are 5 times more likely to respond to a text message than an e-mail. This means that when you send volunteer or fundraising requests out to your school’s community by text message they will be much more likely to respond back.
- Control - With school text message marketing, subscribers are required to opt-in and are also given the option to opt-out. This develops a level of trust because it gives subscribers a feeling of control over their notices.
- Diverse - Studies show that 96% of people have mobile phones. Many schools operate in areas of poverty where outside of school, internet access for email is less accessible. However, they are still very likely to have an SMS capable phone and this will encourage communication.
Who Can Send SMS School Texts?
School texts can be applied for many different groups tied to the education system. Because it takes a village to keep a school running smoothly, we know that parents, relatives, teachers, administrators, and even the students themselves require easy, fast access to the most important information.
School SMS for Student-Parent Organizing:
Whether you are a parent in the PTA or a parent fundraising for a student group, a school sms service can save you a ton of time relaying all of the details to make things happen.School Fee Reminders via SMS:
From entry fees to fairs and field trips, transactional sms texts for schools are necessary and help prevent missed deadlines.SMS for Students:
Students in special programs, after-school groups, or sports can use sms texts to speak with their teams on updates, assignments and scheduling.SMS to Parents from Schools:
Sms to parents from schools is the most common educational text. If the weather is bad, there’s a medical update, or your school is looking to simplify their general announcements, schools can contact parents using mass automation at the click of a button.SMS for Teachers:
The responsibility of a teacher is great and they deserve great tools. SMS texts for teachers will enhance parent-teacher and parent-student communication. Need to communicate with other staff members? Create a group text message for your school.
Education SMS Messages: Key Terms
In order to effectively use an education SMS service, it is important to understand the key terms. See below for an overview of words you will see throughout the process of selecting a school text service.
SMS
This stands for “Short Message Service”. It was the original form of text messaging and remains the most standard. All major cell phone systems support its use.MMS
This stands for “Multimedia Message Service” and is a message that contains some type of multimedia such as image, video, or audio.Keywords
Keywords are unique combinations of letters and numbers that a subscriber would text to opt-in or interact with your messaging service. Keeping your keywords short and memorable helps ensure successful subscriptions, such as:
Text the keyword HESPARENT to 202020 to subscribe.
(855) 397- 6679
HESPARENT
Thank you for subscribing to our messaging system.
Campaigns
A campaign is a specific push to get your subscribers to interact with your service, such as an initial outreach asking them to text to subscribe.Subscribers
Your subscribers are all contacts that have opted-in to your messaging.Segments
A segment is a portion of subscribers that have been grouped based on certain characteristics. For example, parents for individual classrooms can be assigned to specific segments to get updates that pertain to their student’s class and teacher.Templates
Templates are standard messages that you can choose to customize or send as is to your subscribers.Autoresponders
Autoresponders are the messages that you send back to your subscribers when they text a keyword. The most common type of auto-response is a welcome message sent back after the initial opt-in keyword is texted.
(855) 397- 6679
Thank you for signing up for 7th-grade parent text message alerts!
4 Msgs/Month. Reply STOP to cancel. HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply.
How to Start Sending School Text Messages
It is obvious that implementing a text message system has its benefits. How do you get started? Your first school text message is just a few simple steps away.
Sign Up For a Text Marketing Platform
Research and sign up for a text messaging platform like Textedly to make sending school text messages seamless.Upload Current List of Contacts
Have a list of users who are already subscribed to newsletter services? Feel free to upload them to the marketing platform with their consent.Compile Text Templates
Developing text templates that you can use over and over again saves you the hassle of having to create a new text message from scratch every single time you need to send an SMS.Set Up a Campaign Keyword
Carefully select a relevant campaign keyword to have users text-in to subscribe.Promote Your Keyword
Spread the word about your campaign keyword to collect more text subscribers.Send School Texts
Start sending school texts, whether it’s instantly or scheduling them out.
Types of School Messaging Systems
With the many benefits of SMS messaging for your school there are numerous scenarios where sending a text message is the most effective method of communication. Here are some specific examples of how other schools are already using a school messaging system:
PTA notices
(855) 397- 6679
Parent-teacher conferences will start this Wednesday and end next Friday.
Reply back Y if you need a reminder of your scheduled time slot.
Text STOP to end
Cafeteria menu updates
(855) 397- 6679
The fall 2020 lunch menu is here!
Check it out: https://bit.ly/2x2IBSA
Text STOP to end
- PTA notices
- Emergency alerts
- Weather-related delays or cancellations
- Parent conference notifications
- College admissions texts
- Relaying forms
- Cafeteria menu updates
- Sports games
- Homework tips
- Fundraising links and events
- Report card reminders
- Field trips
Sending School SMS Messages With Textedly
Now that you understand what a school message system has to offer, it is time to select the right platform for your school. The experts at Textedly, a leader in the mobile messaging industry, understand that school administrators have enough on their plates without the added burden of creating a new communications system.
That is why Textedly offers a robust platform that is easy to use and takes the guesswork out of sending SMS alerts to parents. For features such as unlimited subscribers, free incoming messages, comprehensive analytics, and many more, start your free 14-day trial today.