Choosing a school messaging app can be challenging. In this simple guide, you’ll learn how to pick the right app to send texts to students, parents, and faculty.
Teachers and school administrators are unsung heroes. They fight every single day to make the world better through small, measurable actions. Excuse the cliche, but it’s true: not all superheroes wear capes.
We also get that the last thing you might want to do is browse hundreds of websites looking for the best school messaging system app. It’s a waste of your time, and we appreciate how valuable that time is.
So–in this article–we’ll break down everything you need to know to choose the right platform. You might be bracing yourself for a full-on sales pitch for mass text messaging for schools, but we want to make this as informative for you as possible. Even if you decide not to go with our platform, we hope that this guide helps you make the right choice for your school.
A lot of businesses claim to have the best school messaging system app. And there are a couple of great offerings out there. But how can you be sure you’ve found the best one?
You need software that is easy to buy and use. You also need a comprehensive suite of features, all at an affordable price. It’s not too much to ask, right?
If you want to make sure a platform can get the job, follow these three steps:
Every school messaging system app needs one thing. That is the ability to send text messages to large groups of parents, faculty, and teachers. So, before you sign up for any messaging system, it’s essential to tick that box. These are the other features a platform needs to have:
Chances are you’re going to want to send specific texts to certain groups of students or parents. This will likely center on grades or involvement in extracurricular activities. As a result, it’s critical to be able to organize your contacts by lists and segments.
There are key dates in every school’s calendar. As a result, you might want to schedule texts for a future date and time. Scheduling texts allows you to set it and forget it, doing the bulk of work upfront.
Autoresponders are great for sending homework assignments or links to helpful resources. They allow teachers to set up group texts to go out at set intervals. You can also send daily motivational texts to students studying for the SAT or ACT.
A good teacher-student messaging app lets you send more than SMS texts. MMS allows you to include photos, videos, and other files in your messages. MMS messages are particularly useful for providing educational resources to students.
While you want to be able to text groups of students and parents, it’s crucial to be ready to receive responses and start conversations. This way, you build relationships with your students–and their parents. You are also communicating in a way that works for them and is not time-consuming for you.
It can help to find out whether a parent, faculty member, or student has clicked on a link. You can then send specific follow-ups to these people. If a student hasn’t clicked on a homework assignment, you can send them a gentle nudge.
Before sending a text message to your school’s stakeholders, you need contacts to send them to. Keywords help with that. Set up a word or phrase that customers can text to your number to subscribe to your SMS texts. You’ll also likely want to be able to create different keywords for specific areas of your school. You can create a keyword like “SPORTS” for sporting events or “VOLUNTEER” for volunteer opportunities.
You’ll want to be able to set up more users with various levels of access. Individuals teachers or administrators will need a unique login with access to their class or team contacts.
If a school messaging system app doesn’t work well, customers won’t be quiet about it. Do a quick search on third-party websites such as Trustpilot, Capterra, GetApp, or Software Advice. Does the app you’re considering have a profile with positive reviews? If not, you may want to go with another option.
You’ve found an app with stellar reviews and a robust suite of features. Nice! Now give it a try and see if it lives up to the hype. Be wary of a school messaging system app that asks for your credit card before starting a trial. Keep a lookout for apps with hidden in-app purchases too.
Once you’ve signed up for a school messaging system app and given it a try, you’re ready to start building your contact list. After all, you’ll need to get the numbers of your students, parents, and faculty!
We touched on keywords above. Let’s go over an example of how they work. Say, for example, you’re a high school, called Marymount, that wants to provide updates about school closures. You could create the keyword “MARYMOUNT.” Now, anytime a student or parents texts in “MARYMOUNT” to your number, they’ll be signed up for your texts.
If you already have a list of contacts, and express consent to text them, then you can start sending messages right away! With SimpleTexting, you don’t have to add contacts one at a time. Instead, upload a CSV or Excel file with the names and numbers.
We have a whole guide dedicated to text messaging schools and services. This guide goes into more detail on the uses below and provides examples of text messages. Many schools are using our school messaging system app to:
First, we covered what to look for in a potential messaging app. Then we examined how to build your database of subscribers. We also provided examples of how schools can use SimpleTexting. Now let’s review some real-life examples of schools that have been using our school messaging system app.
1. Alpha School Keeps Parents Involved Through Texts
Alpha School uses texting to connect preschool parents and staff. The Alpha team ensures everyone knows about crucial school-related information.
2. South Arkansas Community College Uses SMS To Connect With Students
South Arkansas Community College uses text messaging as an affordable way to connect with students.
3. Alabama Extension SNAP-Ed Helps People Text Into A Healthier Lifestyle
Auburn University’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program texts healthy resources to its community.
After working with thousands of customers, we’ve learned exactly what makes a school messaging system app work.
We’re so confident that we let anyone try it completely free for 14 days–no credit card needed. If you need a custom pricing plan or a feature to fit your school’s needs, then don’t worry. Tell us what you need, and we’ll be happy to design a plan to suit your school.
Drew Wilkinson is the Head of Marketing at SimpleTexting. Drew has more than a decade of experience managing successful integrated marketing programs to build brands, raise awareness, and generate demand.
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