Text Messaging Meets Higher Education: R U Ready?

Ask yourself: If today’s digital generation insists on instant access to information and, most important, personal one-on-one interaction, even when they’re on the go, what’s a good way to reach them?

According to a recent survey in Time, 90 percent of college students carry cell phones, and a full 70 percent use SMS (Short Message Service), usually called text messaging, to ask questions and get answers through their mobile devices. And, texting is how young people receive their information, too.

For educational institutions, leveraging the popularity of text messaging is a smart way to communicate with students and convert prospects into enrollments. Getting prospects to engage in a text dialogue with recruiters can be a powerful marketing tool.

The Future of Electronic Communication Is Mobile

When market research firm Harris Interactive conducted a study of student communication in 2006, its VP of Youth and Education Research, Dana Markow, said, “Students have spoken, and their technology choices tell us that mobility is among their highest priorities.” She added, “The study reveals that students are spending a total of 11 hours of each day engaged with media and are constantly on the go. The majority of students have a paid job in addition to being a student and traveling from class to class, and most own a car — so accessing media ‘en route’ or away from home is critical for them.”

The truth is, when your school begins leveraging the power of mobile communication and text messaging, you’ll be tapping into a rapidly growing market. A text message marketing and communications program will benefit your prospects, your students and your institution by delivering the communication solutions this generation of students’ demands — and responds to.

Are Students Charged for Receiving a Text Message?

The answer is yes, but has that stopped them from texting constantly with their friends? We’ve all heard of parents receiving huge cell phone bills because their kids use text messaging as their primary form of communication. That happens when the wireless carriers charge for each text message, typically around ten cents per text. However, nearly all providers now offer unlimited text messaging plans for a nominal monthly fee.

The Internet went through a similar evolution years ago when AOL was one of the only games in town and offered pay-per-use Internet service plans. Eventually everyone switched to unlimited Internet service plans and never looked back. Text messages are going through a similar evolution, where increasingly popular unlimited text plans are becoming widely accepted. And with texting’s growing importance in the 18- to 35-year-old market segment, unlimited text plans are becoming almost essential.

How Many Students Have Data Plans?

According to a recent report from Nielsen, more than 43.6 million U.S. consumers have data plans, and the average cost of the plans across various carriers is $11 per month.

A July 2008 Wall Street Journal article noted that AT&T Wireless revenue from its wireless data services had increased 52 percent during the second quarter. It also noted that net income increased 30 percent, as the company benefited from a surge in wireless data use. Such numbers show that data plans are what more and more people want and are willing to pay for.

Today’s Schools: Goin’ Mobile

To strengthen the lines of communication between prospective students and school admissions reps, some of the nation’s largest universities, including the University of Florida, the University of Mexico and Kent State University, have gone mobile, enabling the schools to instantly communicate with students via text messaging.

The schools can transmit important information quickly, easily and effectively — straight to students’ cell phones and PDAs. Broadcast alerts can be sent within minutes for a wide variety of purposes: notification of upcoming registration dates, event reminders, weather alerts, campus closings and more. From last-minute club meeting cancellations to the introduction of a new school official to changes in academic course offerings, mobile technology gives instant access to information, using one-on-one communication.

Your School’s Central Cell Phone Number — The Short Code

The key to establishing your mobile relationship with students and potential recruits is the short code (e.g., 12345), accompanied by a keyword. A mobile-message short code is a special telephone number that allows text messages to be addressed over multiple wireless networks.

A short code is what students type into their mobile devices to engage and interact with your institution — instantly! In effect, the short code becomes your school’s central phone number. And, by using different keywords with your short code, you can deliver different messages and links to mobile Web pages. For example, if a student sends a text message to code 12345 with the keyword “A,” that student would receive text message A with a link to mobile Web page A. If however, the student sends a text to that same code with the keyword “B,” the student would get back text message B with a link to mobile Web page B. This system also provides your college with valuable tracking and performance data.

Use Text Messaging to Your School’s Advantage — Here’s How:

• Engage Students in a Text Message Dialogue With Admissions Reps
• Send Students Information Instantly Via Cell Phone
• Broadcast Emergency Text Messages
• Provide Student Alerts/Announcements for Campus Events and Open Houses
• Conduct Contests and Surveys

Engage Students in a Text Message Dialogue With Admissions Reps

The widespread use of text messaging among students makes it an increasingly important part of the marketing mix. And now you can deliver information on the students’ demand instantly to their cell phones 24x7 — just the way the kids are used to: no busy signals, no long conversations, just immediate send-and-response.

First, the student sends a text message — which travels across the wireless provider network — to the five-digit short code shown on your traditional media advertising. Within minutes, the student receives a text message reply from your school saying that a rep will contact him or her soon. The student will also get a link to your school’s mobile Web site, where the prospect can see the program offerings, the academic and event calendar, learn about open houses, refer a friend via text and much more.

The text message inquiry is entered into your Recruitment Representatives’ queue, or message inbox, for follow-up. From there, your admissions reps log onto a secure online control panel to access key features, such as the text message inbox for replying and communicating with students via text message; the reporting capabilities; and the content management features of the system, where a rep can upload information that will be automatically displayed on the school’s mobile Internet site.

This site, also called a mobile Web site, is separate from your school’s regular .com site, and it’s specifically designed to work with cell phone technology and to display information well on small screens.

Send Students Information Instantly Via Cell Phone

Short codes let texters access mobile Web pages, providing information on demand right on their cell phone, such as text-only pages, photos, videos, ring tones, games, wallpaper and more. Here are a few things to include on your mobile Web site: academic course information, news about open houses and events, financial aid, career services and how to apply to your school. Plus, you can allow students to refer a friend to your school via text message through your school’s mobile Web site. There can also be a “click-to-call” screen displaying your 800 number, which is dialed automatically when clicked.

Since text messages are limited to 160 characters (including spaces), your mobile Web site allows you to overcome those limitations and include the information necessary to effectively communicate your message. A mobile Web site lets you have as many pages of text as you need to tell your story, as well as photos and videos

The mobile Web is also highly quantifiable and can give you the information you need to evaluate what works and what doesn’t. The right mobile site analytics engines can provide you with the number of site hits across any time periods, the amount of time recipients spent on pages, which photos and videos were viewed, the lead source, user agent and handset-profile characteristics, along with the user’s mobile operator.

Broadcast Emergency Text Messages

In these uncertain times, campus emergency notifications are a must. Text alerts can instantly warn members of your school community of closings, violence or terrorist threats, and can help squelch rumors. Schools all over the nation have already adopted some form of mobile emergency alert system.

Pennsylvania State University has been using text notification since 2005. With more than 15,000 students subscribed, Penn State’s service allows the school to deploy an emergency text message and reach all its subscribers in a few minutes — much faster than the delivery time of a mass e-mail delivery. And, it’s accessible on the students’ cell phones, which they carry everywhere.

Provide Student Alerts/Announcements for Campus Events and Open Houses

On the lighter side, you can also send good news via text messages. Have a big announcement? How about an interesting campus event? Holding an open house? Need to change the date or time of an event? Spread the word via text messages. And don’t forget to ask the recipient to forward your message to a friend (or several).

Conduct Contests and Surveys

Once you’ve established a short code, students and prospects can quickly respond to contests and surveys, voting, coupons and an array of other exciting, interactive applications that connect them instantly to your school.

Get ’em on the go

Using these techniques will let your college reps reach your students and potential students in a flash — wherever they are. It’ll put you one step ahead of the competition and provide one-on-one interaction — just the way the digital generation likes it.