Text message automation feature is a lifesaver for schools that want to simplify their communication. Text automation can help schools to send timely reminders about parent-teacher conferences, notify students of important deadlines, and answer frequently asked questions quickly.
SMS also presents a world of opportunities for personalized engagement with students and parents, which can help schools and learning centers to create a more productive and collaborative learning environment for students.
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Why Text Automation Matters in Education?
Text messaging automation is a lifesaver for schools. It can help schools stay in touch with students and parents, save time and money, and improve communication.
Schools can use text messages to send out reminders about upcoming events, attendance notifications, and other important information. Automating these tasks can help schools and learning centers ensure that everyone is aware of important information and does not miss anything.
SMS automation can also help schools automate a bunch of tasks, like sending out class schedules, reminding students about assignments, and notifying them about changes to school policies. This helps teachers focus on more important stuff and frees up their time.
Overall, Texting automation is a valuable tool that can help schools improve communication, save time and money, and stay in touch with students and parents more effectively.
Best practices to set up auto-responses
Define Your Objectives
Start by identifying your goals for using auto-responses. Are you aiming to provide quick answers to common queries, send out automated acknowledgments, or guide students and parents through specific processes? Understanding your objectives is crucial for crafting effective auto-responses.
Create a Clear Message Structure
Auto-responses should be concise and well-structured. Begin with a warm greeting or acknowledgment, followed by the main message or information. Ensure that your message is easy to read and comprehend.
Personalization
Automation is efficient, but personalization adds a human touch. Whenever possible, include the recipient’s name or refer to specific details related to their query.
In TruText, use placeholders like {contact_name}, which will automatically insert the recipient’s name into the message.This will make your messages more personal and engaging, and will help you build stronger relationships with your customers.
Provide Relevant Information
Make sure your auto-response directly addresses the query or situation. If a student or parent asks about a school event, ensure that your response contains event details, including date, time, and location.
Offer Additional Assistance
Always extend an offer for further assistance. Encourage recipients to reach out if they have more questions or need additional support. This shows your commitment to their needs.
Avoid Jargon and Technical Terms
Keep your language simple and accessible. Avoid educational jargon or technical terms that might confuse recipients. The goal is to provide clear and easily understandable information.
Test and Refine
Before deploying auto-responses on a large scale, conduct thorough testing. Send text messages to ensure the responses align with your objectives and provide the desired information. Use feedback to refine your messages further.
Monitor and Update Regularly
Auto-responses should evolve with changing needs. Regularly review and update your auto-response messages to stay current and relevant. Consider feedback from users to make improvements.
Use Keywords Wisely
If your auto-responses are triggered by specific keywords or phrases, ensure that your list of keywords is comprehensive and well-maintained. Test various keywords to cover a wide range of queries.
Set Expectations
If there are limitations to your auto-responses or specific hours when they are active, communicate this clearly. Setting expectations helps manage user expectations and avoids frustration.
How to Set up Auto-responses in TruText
Setting up Auto-Responses in TruText is a straightforward process that empowers you to automate interactions, saving time and improving communication efficiency. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it,
Access TruText Dashboard
Log in to your TruText account and access the dashboard, where you can manage your communication and settings.
Navigate to Messaging Tools
Look for the “Responder” in the “Messaging tool” section within your dashboard. There are three different automation tools within “Responder.” they all are for Automation purposes and will go through all one by one.
Set a Keyword
- Go to “New Keyword Responder”
- In the Keyword tab, type in the keyword you want to respond to. For example, “Math”.
- In the Response Message box, type in the response you want to send when someone mentions that keyword.
- For example, “Hi there! Thanks for reaching out to [School name]. If you want to book a risk-free assessment, please go to the link: Link. If you have questions about the program, please let us know!”.
Click “Save”.
That’s it! You’ve now set up a keyword responder.
Set a Schedule
Next to the “Response” option, there is a “Schedule” option. Select that and create a new schedule response.
- Create New Schedule Messages: To create a new schedule, type your message in the box, then pick the start and end times. Whenever someone texts you during those times, they will automatically get your response.
- For example, if you are a tutor and you want to set up a schedule for parents who text you during your tutoring hours, they will get this message:
- Hey, contact_name, I’m in the middle of an assessment with a new child. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!
Advanced Responder
An advanced responder is a three-part message that you set up.
- The first part is the previous message body, which is a pre-set text that you send to customers.
- The second part is the received message body, which is the text that customers send in response to the first part.
The third part is the trigger message body, which is the text you send in response to the second part.
Here is an example of an advanced responder:
- Previous message body: Hi, Parents! Our Back-to-School Program is back! Enroll before July ends and get a fantastic 25% off your child’s first month. Interested? Reply ‘YES’ now! Tips: You can use TruText’s “Broadcast tool” to send mass texting.
- Received message body: YES
- Trigger message body: Awesome! You’re all set to save 25% on your child’s first month. Use code ‘BTS25’ when enrolling to secure your discount. We’ll send you enrollment details shortly. Welcome aboard!
Integrate Auto-Response Texting with TruText
Don’t leave your customers hanging! Use automated texting to keep in touch with them and improve their experience, even when you’re closed or unavailable to respond. It’s a great way to stay top-of-mind, answer common questions, and provide timely updates.
Ready to try advanced texting? TruText’s business texting platform makes it easy to set up auto-responses for customer support, SMS marketing, sales, and more. Try it today for free!
