WhatsApp for Education & Admissions

Educational institutions, from universities to online course providers, can use WhatsApp to streamline their admissions process, engage with prospective students, and provide better support to their current student body.

1. Lead Generation and Initial Inquiry

• Website Banners: Add a "Chat with an Admissions Advisor" button on your website that links directly to your WhatsApp number.
• Auto-Reply for Common Questions: Set up Keyword Automations to instantly answer FAQs about application deadlines, course fees, or eligibility criteria. This provides immediate value to prospective students.
  • Keywords: deadlines, fees, how to apply, requirements
  • Automated Reply: "Thanks for your interest! Our application deadline for the fall semester is August 15th. You can find all the details and start your application here: [Link]"

2. Nurturing Applicants Through the Funnel

• Create Segments: As leads come in, tag them based on their course of interest (e.g., MBA-Prospect, Engineering-2025). Create Dynamic Segments based on these tags.
• Send Targeted Information: Use Campaigns to send relevant information to these segments.
  • Example: Send a campaign about a new faculty member in the engineering department specifically to the Engineering-2025 segment.
• Application Status Updates: Use Utility Templates to send personalized updates about their application status.
  • Body Example: "Hi {{1}}, we're happy to inform you that we have received your application for the {{2}} program. We will notify you of a decision by {{3}}."

[SCREENSHOT: The Campaigns page, showing a campaign targeted at a "MBA Prospects" segment.]

3. Event Promotion and Reminders

• Promote Webinars and Open Days: Create a Marketing Template to invite prospective students to virtual open days or informational webinars. Include a "Register Now" button.
• Send Event Reminders: The day before the event, send a campaign with a Utility Template to everyone who registered, reminding them of the time and providing the event link.

4. Onboarding and Student Support

• Welcome New Students: Once a student is admitted and enrolled, move them to a new segment (e.g., Enrolled-2025). Send them a welcome campaign with important links to orientation materials, course registration, and student portals.
• Student Helpdesk: Use the Team Inbox to provide support to current students for non-urgent queries, like questions about library hours or campus services.

FAQs

Q: Is it compliant to message students who have only filled out an inquiry form? A: Yes, if you include a clear opt-in checkbox on your inquiry form. For example: [ ] "I agree to receive application updates and information about [Your Institution] on WhatsApp." This constitutes a valid opt-in for sending them relevant utility and marketing messages.

Q: How can we manage conversations with multiple admissions counselors? A: The LeadClose Team Inbox is perfect for this. New inquiries arrive in the "Unassigned" queue. Your head of admissions can then assign each conversation to a specific counselor. The counselor can see the entire chat history and provide personalized guidance.