If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you know that our team loves SMS marketing – we did build a native texting automation platform, after all.

Why do we rave about it so much? For one, it’s proven to work. From higher open rates to better engagement, SMS marketing isn’t just a fad! And the best part of those alluring metrics? SMS marketing works for almost every type of industry and any audience.

Not quite sold on that last bit yet? Keep reading to see how a college or university can interact with their alumni (a niche audience, right?) through easy-to-implement SMS marketing campaigns.

Surveys

Your school’s alumni can be a powerful marketing tool. Your team can utilize their first-hand experiences to influence prospective students and encourage them to attend alumni events, keeping them engaged with your community. But first, you need to gather their insights! With SMS marketing, you can do this in multiple ways:

• Engage in a 1:1 texting conversation where you ask questions back and forth
• Send out a link to a survey to see what they liked or disliked about their time at your school, what they’re up to now, and whether or not they’d be interested in future events or communication

Announcements or Updates

SMS marketing is a sure-fire way to get a message to your alumni. So, try using text message campaigns to alert them of important news like networking events or other alumni-only gatherings. If they’re already signed up for an event or have shown interest, you can use SMS to confirm their spot or send them reminders of time and venue. If you don’t want to limit yourself to just events or “newsy updates,” you can also text them nostalgic blogs or other useful content they may enjoy!

User-Generated Content

Don’t have time to write a new blog? Trying to find a different point of view? Need more details on post-graduate life? Try using SMS marketing to send campaigns encouraging user-generated content. You can ask them to share their experiences via a short text or have them submit a more lengthy piece of material. You can also ask them to share on social media using a specified hashtag!

Pro Tip: Make sure your alumni know about your SMS campaigns by letting them opt-in through email, website, or social media. Just add a simple message like, “Text JOIN to 278-29 to sign up for our SMS newsletter!”

Job Searches

When graduation day comes, some students are already employed or have jobs lined up. Some may need a little help right off the bat. Others may need assistance a few years down the road. No matter the case, SMS marketing can come in handy for alumni seeking employment. Text message marketing can connect recent graduates or other alumni with someone within your university who’s in charge of job recruitment or placement. Send them information like recent posts, hiring events, or interview tips. Don’t let them miss out on an important date, and use your SMS campaigns to set up appointments and send reminders.

Donation Requests

Universities are well-known for using their alumni as a fundraising tool. It often works — as long as you come off sincere! After creating a sense of connection with your alumni through your various engagement methods, you can employ an SMS campaign to ask for a donation. With the right SMS platform, you can dig into your analytics to know the best time of day to send and tap into personalization tactics to make the text seem more endearing.

Get Started

Now that you have some ideas on what to text your alumni, you’ll need a platform to do it. SMSZap is an SMS marketing automation tool built for HubSpot by HubSpot experts. In just a few moments, you can be up and running and engaging with not only your alumni but everyone associated with your school! Sign up today or reach out to one of our SMS advisors if you’d like to go over anything.