Comparing a texting feature to a texting platform

Information system-level texting features fall short of the capabilities of a platform like Cadence. Be it a CRM, SIS, fundraising system or other, a good information system will make your department more efficient and organized. Some even offer the ability to text students, but functionality falls short.

Budgets are real. Outcomes are not optional. Paying for duplicate services would be irresponsible. Why then do the vast majority of our clients continue to use Cadence with native information system integration?

Because reaching students is requisite.

There’s no substitute for engagement

The reason why texting is the most effective medium to reach students is that it’s personal.

• Cadence is not a CRM. It does not store or update student information. Nor does it provide the ability to review applications or make admissions decisions.

• Cadence is a messaging platform. It is about efficiently communicating. Reaching students and families. Resonating. Allowing for genuine conversations. Dispelling fallacies. Conveying outcomes.

Avoiding siloed solutions

You do not want departments to go rogue and find their own solution. This can be a support nightmare and gives staff the ability to make up any best practices they want (like the volume of text messages, or what types of phone numbers). The student experience will be disjointed and your communications strategy will be unmanaged and fraught with issues.  Get in front of the problem and provide your team with an enterprise-level platform that integrates with all of your information systems on campus.

Is your time valuable?

That’s a loaded question. Of course, your time is crucial - which is why our clients spend time reaching students and not writing queries or digging through listviews. Texting within an information system takes a lot of energy and focus and most importantly, time. The key is to enable staff to be highly personal but also highly efficient.

The SMS capabilities in most information systems are more of a framework than an out-of-the-box solution. For example, to create a shared inbox (we call it a Group Account) your administrator needs to run through a number of time-consuming steps, assigning and updating information. Whereas in Cadence, they simply click “Create Group Account” and select who has access. Plus, Mongoose Cadence is 100% higher ed focused. Our texting platform is built with the needs of colleges and universities in mind and tailored to help faculty and staff effectively communicate with students.

This graphic shows how easy it is to compose a text to a student in Cadence – complete with templates and emojis.

Cost uncertainty

With Cadence, your staff is freed up from having to keep track of credits. (Have you ever sent a batch of messages that just stopped being sent and received because you were out of credits? Or not received an unknown amount of incoming messages from students?)

Time is of the essence

The process of receiving a new message notification in Cadence happens instantly, as compared to 15 minutes or more with most information systems.  That makes it possible to have a genuine conversation. The nature of why texting is so powerful is because it’s a conversation. It’s personal. It’s immediate.

See what an enterprise texting platform can do for your school by requesting a free demo today.