Higher education institutions use CRM software to enhance their recruiting efforts, better communicate with constituents, and raise more money via stronger ties with alumni. HRI CRM solutions aid in data gathering, analysis, campaign launch, and management, all of which may be used to achieve these objectives.
Using a CRM approach, companies may link their strategy, philosophy, and technology via their customer and internal relationships. The success of CRM strategy also relies on the proper balance of the key organizational resources, personnel, technological resources, and business processes.
Importance of CRM in Education
Universities and government agencies have made significant efforts to enhance the quality of higher education. Thus, colleges must reassess their strategic direction in light of the many changes they must contend with.
In this instance, the requirements and patterns of distinct behavior, the more competitive worldwide marketplaces, and the constant innovation in teaching and learning processes are all essential factors.
Universities are turning to information systems and CRM technologies to identify students who need extra attention to provide more individualized service, thereby reducing the number of dropouts and maximizing the value of the service provided.
While the majority of CRM research and implementations have been created for the profit-making organization framework, the fundamental bases of CRM are highly appropriate for non-profits.
According to this theory, the modern consumer notion is more inclusive than ever before, and it extends beyond the realm of simple consumption. CRM solutions are a logical choice for companies that take a customer-centric strategy.
If a company utilizes such technologies, its ultimate goal should be to offer its consumers additional value based on a customized knowledge of their preferences. Because of the intelligence coalition of IT, working processes, database analytic techniques, and knowledge management skills, this management philosophy should help create and maintain a profit-maximizing portfolio of client connections.
Due to growing competitive pressure, non-profit organizations now provide high-quality services. Because universities are increasingly more customer/student-oriented and drawn by the benefits connected with them, CRM systems have started being used by non-profit organizations like them.
These systems are beneficial to the accomplishment of institutional objectives and the creation of good outcomes for both their own organization and its major stakeholders, namely students and researchers since their organizational culture defends a long-term relational orientation.
Finally, CRM systems should be considered a viable means of strengthening universities' value-adding processes. However, it's important to remember that just implementing new technical processes won't give us a leg up in the market.
Contrary to popular belief, a university CRM system must get a thorough understanding of its clients and utilize that understanding to make informed choices and take necessary action. This is the crux of the matter when it comes to using CRM in academic settings.
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What makes a good education CRM?
With the technological CRM tools available, We can now use database capabilities, data mining systems, and interaction technologies available in education to:
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collect and store massive amounts of data on student characteristics and behavior;
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generate knowledge about based on the insights;
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make data available to educators so they can make a greater contribution to the learning process for their students.
Even yet, current technologies have limitations when it comes to collecting and analyzing data on student behavior in a virtual environment, particularly when students work together to complete learning tasks.
Limitations
There are still limitations to following a student's behavior when they navigate and interact with the learning environment. Even though these tools allow the educator to consult the most relevant personal data like:
Another advantage of using a CRM is that it gives the educator knowledge of the students' educational needs.
Here's the list of current limitations of using such software for e-learning:
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This lack of consideration for relevant variables, such as the frequency with which students access their classroom;
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General use of online information and educational resources,
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Individual contribution to collaborative activities.
It's worth noting that earlier research on collaborative e-learning has mostly concentrated on conceptual elements of monitoring, resulting in basic and restricted monitoring tools.
Connecting with the students
Educators' function, the connection they create with students, and the impact they make on student happiness are all very important. In terms of students' satisfaction with the educator's role in helping them with their work and, particularly, in giving sufficient assistance when they run into difficulties, further concerns emerge.
Scholars unquestionably need resources that can provide precise data on their pupils' progress. Most importantly, these technologies should make it easier for academics to spot problematic circumstances and make quick, efficient corrections.
Hence, higher education CRM systems can help any educational institution achieve a better balance when it comes to connecting with potential pupils.
Take a look at the optimal sequence of contacts with a potential pupil:
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First contact - To begin, you'd contact them as soon as they show an interest in your college or university.
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Providing continuous support - There should be enough follow-up to provide help with any difficulties they encounter throughout the registration process, but not too much that makes them feel under pressure to enroll.
It would take a lot of work to provide this kind of fast, polite, and efficient service manually since it would need to constantly check incoming inquiries and keep track of exchanges between prospects and a recruiting team. The task soon becomes overwhelming when multiplied by dozens or hundreds of leads.
Instead of doing all of the legwork, CRM does it for you!
Lists of fresh prospects who have made queries may be created using the program, and these lists can be divided based on parameters like region, course, or any other criteria your institution specifies. According to the information they supplied while filling out your inquiry forms, each contact's profile will contain specific information about them.
Furthermore, your team will always know who needs to be contacted and how frequently each individual lead has been engaged with when you monitor your follow-up actions as your leads move through the enrollment process.
Your admissions staff will appreciate being able to see how many meetings were planned, how many telephone conversations were held, and many more details like these. As a result of all of these capabilities, recruiters no longer have to worry about monitoring productivity and prospect status, which frees up valuable time and energy for cultivating better connections with prospects.
Dividing students into categories
If you want to take it a step further, you may filter and categorize prospects based on how they engage with your institution.
The 'lead score' is a numerical number you may give to any interactions your prospects have with your team in CRM systems that include marketing automation capabilities.
There are a variety of actions that may assist people to go through your recruiting funnel, such as:
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going to a landing page and filling out a contact form for additional information,
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signing up for an email newsletter,
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setting up a phone call with a member of your team.
It's simpler to decide which prospects should be a high priority when you accumulate points from these types of actions. In other words, someone who has spoken with your admissions staff many times is almost likely a better quality lead than someone who requested an information packet but never followed up with your school after that.
You can quickly and easily determine whether prospects are serious about attending your university when you use a CRM designed specifically for higher education.
Recruiting new students
Starting with a general-purpose CRM platform or one built especially for student recruiting is a good starting step. An education-centric CRM has the benefit of being ready-made for student recruiting, which means the initial setup should be simple.
Using a platform designed specifically for education can help schools get started quickly with their recruitment efforts, which includes:
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built-in features like automated responses to student inquiries,
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the ability to reuse email templates across multiple departments,
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useful segmentation functionality to separate prospects based on various qualities (like domestic vs. international applicants),
Both a higher education-specific CRM and a general-purpose CRM platform may be very effective tools for recruiting new faculty and students. The most essential thing is to select a platform that your team will really utilize and that will help you achieve your goals.
Integrations with familiar platforms
Try to avoid using new tools when getting started by choosing a CRM that works well with the existing software and digital platforms your company uses. If you want to conduct and monitor campaigns focused on your particular objectives and activities, you should pick a CRM that contains all the capabilities you desire and is configurable.
Choosing a solution that is cloud-based and accessible from outside the workplace may be very beneficial. Both your personal information and the personal information of potential pupils must be protected by robust security measures.
Customer service assistance
Lastly, we should go with a CRM system that has excellent customer service. Accessible and comprehensive customer service may make all the difference if anything goes wrong or if you simply want assurance that you'll have assistance available if you need it.
Bitrix24
One of the CRMs is Bitrix24, which is an open-source software intended to streamline communication and management processes for small and big companies and educational institutions.
This software provides a comprehensive collection of features for organizing your contacts, messages, emails, files, tasks, projects, and deadlines in a single manner.
In addition to supporting web-based apps, this program is also compatible with mobile applications for your iPhone or iPad.
Bitrix24 gives you access to a wide range of tools and capabilities that let you utilize your company's/schools/organization's current systems or build your own applications from scratch. You can also invite your coworkers or teammates to participate.
Your team will be able to operate efficiently under one roof while staying on top of everything, thanks to the Activity Stream. One of the best things about Bitrix24 is that it has a large feature set, flexible pricing, and can help to organize educational work and schools in general. The following are the specifics:
By integrating CRM, your company or educational organization will be able to consolidate all of its information, activities, projects, and tasks under one umbrella.
As a result of Bitrix24's robustness, you won't need to utilize several apps to handle various problems. It is possible to upload and share files with your colleagues or teammates using this application. The program simplifies the management of projects and timetables, as well as the storage of data.
The robust and protected modules of Bitrix24 let you handle both internal and external communications. Among the many features supported by this platform are intranet services such as wiki and file sharing.
You may make and receive virtual phone calls using this software. Access rights are required to continue using social search, though.
With the help of Bitrix24's products, you may streamline, automate, and enhance your projects, deadlines, and business operations. Additionally, it has a broad range of management features including personnel directory and absence chart as well as time-tracking and planning capabilities.
Calendars, meeting managers, and event schedulers may all be accessed via Outlook and CalDAV sync. There are WebDAV versions and flexible authorization features in the Bitrix24 document libraries.
Genoo
It is a small to mid-sized professional services, software, and technology company's marketing automation solution that is hosted in the cloud. The solution supports marketers in the creation of microsites, lead management, lead scoring, and content management. Additionally, it offers tools for managing online campaigns and email automation.
Useful tools
Genoo assists users in building campaign landing pages and adding lead information to databases. Additionally, it offers analytics tools that allow users to examine the lead conversion rates of various channels, including email, the website, and more, as well as the proportion of engaged leads.
A content library in the solution can be used to store user photos, PDFs, and other data. Their CRM platform is made to assist colleges and universities in managing every stage of the student lifecycle, from recruitment through engagement with alumni.
The platform has tools for managing leads, automating marketing campaigns, and reporting data.
Integrating platform
Users can publish blogs on Genoo and add subscribers or comments to the lead database. Other CRMs can be integrated with it. The platform may be used with browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari and is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Zendesk
It is a cloud-based help desk management solution that provides adaptable tools for creating online communities, knowledge bases, and customer care portals. The system provides a front-end portal that can be customized, live chat capabilities, and connectivity with programs like Salesforce and Google Analytics.
Platform is utilized in a wide range of vertical areas, from small to large, including technology, government, media, and retail.
Customer support feature
Support staff members can maintain track of opened tickets and their status thanks to the company's online client portal. Customers can search current tickets for answers to questions similar to their own, and if they're still unsatisfied, they can create new tickets in the portal.
Additionally, it allows you to brand support pages with company logos, themes, and brand images.
Companies might create a knowledge base to cover some of the most common and frequent concerns so that customers can browse the fundamental categories of issues raised generally. Businesses can use the platform to create an online community where their users can ask questions and participate in current discussions.
Various plans
Depending on a company's demands, there are five different Zendesk Suite plans available. To choose which package is ideal for your business or education, you can connect with the platform.
A variety of solutions are available on their CRM for Education platform for student engagement, fundraising, and recruitment. It also integrates with other online donating and financial management products.
Velocify
The solution is a cloud-based lead management system made for mortgage brokers, colleges, and insurance companies. Pulse, Lead Manager, Loan Engagement, and Dial IQ are some of the various sales tools that are available through the solution.
A salesforce automation solution called Velocify Pulse assists sales teams in managing calls, creating emails to send to prospects and a list of recipients using pre-built templates, and sending them.
Additionally, by updating status and setting reminders on the portal, it helps sales representatives manage follow-ups and schedule tasks using data automation.
Customer support feature
By enabling sales teams to call prospects, text them, send emails to them, and review previous conversations, Velocify's lead management functionality aids Salesforce in managing leads.
Lead routing capabilities, lead scoring and prioritizing, duplicate lead management tools, and process automation are further features. The solution is based on a monthly subscription fee per user.
It is a well-known CRM software with options for marketing, sales, and customer support. Features like lead management, marketing automation, and social media management are included in its education-specific edition to assist universities and institutions in managing their marketing initiatives and student recruiting.
Oracle Cloud CX
Oracle Cloud CX guarantees that every customer is valued and supported for businesses aiming to live up to the high service expectations of their clients. Businesses have the resources they need to provide wonderful customer experiences that not only foster and sustain loyalty but also increase sales thanks to the customer experience suite.
Platform offers rich customer experience applications for every phase of a client's journey, including those that take place online, in contact centers, and on social media.
It's the perfect fit for businesses in a range of sectors, including retail, travel and entertainment, the public sector, and internet services, that have extensive customer networks.
Use of platform
Numerous users regularly use the internet for a variety of purposes, including work, study, entertainment, and more. Platform offers customers of a business a helpful, branded online experience via a computer or smartphone, enabling anytime access to carry out research, address problems, and make purchases of goods and services.
As a result of their constant mobility, today's consumers are just as likely to access your website using a smartphone as through a desktop computer. To deliver a consistent web experience, this system optimizes services for a wide range of smart devices.
Useful both for education and business
After considering the top CRM platforms for education in 2024, it is clear that Bitrix24 stands out as the best option. It offers a wide range of tools and features that make it an ideal choice for educational institutions looking to manage student data, enrollment, and engagement.
The platform is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each institution. This is particularly important for educational institutions, which often have specific requirements and workflows that must be accommodated.
Bitrix24 has a strong track record of success in the education industry. Many educational institutions have already adopted it and have reported positive results, citing its ease of use, comprehensive features, and excellent customer support.
With service, businesses can keep an eye on consumer comments on social media platforms and reply to them. They can also include social media into their brand strategy, which is crucial in today's market to boost customer satisfaction and foster loyalty.
For managing student data, enrollment, and engagement, its Education Cloud provides all-inclusive solutions. The platform is intended to support academic institutions in forging closer bonds with their former students and graduates.
Types of Different CRMs
1. Operational Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Due to the tool's ability to organize contact information and establish standard operating procedures, it may be used for automation, including the following:
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Automated advertising and marketing
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Increasing sales via computerized sales processes
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Automated service provisioning
Various departments may collaborate in this manner to capture, nurture your organization. Leads from various channels, such as MailChimp or Outreach, may be immediately imported into the CRM.
Operational CRM examples include the following: in terms of operational CRM tools, two excellent and well-known examples are Hubspot and Salesforce.
2. CRMs with analytic capabilities
In order to make better use of the student or consumer information collected, analytical CRMs are used by businesses. These include things like student/client preferences, communication methods, interest areas, strengths and weaknesses, and more.
Analytical CRMs, on the other hand, assist in understanding students/customers rather than just assigning them to the panel or sales funnel. Data mining components may then collect even more information, including trends and patterns, using the contact data as a starting point.
As a result, schools and businesses may make better choices by using the data they currently gather.
3. Collaborative
Collaborative CRMs enable your organization's various teams to exchange general, student, or customer information. This CRM places a greater emphasis on customer care than operational CRMs typically do.
Collaborative CRMs let departments like sales and marketing, as well as support teams, better share information. Because these divisions often operate independently, it's more difficult to respond to student/consumer inquiries.
CRMs that allow collaboration make it simpler to manage customer interactions. Analytical CRM case studies include the following: improve your client relationship management by using Pipedrive or Copper.
4. Campaign management
Campaign management CRMs are frequently referred to as analytical CRMs or operational CRMs. That's because they combine the characteristics that make it possible to utilize consumer data and insights to conduct marketing or sales campaigns.
However, if your aim is to use contact information to plan, manage, and analyze better projects for schools or campaigns, you must differentiate between this kind of CRM system and others.
Popular platforms like Bitrix24 and Outreach connect with many email campaign providers, making it feasible to execute campaigns from a CRM. This was discussed in the article's section on operational CRMs.
If the activity is reversed, then the CRM may be used to conduct a project or campaign that is then sent out through email integration software.
Case studies in Customer Relationship Management for projects or campaigns are the following: ActiveCampaign is a customer relationship management system (CRM) designed specifically for sending email information.
5. Strategic Customer Relationship Management
Strategic CRM focuses on students/customers and is often included in the collaborative CRM definition. Gathering data on students/consumers and their interactions with your school/company may help them strengthen their connection with them in this case.
Strategic CRMs are of the customer relationship management (CRM) kind. You get immediate information, but it also changes or customizes your interpersonal interactions over time. If your school's emphasis is on long-term connections rather than fast results and brief campaigns, this approach may be beneficial to you.
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FAQ
What is an educational CRM?
Educational CRM is a tool used by educational institutions and organizations to manage and analyze interactions with stakeholders. It is designed to help institutions improve engagement, retention, and enrollment by streamlining communication and automating processes.
Is CRM effective in educational marketing?
Yes, CRM can be effective in educational marketing as it allows institutions to target specific audiences, track interactions, and analyze data to inform marketing strategies. It can help institutions personalize communications, nurture leads, and increase conversions.
What is the use of CRM in higher education?
To manage and evaluate interactions with students, alumni, funders, and other stakeholders, higher education institutions use CRM. By streamlining communication and automating procedures, it can assist universities in enhancing engagement, retention, and enrolment.
