WhatsApp chatbot for education institutions: Benefits and use cases

1. Automating admissions and application

Applicants often have countless queries about the admissions process, application procedures, and other aspects of enrollment.

WhatsApp chatbots can automate this support system in the following ways:

• Responding to the basic queries regarding eligibility, program details, application deadlines, required documents, etc.
• Guide candidates through the application process by providing step-by-step instructions.
• Assist with document collection by gathering necessary documents like academic records and contact information.
• Notify candidates of their application status in real-time, including prompts to upload missing documents or complete the application process before deadlines.
• Act as virtual assistants and share videos and images about the institution, campus life, scholarships, events, etc.

2. Personalized learning support

You can integrate WhatsApp chatbots with AI tools to make them more useful for students. Such WhatsApp chatbots can easily pull information from your institute’s knowledge base and resources and answer students’ FAQs.

They are also capable of providing tutoring assistance through quiz sessions, bite-sized learning modules, etc. You can connect WhatsApp chatbots to analytics tools to measure student engagement and identify areas of improvement.

Additionally, they allow students to send feedback directly to the course conductor. Administrators can also circulate surveys and questionnaires on WhatsApp through chatbots, even while a course is in session.

3. Timely updates

WhatsApp chatbots simplify how you make announcements to your stakeholders. You can instantly deliver all the important information about deadlines, course changes, exam schedules, assignment reminders, event notifications, and updates straight to students' handsets.

They allow you to personalize these updates by crafting tailored messages for different receivers. For example, you can have different messaging for trustees and students.

Additionally, if a student is late for class, you can use the chatbot to send them reminders to check in or report.

4. Multilingual communication

WhatsApp chatbots can communicate in various languages. This allows you to engage diverse student groups in the language they are comfortable with.

For example, when a candidate reaches out through your WhatsApp channel, your chatbot can share a greeting in various languages and allow the candidate to choose the one they wish to converse in.

It helps enhance accessibility to your institute’s resources and keeps the students engaged in learning and institute updates.

5. Enhancing administrative efficiencies

WhatsApp chatbots eliminate manual work of query response and management by automating them. WhatsApp is now equipped with payments as well, enabling you to automate fee collection as well.

You can set automated reminders for important deadlines and events and have the chatbot communicate them to students. WhatsApp chatbots can also direct students to relevant resources by sharing the right links, drastically reducing call center workloads and the need for human agents in the loop.

Admissions and enrollment

Admissions and enrollment processes require exhaustive question-answering and paperwork. Here is how you can use WhatsApp chatbots:

1. Application process optimization

Use WhatsApp chatbots to answer student FAQs about the application process. Set up the chatbot to guide students through the application process, starting with sharing URLs from where they can download the forms.

You can configure these chatbots to collect application fees and necessary documents and organize them in company folders to streamline the process. With help from AI, WhatsApp chatbots can verify student documentation as well.

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Student support ecosystem

Students require support throughout their educational journey. You can use WhatsApp chatbots to set up a student ecosystem in the following ways:

1. 24/7 student inquiry management

Use WhatsApp chatbots to set up round-the-clock resource access for students. Let your students retrieve course information, enrollment procedures, institution guidelines and policies, and other details through the chatbot.

This way, students can access useful information without visiting offices or premises, saving time and energy.

Additionally, use chatbots to handle student inquiries on diverse subjects (courses, fees, deadlines, etc.) as they arise.

Marketing and engagement

Educational institutions must market their programs and courses to attract students and teaching talent. WhatsApp chatbots prove to be extremely useful here:

Operational efficiency

Educational institutions deal with truckloads of administrative work and paper management. WhatsApp chatbots can reduce that:

Step 1: Identify primary use cases and goals

Chatbots perform well when you clearly define their tasks and functions. These features depend on the primary use case and goals you want to achieve. Outline the current state of your institute’s communications and assess how you want the WhatsApp chatbot to transform the processes.

Your goals can include admissions assistance, document collection, institutional communication, etc. For example, you can use WhatsApp chatbots to collect student documents necessary to initiate the admissions process.

Step 2: Choose a no-code chatbot builder

Coding is no longer a challenge, even if you want to build a fully custom chatbot. Select a reliable, capable, no-code platform specializing in chatbots, like Gallabox. This platform allows you to create custom WhatsApp chatbots for educational institutions and integrate them with AI for natural conversations.

No-code chatbot builders also offer lead-generation features, workflow automation, and much more.

Step 3: Customize chatbot templates

Templates are purpose-built workflows that you can utilize to create custom chatbots. They shorten the development time and give you a head start. You can select templates based on purpose (lead generation, student support, etc.) and features (AI, automation, etc.).

Remember that advanced features aren’t always necessary for every use case. Evaluate your needs thoroughly before selecting a template.

Step 4: Test your chatbot

Testing helps identify functionality errors, verify the accuracy of responses, and streamline the backend. Conduct the following chatbot tests to ensure chatbot integrity before launch:

• Ad hoc: To test the chatbot using real-life, spontaneous scenarios instead of using a set testing plan.
• A/B: To compare 2 chatbot versions to see which one performs better.
• RPA: To check that the chatbot effectively integrates with and automates your business processes.
• Usability: To assess the chatbot's ease of use and overall UX through real user interactions.
• Security testing: To identify vulnerabilities in the chatbot like data encryption, authentication, etc.

Step 5: Launch and monitor

Launch your chatbot to the target users and monitor it closely. Gather and track its performance through total interactions, average chat duration, Goal Completion Rate (GCR), missed utterances, human takeover rate, etc. This will highlight the chatbot’s effectiveness in solving the purpose it was designed for.

Gen AI integration

Humanize every interaction with natural conversations using the power of ChatGPT integration. Gallabox provides a ready connector to merge ChatGPT with your bot in a single click.

Conversation workflow automation

Automate conversation workflows using drag-and-drop actions. Leverage predefined templates and media to quickly create a relevant, accurate outreach message for your target audience. It helps you save time and enhance productivity.

Shared team inbox

Gallabox features a WhatsApp shared inbox with real-time context and holistic views of student interactions. It helps you share live updates with team members and improve collaboration using mentions and notes. You can manage chats as teams to simplify organization and access.

Multilingual bot

Gallabox’s chatbots can converse in 60 languages, offering great flexibility when making your communications accessible to diverse target users.

Furthermore, Gallabox is a Meta tech partner powered by official WhatsApp Business API. You can trust Gallabox’s no-code WhatsApp chatbot builder with your eyes closed.

What is the cost of deploying a WhatsApp chatbot for schools?

The cost is variable and depends on the no-code platform you select and the add-ons and feature enhancements you choose for your chatbot.

Can chatbots handle sensitive data like fee payments securely?

Yes, WhatsApp is encrypted end-to-end, making all the data and transactions safe. You can secure all financial transactions over WhatsApp with strong authentication processes.

How long does it take to set up a chatbot for an institution?

Traditional chatbot development takes anywhere from a few weeks to months to finish. However, with Gallabox, you can set up your customer chatbot within minutes using the no-code builder.