Senati: Streamlining student enrollment with two-way SMS

50,000

leads generated during campaign

400%

ROI achieved

10%

conversion rate

Challenge

Low enrollment rates from students with no internet access

Senati’s primary goal, at the beginning of a student’s journey, is to guide them through the application process. The marketing team is responsible for making sure that all available spaces are filled at the time of online enrollment.

The institute communicates application deadlines, exam registrations, and exam results through email. Most of these notifications are time-sensitive and require students to respond by a certain deadline.

However, since a significant number of Senati’s applicants come from lower-income households, many don’t have access to the internet, or their email, on a regular basis to receive or respond to time-sensitive information. This made it challenging for Senati to communicate the value and benefits of the institute to their target audience.

Solution

Using two-way SMS to reach more applicants throughout the enrollment process

Senati decided to implement a new communication channel which majority of their applicants had access to – SMS.

Recent research shows that while not everyone has a smartphone with internet access, 5 billion people in the world (about 65% of the current population) can send and receive SMS messages. This number is expected to grow to 6 billion (about 78% of the current population)by the year 2025.

Statistics for global SMS usage

For this reason, Senati decided to create a comprehensive customer journey via SMS messaging to ensure important enrollment information is still accessible to students with little or no internet access. This was also introduced as a new channel to those who have regular access to internet, however, prefer to communicate via text message rather than email.

Using Infobip’s two-way SMS solution, Senati now enables applicants to:

  • Receive instructions for how to register for their entrance exam 
  • Receive reminders for key dates in the admission process
  • Stay updated with the status of their admission – based on whether they passed or failed the exam 
  • Receive details on how to complete the enrollment process and prepare for their first term (for those who passed the exam) 

Now, Senati can also communicate their value proposition along with new initiatives to keep potential students updated and motivated to enroll in their programs.

Result

A surge in student enrollment and ROI of 400%

The SMS campaign increased Senati's number of leads and conversion rate

A total of 800 students enrolled as a direct result, and for every S/.1 (Peruvian sol) invested in the campaign, Senati saw a return of S/.5 in enrollment and tuition fees – a 400% ROI.

Plans are now in place for Senati to work with Infobip on the build of a complete omnichannel communication system that includes Infobip’s email and voice services. This way, applicants have the option to receive messages on the channel that suits their preferences most. Senati aims to continue enhancing the enrollment process with relevant, contextual communication channels.

Working with Infobip made introducing a new communication channel to our students and applicants easier than expected. Using SMS to share important information increased our amount of leads and applicants and gave us an ROI of 400%! We’re excited to explore and introduce more channels in the future to make the application process even more seamless.

Alvaro José Carrillo Chero

Customer Experience & CRM

Company Profile

Senati

Senati is a well-known educational institution in Peru that has been established for almost 60 years. With an extensive range of vocational courses, it provides thousands of young adults the opportunity to receive an education in technical professions, such as facilities, repairs, and maintenance. Courses are designed to support further education, retraining, and professional advancement – with nine out of ten students securing employment within the first six months of graduating.