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With declining enrollment, dwindling budgets, and COVID lockdown, Universities across the globe are finding themselves unable to acquire and satisfy the needs of a modern-day student. Maintaining bottom lines, as well as reaching out to relevant students to increase enrollment is giving sleepless nights to administrators.
Like every other industry, the education sector is also looking into advanced technologies with hope, to conquer their challenges. And, artificial intelligence has turned out to be the savior everyone was looking for.
ORAI held a virtual conference on “AI-enabled Universities”, where top AI gurus and leaders from the education sector shed some light on how AI is bringing solid results in terms of student outreach and student experience, nationwide and across the globe.
In this blog, we’ll be discussing some highlights from the virtual conference. So, let’s dive right in!
Student outreach beyond multichannel marketing
When running student outreach campaigns, Universities face a wide range of challenges. Leads from channels like Email and Facebook have become questionable in terms of quality and relevance.
But, with AI Chatbot implementation, Universities get to provide natural conversations for students in various languages. This engages students on a deeper level, allowing them to perfectly understand their options. Students get real-time answers to their queries on any platform of their choice.
1. Omnichannel marketing with AI
The concept of multichannel marketing is fading rapidly, with omnichannel marketing taking its place. What’s the reason? Well, today, consumers wish to have a unified experience when they connect with a business through different channels. For instance, students expect Universities to remember their specific details when they switch from a Facebook interaction to a WhatsApp conversation. This has been made possible by AI Chatbots. An AI can remember the name, selected course, and other specific details, and continue the conversation when a student switches from one digital channel to another.
2. Conversational marketing with AI
AI-powered Chatbots replace conventional marketing with conversational marketing for Universities across messaging platforms and websites. Students feel like they are having a natural conversation with an actual person on the other side. This happens because:
1. An AI Chatbot learns from the conversations and deploys the best elements automatically
2. It gives immediate answers to the questions, no matter how complex or specific they are
3. It can contact, follow-up, and qualify leads across multiple channels 24/7.
In a nutshell, AI has made conversational marketing smarter and a lot more effective
Personalized student experience for higher enrollment rate
Most students search for Universities and courses at least a year before the admission time arrives. Administrators shouldn’t waste all that time, letting students research on their own. They need help throughout their journey as a student, including the research phase – and AI can make it possible when implemented into Chatbots.
AI eases every step of a student’s journey for universities. Before application submission, AI Chatbots can deliver relevant details regarding programs, courses, and/or specializations. It can also qualify leads in terms of the chances of enrollment, so administrators can focus their marketing approach accordingly. Moreover, it strengthens personalization when delivering the required information to students. Hence, students feel more engaged throughout their journey of discovering a University/College and Courses/Programs.
AI-assisted student admission and retention campaigns
The interactive nature of AI Chatbots allows students to receive excellent material and data continuously. This removes all confusion from the young minds, which paves a smooth path to enrollment.
Beyond that, AI-enabled Universities can create automated interventions for individual students who suffer from social isolation or homesickness, hence becoming a valuable tool to retain and engage students in their respective programs.
Saving cost with AI chatbots
Identifying and reaching out to students who perfectly fit recruitment models of a university or college, and then giving them a personalized experience during application inquiry, acceptance, enrollment, studies, graduation, and alumni engagement. This is how a university can improve its bottom line, and boost its reputational value.
While enrollment and student retention improve, the administrators feel less pressure on their shoulders, allowing them to deliver better campus experience.
Keeping all that into account, it becomes clear how AI-enabled universities save a lot of money, which can be used to deliver better academic experience.
How Indian universities can adopt AI
For Indian universities, it is of utmost importance to realize the potential of AI initially. Student experience, time efficiency, relevance, and relationships, everything has come down to the presence of a reliable AI solution. So, realizing that would be great for universities. Then comes the step where they need to find an innovative solution and experts who can provide smooth adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence.
Conclusion
Around the globe, Universities are implementing AI to upgrade their student outreach strategy. AI chatbots are helping education institutions answer highly complex questions instantly and connecting students with counselors in real-time.
ORAI’s arrival has brought its AI-powered virtual assistant to revolutionize the education sector. Tech gurus and education leaders are feeling optimistic and excited to adopt this technology to leverage all the advantages discussed during the virtual conference.
If you desire a demo, ORAI is here for you!
Stay connected!
Swapnil Jain
CEO-ORAI Robotics
Stay in contact with ORAI