Why a Multi-channel platform is essential for your school communication
2-minute read.
As pioneers and leaders in school communication and parent engagement, it’s our duty to perform accurate research and inform schools on trends and effective strategies.
Methods like PC or mobile website, SMS, mobile apps, email and SMS messaging or printed materials are available to schools – but which is the right one to use?
Well the short answer is it depends… and all of them! The right channel (SMS, App, email, website, hardcopy print or social media) depends on the type of information (content) you need to send and the age (demographic) of your audience. The image above explains this better.
Contact Us
The other issue is that every channel has different levels of engagement. SMS has over 98% (but mustn’t be overused), Apps around 15% (but don’t get immediate attention), Email 20% (and only if they don’t get though spam filters), and mobile website about 80% (but parents don’t spend much time reading them).
The other big problem is schools then need a system for each type of channel, which is a really messy, time-consuming and unreliable way for schools to communicate.
Schools need one multi-channel platform to make sure they’re reaching their school community 100% of the time.
That’s why we developed the MGM Outreach+ platform – because it does just that. It interfaces with your current school database to access all your parent and student contact details (with family grouping info as well), and the delivers information across any or all platforms with a simple mouse click, and best of all, parents can choose how they would like to receive their information.
In App Messaging and SMS
Did you know that SMS is 99% effective in reaching your school community to share urgent information?
Our Multi-Channel approach includes our app – School Star, and is the only app that uses Integrated 2-Way In-App Messaging with Automatic Failover To SMS. So if parents don’t have mobile data or the app installed, a message will still reach them by SMS.
Reducing School SMS Costs
Whilst SMS is highly effective, it can also be costly. That’s why MGM Outreach+ uses low cost secure 2-way app messaging by default, but if the Parent doesn’t have the app, or no mobile data or WIFI, Outreach+ automatically switches to SMS!
This way your school is guaranteed to save costs – yet continue to reach 99% of parents reliably.
Contact Us
Won’t Leak your School Data on the Internet
Sharing your internal school issues and information with the public is simply wrong. Unless an individual is known to your school, they should be locked out! This high-level of security will ensure that your school information is only shared with your school community and will prevent dangerous leakages of information and photographs that should remain private and limited to approved users.
Unlike most every other School Apps, MGM School Star (which comes with MGM Outreach+) is secure. It only allows know school community members like parents, students, old scholars and grandparents access.
One multi-channel platform to reach 100% of your school community, 100% of the time.
So, to reach all your school community demographics to deliver the huge variety of content like school news, newsletters, personalised messages, alerts, absence notifications, sport, cancellations, emergencies, notices, information, timetables, parent sick note forms, school documents calendar invites, event reminders and so much more, check out MGM Outreach+.
