Email and SMS marketing for admissions teams: following up before the fee deadline

Fibvo editorial · 31 May 2025 · 4 min read

An admissions enquiry that goes unfollowed for even a few days during a compressed admissions window can be lost to a competing institute who followed up faster, or simply lost to inaction as the family's attention moves elsewhere.

What the sequence should include

• Immediate acknowledgement with next steps and a counselling call booking option.
• A follow-up addressing common concerns — fees, hostel, placement record — if the family has gone quiet.
• A clear, specific fee deadline reminder as that date approaches.

Segmenting by decision stage

A family who has completed a counselling call needs different content than one who has only submitted an initial enquiry — segment follow-up accordingly rather than sending the same generic message regardless of where each family actually stands.

In a compressed admissions window, an enquiry followed up a day late is often an enquiry lost entirely to whichever institute responded first.

SMS for time-sensitive reminders

SMS often gets read faster than email for urgent, time-sensitive reminders like a fee deadline or a counselling call confirmation — use it specifically for these moments rather than as a general marketing channel.

---

Written by Fibvo — Bengaluru and Erode, India — working with clients in other time zones. Questions, or think we have it wrong? Tell us.