Do I Need Slate for Higher Education Marketing?

Modern businesses and community-based organizations are on the hunt for tools that help them consolidate processes. This is especially true for higher education institutions, which have several fast-moving departments that operate independently yet with shared goals. Colleges and universities need competitive software options that allow for consolidating the activities of admissions, academics, and alumni relations. 

Fortunately, there are many platforms on the market, but they each have perks and downsides. At Element451, we’ve spent some time describing a few customer relationship management (CRM) platforms available for higher ed. Today, we’ll turn our attention to Slate, a CRM by Technolutions. 

If you’re considering a CRM platform for your higher education marketing initiatives, is Slate the right choice? In this post, we’ll shed light on Slate for higher ed and give you the details you need to compare options with Element451.

What is Slate CRM for Higher Education?

Slate is a CRM software platform designed by Technolutions. Slate is marketed as a comprehensive, all-in-one package that supports the complete student lifecycle within higher education institutions. Slate’s toolset includes features that support admissions, student success and engagement, and post-graduation relationships.

As a comprehensive CRM, Slate helps college and university staff measure day-to-day operations and student communications. Contact capabilities include emails, text messages, web forms, online reading, and on-the-go solutions.

Slate is widely recognized for its convenience as an entirely web-based CRM service. This means that data on Slate can be read and accessed from anywhere, which improves workflow processes for separate university teams.

Possible Benefits of Using Slate 

Slate is now in use at over 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide. While this makes it a popular option, school leaders may have questions about major investments. After all, new software functionality has significant implications for both internal processes and external student relationships.

If you’re looking for a subjective breakdown of advantages to using Slate, we’ve rounded up several benefits based on key features and user experiences from consumers.  

Developed Exclusively for the Higher Education Industry 

One of the major benefits to using a tool like Slate is its development specifically for higher education. Many CRM programs are designed for broad application across multiple industries. While this isn’t always a negative, a tool that’s specifically developed with higher education in mind is more likely to solve for specific pain points, frustrations, and daily operations.

According to Oregon State University, a school with active Slate implementation, Slate provides a “unified customer relationship management system that supports the pre-enrollment process and student experience from recruitment through orientation.”

Detailed Reporting and Analytics

Slate also offers its users detailed reporting and analytics. The real-time reporting nature of these reports ensures that users always have access to actual student data, marketing performance, and even predictive analytics. Slate’s metrics features include:

• Funnel reports
• Class profile reports
• Year-over-year reports
• Weekly analytics updates

Comprehensive Features for Leadership

Slate gives insights into the details that many administrators, leaders, and decision-makers care about. For example, Slate’s in-depth data resources can be used to plan and pay for travel management, online applications, donor engagement, and alumni relationships.

These aspects of higher education play into the broader picture of a school’s longevity, performance, and permanence within the community. Slate provides end-to-end data so that school leaders can better monitor and track activities that aren’t just relevant for admissions, but are also useful for budgeting and financial planning.

The Benefits of Element451 as a Your CRM Platform—A Powerful Tool for Engagement 

Element451 is a modern marketing and enrollment platform that lets your learners lead the way. We take our specialization seriously, and we pride ourselves on student-centric experiences that also offer significant growth potential to colleges and universities around the world. 

No matter where you are in the effort to modernize your school’s internal processes or improve your brand, Element451 is bound to give you the upper hand when working with digitally savvy students and bringing them to your campus.

An Essential Part of Your Team Process

Element451 helps schools and universities of all sizes create quality solutions for the following scenarios, departments, and teams.

Digital Marketing

Deliver relevant, automated messages at the right times, based on what's happening with your applicants. Communicate with your prospective students based on who they are and what they expect, while improving your enrollment goals.

Student engagement

Provide seamless and meaningful experiences to students and their families, all without internal bottlenecks or tech stress. Let our platform help you design contemporary communications that produce big wins–for you and your students.

Application management

Make the process of applying to a new university easy and enjoyable. Our flexible, fully-online platform ensures that students know when, where, and how to apply. Online applications are also the only choice for this generation of mobile users. 

Data and intelligence

Connect all the dots with intelligent reporting and analytics. Help your school excel with admissions and enrollment metrics that allow you to identify major milestones and take a proactive approach to possible issues.

Element451 helps you prioritize your most important people—your students. It’s a modern and flexible platform that makes supporting student engagement in the digital age automated, stress-free, and relevant. You'll be able to communicate more easily, in both online and offline formats with consistent and quality messaging.

Why Personalization Matters for Your Institution

At Element451, we’re in support of personalization and innovation. What does this mean? Personalization means that the student lifecycle isn’t simply a “one size fits all” solution. Delivering key messages at the right moments should take precedence, and these actions are crucial even during a student’s first interaction.

A specialized CRM and student engagement platform such as Element451 prioritizes personalization and creates personalized pathways on your behalf.

Not only does personalization boost the chances that a student will succeed, but it also solves other pressing concerns in the current higher education landscape—like declining enrollment and attrition. When you make it a point to choose a student-centric solution, you’re taking your most valued players into account; that’s a solution that will reap tangible and consistent results for years to come.

Comparing Admissions and Enrollment CRMs for Higher Education

In a comparison of Element451 versus Slate, here’s how each platform stacks up.

Make the Best Choice for Your Higher Education Marketing

Engaging the current generation of prospective students requires proactive thinking and innovative tech solutions to match. At Element451, we understand how tech needs constantly evolve. The Element451 platform is specifically built to tackle today’s higher education challenges, while helping schools build dynamic communications strategies.

At Element451, we know that personalization is the only solution that will help you attract, educate, and retain more students. Our CRM platform has top-tier features, automations, higher education marketing tools, and metrics that your team will rely on to move the need forward.

Not an Element451 customer yet? No problem. Schedule an Element451 demo today, and let us show you how we can advance your school’s online strategies.