Velocity Media Blog

Retention Starts with Support: Automate & Elevate Student Experience

Written by Shawn Greyling | Sep 10, 2025 7:15:00 AM

In the modern higher education environment, student support services are no longer a back-office function — they are central to the student experience and a critical driver of retention. Yet, many institutions across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Mauritius still rely on fragmented systems, siloed communication, and reactive intervention strategies that simply don’t keep pace with today’s student expectations.

At Velocity, we understand that supporting students means more than answering questions. It means proactively identifying risks, delivering timely interventions, and nurturing each student’s journey from registration to graduation. As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, we implement customised CRM solutions that unify student data, automate support workflows, and ultimately improve both retention and satisfaction.

Covered in this article

The Challenge: Disconnected Systems and Reactive Support
The Solution: Unify Student Support with HubSpot CRM
Common Use Cases for Student Support Teams
Why Choose Velocity
Better Support = Better Retention
FAQs

The Challenge: Disconnected Systems and Reactive Support

Student support professionals often struggle with a lack of visibility. Information is scattered across emails, spreadsheets, legacy platforms, and disconnected systems — making it nearly impossible to  track a student's full experience or respond to early warning signs in time.

Without a unified view of the student, teams face challenges like:

  • Missed or delayed interventions

  • Inconsistent follow-ups

  • Repetitive manual communication

  • Poor collaboration between departments

  • Inability to measure student support impact

The result? Declining retention rates, lower satisfaction scores, and preventable student dropouts.

The Solution: Unify Student Support with HubSpot CRM

Velocity configures and deploys HubSpot CRM to empower student support teams with one centralised, intelligent system. With a single source of truth and automation tools designed for student success, institutions can transform reactive support into proactive engagement.

Track Every Interaction in One Place

  • Consolidate case notes, communication logs, and status updates

  • Easily view academic history, support tickets, and engagement data

  • Improve handovers and collaboration between advisors, counsellors, and faculty

Automate Follow-Ups and Escalations

  • Set automated reminders for check-ins and response deadlines

  • Trigger alerts for at-risk behaviour (e.g. missed classes, unread emails)

  • Create task queues for support staff and auto-assign responsibilities

Monitor and Measure Impact

  • Track resolution times, satisfaction surveys, and intervention outcomes

  • Build dashboards to identify support trends and areas of concern

  • Report on student engagement metrics in real time

Personalise Communication at Scale

  • Send automated, personalised messages via email, WhatsApp, or SMS

  • Tailor messaging based on support needs, academic standing, or programme

  • Keep students informed, engaged, and encouraged throughout the year

Common Use Cases for Student Support Teams

Student support teams are essential to driving retention, satisfaction, and student success — but many are held back by manual processes and disconnected systems. By implementing a unified CRM like HubSpot, support teams can streamline case management, automate interventions, and engage students more proactively.

Whether tracking at-risk behaviours or coordinating follow-ups across departments, Velocity helps higher education institutions build smarter, more responsive support ecosystems.

Below are common use cases where our CRM solutions deliver measurable impact.

Objective How Velocity + HubSpot Helps
Proactively support at-risk students Early alert triggers and intervention workflows
Streamline case management Unified student profiles and task assignments
Improve communication Automated reminders and multichannel messaging
Track support outcomes Real-time dashboards and satisfaction metrics
Align academic and support teams Shared CRM notes and cross-team collaboration tools

Why Choose Velocity

As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, we don’t just offer software — we offer strategy, configuration, and partnership that drives results.

Full-Funnel RevOps and Digital Transformation

Velocity delivers a comprehensive RevOps approach that synchronises marketing, sales, and customer success into a unified, revenue-generating ecosystem. We specialise in aligning teams, enabling AI-driven lead management, and providing revenue intelligence that supports precise forecasting. By automating key lifecycle moments such as onboarding, renewals, and retention, we help institutions and enterprises maximise customer lifetime value while scaling operations with ease.

AI and Automation Innovation

Our AI and automation services are designed to optimise efficiency, elevate customer experiences, and unlock new opportunities for growth. From custom AI agents and intelligent chatbots to automated content generation and workflow streamlining, Velocity empowers organisations to operate smarter and faster. Our solutions enable hyper-personalised engagement at scale, driving stronger connections and measurable outcomes.

HubSpot Diamond-Tier CRM Mastery

As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, Velocity brings world-class expertise in CRM implementation and optimisation. We transform HubSpot into a powerful growth engine, integrating inbound marketing, sales enablement, and customer service into a seamless ecosystem. This ensures that every interaction is data-driven, personalised, and built to strengthen long-term relationships.

Data-Centric, Results-Driven Approach

We believe that strategy should always be backed by evidence. Our data-driven methodology ensures that decisions are informed by real-time dashboards, actionable analytics, and revenue intelligence. By focusing on measurable performance, we empower our clients to make agile adjustments that improve predictability, consistency, and results.

End-to-End, Seamless Execution

Velocity is more than a consultancy—we are a partner in execution. From process audits and strategic planning to CRM integration, marketing automation, and content strategy, we deliver full-funnel solutions that eliminate silos and enable consistent delivery across the customer journey.

Unique Media Reach and Local Insight

Beyond consultancy, Velocity also operates leading city media platforms that connect brands to engaged communities. This unique media presence provides an added layer of reach and influence, giving our clients access to high-value audiences and region-specific market insights.

Better Support = Better Retention

Your support teams are the heartbeat of your institution’s student success strategy. With the right CRM tools in place, they can act faster, communicate better, and deliver the kind of proactive care that keeps students enrolled and engaged.

Let’s turn support into your institution’s competitive advantage. Book a discovery call with Velocity today to see how we can help you implement HubSpot CRM for student support.

FAQs

1. What is admissions automation software?

Admissions automation software is a digital platform that streamlines the student application process using workflows, tracking tools, and CRM integration. It replaces manual admissions tasks with automated systems that boost efficiency and improve the applicant experience.

2. How does admissions automation software work?

It automates key steps in the admissions process — from lead capture and enquiry follow-ups to application tracking and communication. Systems like HubSpot enable real-time updates, automatic reminders, and personalised interactions across channels like email, WhatsApp, and SMS.

3. Why use admissions automation software?

Because it saves time, reduces human error, and improves conversion rates. By automating repetitive tasks and improving data visibility, your team can focus on high-impact engagement with prospective students.

4. What features does admissions automation software include?

Core features typically include CRM integration, automated email/SMS workflows, lead scoring, applicant tracking pipelines, analytics dashboards, and task automation for admissions teams.

5. How to choose admissions automation software?

Evaluate platforms based on ease of use, CRM functionality, automation capabilities, integration options, reporting tools, and sector relevance. Higher education teams often benefit from custom-configured CRMs like HubSpot.

6. What are the benefits of admissions automation software?

  • Faster response times to enquiries

  • Improved applicant nurturing

  • Lower application abandonment rates

  • Streamlined internal workflows

  • Better reporting and forecasting

7. How much does admissions automation software cost?

Pricing varies based on users, features, and deployment scale. HubSpot, for example, offers a free CRM with paid tiers for advanced automation, custom reporting, and integrations.

8. When should you implement admissions automation software?

Ideally 3–6 months before your next intake cycle. This allows time to set up, customise workflows, train staff, and ensure data integrity across platforms.

9. Where can I find admissions automation software?

Platforms like HubSpot, Slate, Ellucian, and Salesforce offer admissions automation solutions. Velocity recommends and configures HubSpot CRM for higher education teams across Africa.

10. How to integrate admissions automation software with CRM?

Many tools offer native integrations or API access. HubSpot integrates easily with your website forms, application portals, email platforms, and student databases for seamless data syncing.

11. Why is admissions automation software important?

It helps institutions scale recruitment without scaling admin. It ensures consistency in communication, enhances the applicant experience, and supports data-driven decision-making.

12. How to automate student enquiries and follow-ups?

Use workflows to trigger email responses, schedule calls, assign tasks, or send reminders based on form submissions, lead scores, or inactivity over a set period.

13. What admissions automation software do universities use?

Many use HubSpot for its flexibility, ease of use, and marketing capabilities. Others use Slate, Salesforce Education Cloud, or Ellucian CRM Recruit — depending on institutional size and budget.

14. How to track application progress with admissions software?

Use a CRM pipeline to visualise each applicant’s stage — from enquiry to application, to offer, and to enrolment. Admissions staff can log updates, notes, and documents along the way.

15. What metrics measure admissions automation success?

Key metrics include enquiry-to-application rate, application completion rate, lead response time, conversion rate, and cost-per-enrolment. Dashboards provide real-time performance insights.

16. Why choose HubSpot for admissions automation?

HubSpot offers intuitive workflows, a flexible CRM, powerful marketing tools, and excellent integration options. Velocity configures it specifically for higher education institutions.

17. How can admissions automation improve conversion rates?

It enables timely and personalised communication, ensuring leads don’t go cold. Lead scoring also helps prioritise follow-ups, while automation reduces response time and drop-offs.

18. When does admissions automation deliver ROI?

Most institutions see ROI within one to two intake cycles, especially when paired with strategic implementation, lead nurturing, and full-funnel campaign tracking.