Automation in education: Using HubSpot workflows to save time

Digitalization is transforming the way educational institutions operate, communicate and manage students. In this context, automation in education is no longer a luxury, but a necessity to optimize processes, save time and offer more personalized experiences.

With a CRM like HubSpot, universities, colleges and academies can automate everything from applicant recruitment to communication with students and alumni. As a HubSpot partner, we've seen how well-designed workflows reduce repetitive tasks and free the team to focus on what matters most: student success.

What does automation in education mean?

Automation in education refers to the use of technology to execute tasks automatically, reducing manual intervention.
Examples include:

• Reminder emails about enrollment dates.

• Automatic assignment of an applicant to an advisor.

• Sending satisfaction surveys at the end of a course.

The objective is not to replace staff, but to give them more time to focus on interactions of greater human value.

Current challenges that automation solves

Many institutions still face problems such as:

• Delays in responding to applicants, resulting in missed enrollment opportunities.

• Lack of student follow-up, resulting in low retention.

• Time-consuming manual processes: sending one-to-one emails, recording interactions in spreadsheets, etc.

• Poorly personalized communication, which does not connect with the expectations of the modern student.

This is where HubSpot's workflows come in.

How workflows work in HubSpot for education

HubSpot Workflows are a functionality that allows you to automate entire processes. In education, they can be applied at different levels:

Recruitment and admissions.

• Send automated emails after downloading a brochure or registering for a form.

• Assign prospects to an admissions counselor based on program of interest.

• Nurture the applicant with educational content until they complete their application.

Communication with active students

• Send reminders of pending payments or documents.

• Automate welcome emails at the beginning of the semester.

• Launch automatic satisfaction surveys at the end of a course.

Alumni and donations

• Automated event invitation campaigns.

• Periodic reminders to contribute to funds or scholarships.

• Automatic segmentation by graduation year or programs taken.

HubSpot stands out from other CRMs because it allows you to model these stages with custom objects (admissions, programs, courses) and connect all communication on a single platform.

Benefits of automation with HubSpot

Automation allows repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails or assigning applicants, to be performed without manual intervention, freeing up time for the team to focus on student care.

With HubSpot, messages can be personalized according to program, student stage or interest, improving the experience and increasing the admissions conversion rate. It also centralizes all information, facilitating coordination between marketing, admissions and administration, and providing clear, real-time reporting for data-driven decision making.

Practical examples

• Admissions: when a student completes a form, HubSpot automatically creates a record, assigns an advisor and sends a welcome email.

• Enrollment: automatic reminders about pending documents or payments, ensuring that students complete the process without additional team effort.

• Alumni: automatic campaigns for events or donations, keeping the relationship active in a simple way.

These flows make it possible to offer a more fluid and personalized experience at each stage of the educational cycle.

How to get started

1. Define clear objectives: attract applicants, improve retention or strengthen alumni.

2. Map current processes: identify interactions that can be automated.

3. Implement simple flows first: welcome emails, reminders or assignment of advisors.

4. Train the team: to get the most out of HubSpot and ensure adoption.

5. Measure and adjust: use dashboards to optimize flows based on actual results.

With these steps, automation stops being complex and becomes a strategic ally to optimize processes and improve the educational experience.

If you need help implementing automation in your institution, schedule your consultation with us and discover how HubSpot can optimize your educational processes.