How to create an international student recruitment plan

How To Create An International Student

Recruitment Plan

Slide 1

How To Create An International Student Recruitment Plan


Recruitment Plan

Slide 2

1) The Growth of International Mobility

2) Creating a Culture of Internationalization

3) Feeling Out Markets with Paid Search

4) International Search and Mobile Trends

5) Internationalizing Websites

6) Content and Social Media Considerations

7) International Lead Conversion

8) Virtual Campus Tours and Hangouts

9) More International Recruitment Ideas

Overview

Source: Higher Education Marketing – How To Create An International Student Recruitment Action Plan

http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/blog/international-student-action-plan?utm_source=Slideshare&utm_medium=slide&utm_campaign=SlideshareHEM





Recruitment Plan

Slide 3

OECD's Education at a Glance 2013 report projects international

mobility to nearly double to 8.5 million students by 2025.

The result has been intensifying competition, among English-

speaking colleges and universities, seeking the rewards of

increasing and diversifying their international student populations.

Internationalization has transformed from desirable bonus into

institutional imperative, but achieving such goals is no

straightforward task and resource efficiency is increasingly a

necessity.

1. The Growth of International Mobility


http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/services/international-student-recruitment?utm_source=Slideshare&utm_medium=slide&utm_campaign=SlideshareHEM






Recruitment Plan

Slide 4

By embracing digital marketing techniques, colleges can better

control their communications and branding, reducing reliance on

external agents while developing more flexible and customized

management of the admissions process.

Implementing these initiatives requires a willingness to adapt to

rapidly shifting student engagement expectations, understanding not

only the continuous advances in available technological tools but the

cultural nuances of various target markets.

The majority of colleges and universities with international

enrollment increases cite active recruitment as the reason for their

success.


1. The Growth of International Mobility







Recruitment Plan

Slide 5

Making internationalization a

true priority means taking a

longer term, bigger picture

view of its role in enhancing

your institution.

Increasingly, universities are

publicly declaring

internationalization a key

component of future success,

embedded in strategic plans

or elaborated upon in high

level documents.

2. Creating a Culture of Internationalization


University of Calgary’s International Strategy







Recruitment Plan

Slide 6

Example: The University of Calgary highlights

internationalization as a "key strategic priority" in their pursuit of

becoming "a global intellectual hub", according to their

recent International Strategy document. The 24-page report

highlights their commitment to these goals by illustrating

current activity, tangible targets and strategic goals, namely:

Increase diversity of our campus communities

Improve global and cross-cultural competencies within our

campus communities

Enhance opportunities for international collaborations and

partnerships in research and education

Leverage our unique areas of expertise to engage in

international development








Recruitment Plan

Slide 7

Expanding strategic international partnerships, research

collaborations, exchange and study abroad programs, and alumni

relations can greatly enhance a university's educational capabilities,

student opportunities and participation, brand reputation and much

more.

Colleges can strive to improve the experiences of incoming

international students, thus growing valuable word-of-mouth

referrals among other benefits.

Promoting internationalization means providing the pathways for

growth, including resources for increasingly culturally diverse

students (and staff) on campus to learn from each other.


2. Creating a Culture of Internationalization







Recruitment Plan

Slide 8

Focus initial efforts by choosing markets with the best potential for

your institution - likely typical leading countries of origin (China,

India, South Korea).

Consider focusing marketing efforts according to preferred academic

discipline and degree type.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a cost-effective way of

revealing insights about potential markets, since expense is only

incurred when prospects actually click your link.

It is a great way to learn which search terms are popular and which

ads better convert, letting you see which keywords and messages

are more effective in a particular market.

3. Feeling Out Markets with Paid Search


http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/services/pay-per-click-marketing;?utm_source=Slideshare&utm_medium=slide&utm_campaign=SlideshareHEM










Recruitment Plan

Slide 9

Google AdWords has a free Keyword Planner tool for searching

keyword and ad group ideas.

Keep in mind that Google isn't the most popular search engine in

several important source countries.

Before launching a PPC campaign, it is essential that ad copy fits

the requirements for the applicable platform, landing pages have

been created on your website, and analytics tracking has been

established.

Landing pages must meet expectations created by the ad copy

and concisely convince prospects to take the next steps, such as

completing an application or "request information" form.


3. Feeling Out Markets with Paid Search







Recruitment Plan

Slide 10

Recent data analysis from Google shows a continuous increase

in education-related search volumes, confirming that the

student decision journey has moved online.

Non-branded search queries by prospective students are rising

at a faster rate.

Google's internal tracking revealed that queries including geo-

specific keywords generated strong click-through conversions.

Increasing specificity by promoting particular degree and

academic programs in specific locations is recommended for

better results.

4. International Search and Mobile Trends


http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/services/education-lead-generation?utm_source=Slideshare&utm_medium=slide&utm_campaign=SlideshareHEM






Recruitment Plan

Slide 11

Optimizing for mobile usage is important for international

recruitment, since a majority of users in several source countries

are mobile-exclusive.

Internal Google research shows that a negative mobile experience

on your website is enough for 35% of prospects to move on to the

next potential college on their list.

Cover you most important bases when developing for task-driven

mobile searchers.

Top selling points of your school, programs and admission info,

videos and application forms are all important features to include.

International students will also want to know things like financial

and study permit details.


4. International Search and Mobile Trends








Recruitment Plan

Slide 12

Developing your website to appeal to multiple markets and

languages is one of the biggest challenges in internationalization.

A top level folder on the same domain as your other content lets you

develop a customized experience with fully translated paths while

enhancing your SEO.

Search engines won't give your pages the same value if they think it's

only an auto-translation.

5. Internationalizing Websites








Recruitment Plan

Slide 13

Ensure that users can easily navigate between available

translations.

Display the language name written in that language at the top of the

webpage.

Avoid auto-directing based on a user's IP address, as it will irritate

prospects and inhibit Google's crawlers from discovering your sites.

5. Internationalizing Websites







Recruitment Plan

Slide 14

When developing content for international audiences, it is vital to

understand your target market as much as possible, including the

local language, cultural norms and expectations, and priorities in

education search.

Try using student assistants to help develop or translate

content and always test with various groups to ensure that

messaging is clear.

.

6. Content and Social Media Considerations







Recruitment Plan

Slide 15

Social media is a valuable tool for discovering more about prospect

groups through online conversations, informal surveys and the types

of posts that receive greater interaction.

Communication on these networks can help filter unqualified

prospects and reveal insights about language proficiency, interests

and your brand perception.

6. Content and Social Media Considerations


http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/services/social-media?utm_source=Slideshare&utm_medium=slide&utm_campaign=SlideshareHEM






Recruitment Plan

Slide 16

It’s important that inquiries from all prospects, domestic or

international, are addressed effectively and promptly.

Students expect a quick email response.

Hotcourses Abroad found that if given two similar universities,

students from China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore would

choose the one that responded fastest.

Prospects prefer personalized responses signed by a staff member

they can continue correspondence with.

7. International Lead Conversion








Recruitment Plan

Slide 17

Here are some best practices for responding to inquiries:

Address the student by name.

Answer the question personally and in detail.

Provide helpful additional information, including social media and

relevant links.

7. International Lead Conversion







Recruitment Plan

Slide 18

A campus tour is a big part of most students' decision processes.

International students rarely have the luxury of visiting a

prospective campus ahead of enrollment but virtual tours can help

bridge the gap, emphasizing a school's strongest features and

providing a glimpse of campus life.

Google Maps Street View also offers interior virtual tours of some

schools, and a few US-based universities are already developing

tours using new Oculus Rift virtual reality technology.

8. Virtual Campus Tours and Hangouts








Recruitment Plan

Slide 19

To get better personalized interaction many schools are adopting

web-conferencing via easily accessible tools, like Google

Hangouts.

These digital face-to-face tools not only allow admissions personnel

to engage directly with international students, but also clarify

solutions using whiteboards, share documents or slideshares, and

guide prospects through relevant webpages via co-browsing.

To make the most of these opportunities, school personnel should

develop and rehearse a script to work from and test all equipment

many times beforehand.


8. Virtual Campus Tours and Hangouts







Recruitment Plan

Slide 20

Here are some innovative ideas for colleges and universities

looking to access the world:

List with international portal sites

Develop apps featuring application tips, sample lectures, campus

videos/pictures

English-language training (online modules and/or collaborations with

other training facilities) or online language exchange

Reach out to international alumni (through internal networks or tools

like LinkedIn) to support recruitment activities

9. More International Recruitment Ideas







Recruitment Plan

Slide 21

Improving your international student recruitment can best be

accomplished when you have an accurate picture of your web

activity.

Google Analytics can help you to understand your student mix and

top source countries, so you can monitor your progress while

effectively customizing communications.

9. More International Recruitment Ideas








Recruitment Plan

Slide 22

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