Social Media Marketing in International Student Recruitment

The idea of internationalising higher education is not new, yet it is becoming more widely accepted that “internationalisation is an institutional need, not just a desired prospect.” However, fulfilling the objectives of comprehensive internationalisation is challenging since institutions are being forced to do more with fewer resources due to shrinking budgets and rising competition. Resource efficiency is a competitive advantage in modern times.

Social media is very relevant to resource efficiency in the context of international higher education since it provides at least four distinct advantages on the dimensions of relevance, speed, cost, and personalisation. Student marketing can benefit greatly from social media. Additionally, it is a fantastic way to save money when hiring internationally. It may support international fairs and conferences, not replace them, if done well.

Social media may be a vital resource for connecting potential overseas partners or students with the right person at your college or university. But if it’s not done right, it could end up being a waste of time or money, just like any other investment.

It can be difficult to find someone who doesn’t frequently connect with at least one of these online platforms given that there are 4.6 billion social media users worldwide and this number is expected to grow to 6 billion by 2027.

Since many members of Generation Z were born in the smartphone age and have grown up using social media, they are particularly fascinated by the phenomena. Given that the majority of young people today use social media, it is obvious that this platform must be a key component of universities’ efforts to attract overseas students.

In fact, this idea has had an impact on people’s lives beyond simply business owners and even students. Students benefited from it in terms of how they prepare, communicate, and research. The world now is extremely different. But aside from the simplicity and convenience of social media, starting a university has now fully realised its advantages. It aided in creating marketing plans for academic institutions to draw in prospective candidates.

Universities need to understand how to use social media efficiently in the modern world if they want their foreign student recruiting plan to be as successful as possible. According to the QS International Student Survey 2019 (ISS), 85% of incoming international students use social media to do their research before deciding where to enrol. Universities that don’t seriously consider the social media component of their foreign student recruitment are at a significant disadvantage.

Just to prove our point here is the graph to show the connection between the number of overseas students a university recruits and the popularity of their social media outlets.

• POST IN REAL TIME – Make sure to post a new scholarship or internship opportunities as soon as it becomes available. Make sure people are notified of every upcoming campus-related event.

• INFORMATION SHARING – Social media works best for brief but interesting informational snapshots. Direct links to this content can be published on social media platforms to ensure that potential students still view the more text-intensive content.

• CHANNEL SPECIFIC REACH OUT – Use the various features that each of these platforms can provide when using them. For instance, Facebook or Instagram Live, as well as comprehending Twitter and Instagram hashtags, are excellent platforms for reaching prospective overseas students.

• VISIBILITY – Whenever possible, make sure your university is visible across all social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, online discussion boards, LinkedIn, and Twitter. As the popularity of each platform is likely to shift every year, it’s crucial not to rely solely on one.

• CONNECTING WITH YOUR ALUMNI – Apart from the above-mentioned points, alumni from international students can be an asset in universities overall attempts to attract international markets.

1. Creating sections with testimonials for international students
2. Including their bios in the international section of the college’s main blog
3. Creating a LinkedIn group for current and former students to join to establish global networks
4. Make sure an international alumnus shows up to online student Q&A sessions or on-campus info sessions

OneStep Global is a specialized market entry firm, that helps academic institutions to land and expand in Asia through market entry support and in country representation.

• Our single biggest strength is the thorough understanding of higher education space – We collaborate with counsellors and organisations all over India creating relevant content considering the Indian higher education mindset
• All our partner’s India social media handles are managed by our team – the NCI India page has a 1000 followers whereas the NTU India page has 5k+ followers on Instagram
• Our in house events like Global Education Conclave, EdTalks and ‘Study in Ireland’ Pre Departures have had audiences joining in 1000s through FB live and LinkedIn
• With high engagement rates on LinkedIn we have almost reached the 10k followers mark where we keep promoting client events and updates as well
• The direct tie ups with school contacts and Digital Marketing agencies helps with the lead generations and subsequent follow ups
• Half-yearly research reports on trends and insights and quantitative results from our periodic surveys with actual applicants gives an exact glimpse of the on-ground reality