Beyond the school web site – create a comprehensive web presence to reach international students.

1. Beyond the school web site –
create a comprehensive web presence
to reach international students
Don Sears & Song Hoffman

2. About Us
Song Hoffman - International Admissions, South Dakota State University
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Originally from Beijing, China
Ph.D. in International Relations, Flinders University, Australia
Studied, worked and lived in Australia for 13 years before moving to the US
Over 13 years experience in International Education
Don Sears - Director of Sales, Envisage International
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Over 15 years experience in internet marketing and advertising
Sales in media, advertising, lead gen and social media marketing
Responsible for digital marketing and lead generation efforts
Bachelors degree in Meteorology

3. About Us
Our goal is to empower and encourage students to pursue an international education, and
provide them with the tools they need to educate themselves and experience the world.
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Neptune Beach, Florida
Started in 1998
Own the largest international student facing network
• InternationalStudent.com
• InternationalScholarships.com
• InternationalStudentInsurance.com
• ELSdirectory.com
• Reach - over 7 million students each year
Business Units
• Insurance
• Loans
• Leads and advertising

4. About Us
• South Dakota State University
• Land Grant Institution: Est. 1881
• Location: Brookings, South Dakota
• Enrollment: 12,816
• 475 international students -65 countries
st Research Institution in South Dakota
• 1
• Study South Dakota Consortium
• Initiated this year
• Recruit Int’l Students & Promote Study Abroad
• Pool resources to market South Dakota’s
Higher Education
• Web-presence, Branding, Build Partnerships,
etc

5. Agenda
• Internal web presence
• Your website, social media, how students find you
• External web presence
• Third party websites, social media and search engines
• Study Mississippi & Mississippi State University
• Web presence strategy
• Best Practices – What works, what does not work
• Benefits of the Consortium
• Q & A & Discussion

6. Your School’s Website
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Super important
Super expensive
Brand awareness
Communicate with:
• Current students
• Prospective students
• Alumni
• Faculty
Presidents message
Mission of the school
Admissions info
Academics
Programs and degrees offered
Maps, directories, employment opportunities
Athletics, events
Parent resources, student government
And that is the first page! Oh my!

7. “The appearance of a person or organization on the World Wide Web."
How is it Measured?
By the amount of sites an organization or individual has, including
• The website
• Social Media profiles
• Search engine rankings
• Amount of search engine real estate

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Super important
Super expensive
Brand awareness
Communicate with:
• Current students
• Prospective students
• Alumni
• Faculty
Presidents message
Mission of the school
Admissions info
Academics
Programs and degrees offered
Maps, directories, employment opportunities
Athletics, events
Parent resources, student government
And that is the first page! Oh my!

9. Your School’s Website
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Confusing
Hard to navigate
One site created for all
Not completely relevant
Hard to find

10. Your School’s Web Presence
33,300 Monthly Unique Visitors

11. Why is a Web Presence important?
Over 50% of high school Juniors and Seniors say that the web played at least a significant role in the
evaluation of an institution
55% of students could not find the information they were looking for on a schools website
18% of students turn to independent websites to learn about cost and financial aid
49% say independent websites are the best way to learn about an institution’s academic programs
o 31% say blogs
o 38% Social media
o 52% Search

15. Envisage International Overview
Email Marketing

17. South Dakota State University
International Recruiting Challenges
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South Dakota is not well-known to international students at all
The University has not been very proactive in international recruitment
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Domestic Vs International Student Recruitment
• Campus Visits/On-campus events: Not Feasible
• Printed Marketing materials: Expensive & Not Reliable
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Online Marketing & Recruiting
• Ensure coverage of targeted group
• Ensures timely delivery of information
• Deliver information in an eye catching format

18. South Dakota State University
E-Marketing and Recruiting
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Strategic Partnership with U.S. Higher Ed Online Marketing Firms
• Maximum reach & Branding
• Identify partners & recruiting regions
• Actively work with them & support their efforts
• Envisage International, LearnHub, Zinch, Hot Courses
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Engage your Prospects & Partners
• Social Media Campaign – Facebook, Twitter, etc
• Webinars, Chats & E-College Fairs
• CollegeWeekLive
• Hobsons
• Overseas Media Release
• Overseas in-home receptions & Education Fairs

19. Case study one

20. How to Market your School
Online

21. How to Market your School
Online

22. How to Market your School Online

23. Summary
Best Practices for Online Marketing
• Timely follow up is a must!
• Follow up with student ASAP
• How soon are student inquiries (leads) delivered?
• Need an ongoing communications plan
• Weekly touch points
• Newsletters
• Know your limitations & available resources
• Manage expectations of others
• Give it time
• Know your goals – leads vs. exposure

26. How to Grow your Web Presence
• Hire Envisage International!
• Or Hotcourses, Zinch or Hobsons…
• Ask questions
• How will you be found
• What methods do you use (SEO, PPC, Affiliates)
• What are the benefits of social media
• What blogs and content will you distribute
• Know what your goals are (likes, leads, communications, brand)
• Ask for help