Beyond the school web site - create a comprehensive web presence to reach international students. Presented at the 2013 NAFSA Region XI

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

2. About Us
Sarah Heminger- Assistant Director, Springfield College International Center
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Work in a small office responsible for IEM, ISS, Study Abroad
Marketing Coordinator for Study Western Massachusetts
Bachelors degree in French with a music minor, MA in International Education
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
• Springfield College
• Founded 1885
• Private, independent, coed, 4-year college offering
undergraduate and graduate degree programs
• Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
• Enrollment: 3,214
• 90 international students –over 20 countries
• YMCA foundations, Birthplace of Basketball
• Study Western Massachusetts Consortium
• First meeting in 2009
• 10 members and growing
• Promote Western Massachusetts as a study destination
for international students
• Professional development & networking
• Web-presence, Branding, Build Partnerships, etc

4. 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 6 million students each year
Business Units
• Insurance
• Loans
• Leads and advertising

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

6. What is a Web Presence?
“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

7. Gauge the audience
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Third Party Online Marketing?
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Enlist Student help?
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Know about SEO?
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Virtual College Fairs?
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Lead Gen?
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Content
•Videos
•Virtual Campus tours
•Customized Brochures

8. What is a Web Presence?
“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

9. Why is a Web Presence Important?
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Ability to reach millions of international students
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Cost effective ROI
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Compliments your travel and traditional recruiting efforts
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Reach students when they are in the decision making process (top sections of the funnel)
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Brand awareness
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Additional ways to touch students you have that are already prospects (bottom of the funnel)
It is how you are found when students are
searching for you or the programs you offer

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

11. Why is a Web Presence important?

12. 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!

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

14. How is Your School’s Website Found?

17. Springfield College &
Study Western Massachusetts
International Recruiting Challenges
• Often eclipsed by Boston
• Limited resources
• Springfield College: Domestic vs. International Recruitment
– Operations rooted in domestic recruitment
• Campus visits/on campus events: Not feasible
• Admissions pages, online app, all aimed at domestic students
• Print materials- expensive, unreliable
– Limited but growing institutional support

18. Springfield College &
Study Western Massachusetts
Why online marketing and recruiting is essential:
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Better ROI
Timely delivery of information
Deliver information in an eye catching format
Little or no travel budget
Meet your students where they are- communicate in their
language on their platforms

19. Springfield College &
Study Western Massachusetts
E-Marketing & Recruiting
• Strategic partnerships with online marketing firms
– Extend reach & branding
– Identify partners & recruiting regions
– Envisage International, Zinch, Hotcourses, LearnHub, Educations.com
• Engage prospects & partners
– Social Media presence & advertising
– Webinars
– E-College Fairs

20. Springfield College Strategic Partnership with Zinch

21. Springfield College Strategic Partnership with Zinch:
Engaging current students in online recruiting efforts via Weibo

22. Springfield College- Engaging students & scholars of past, present, future using QQ:

23. Study Western Massachusetts – Website to Web presence

24. Study Western MassachusettsFacebook

25. Study Western MassachusettsTwitter

26. Springfield College & Study Western MassNext steps
• Explore additional social media platforms
• Search Engine Optimization
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Baidu
Google Ad Words
Backlinks
Encourage faculty, students, staff to blog & produce
interesting/useful content
• Directory listings- government sites, college
directories, organizations
• More student-driven content

27. Working with Third Party Online Marketing Companies

28. Working with Third Party Online Marketing Companies
• Typically portal sites
• Established SEO
• Sticky
• Some do microsites
• Stand Alone
• ?? – How do they get traffic
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Good way to expand your reach
Promote your social networks
Good way to expand brand awareness
Vehicle to distribute your content

35. Email Marketing

37. How to Grow your Web Presence
• Hire Envisage International!
• Zinch or Hobsons…
• Have them promote the tools you have invested in
• 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