Digital technology in the student recruitment journey

Transcription

1 Copyright 2012 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRE, POWERPREP, TOEFL, TOEFL Ibt and TOEFL Journey are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN, SCOREITNOW!, SCORESELECT and TOEFL Junior are trademarks of ETS. All other trademarks are property of their perspective owners Digital technology in the student recruitment journey Helen Cook, ETS TOEFL

2 Overview How can technology support the student journey to enrol in an English language college in Australia? What innovative solutions can you employ to build enrolment and pursue excellence in student recruitment? Growth of global digital English language products More than just a good web site New players in English language recruitment Surviving and thriving in the digital space

3 Why is digital marketing growing? Cisco Systems talks about The Internet of Everything a network of networks where everything will be digitised and interconnected Data about usage and update of technology tools abounds Statistics show huge growth, especially in mobile take-up in our key markets Global market for digital products and services in English language are US$1.31B of US$35.9B online and offline English language tools and growing rapidly (Ambient Insights 2011) English language print publishers and English test prep content is going online. Eg Cengage Learning, Pearson, Oxford, Cambridge, McGraw Hill

4 Online TOEFL Prep- Cengage Learning/ETS TOEFL

5 Government policy changes drive online business Various government initiatives globally have increased access to digital tools and familiarity thus encouraging students use of those tools more widely South Korean government is mandating schools instructional content be 100% digital by 2015 Turkey/Thailand - similar changes Government mandates to improve English in schools and universities eg Brazil, Chile, India, China, Korea, Russia, Vietnam, Japan - require cost efficient programs Insufficient English teachers in-country lead to emphasis on online tools and programs

6 EL Teach Cengage/ETS

7 UNSW Institute of Languages

8 More than a nice web site Most organisations have developed web sites to provide access to information for prospective and current students Web pages are important for providing basic information: Teaching programs and timetables Accreditation and recognition of qualifications Services and accommodation Locations/maps/local amenities Brochures/information in additional languages Q& A Many web blogs don t get used due to the perceived distance between the college and the prospective student Web site must be mobile-optimised for smartphone access

9 TOEFL ibt student site

10 Why is more effort needed? Recruitment landscapes are changing as new digital ecosystems develop globally and locally. New communication channels and decision-making processes are utilised by prospective students eg mobile Globally, English language competition is increasing Decreasing budgets curtail recruitment travel/commissions Management of information about courses, prices, special offers, services, commissions is huge and time consuming Non traditional players are offering recruitment services for both English language and degree programs The need for scalable, prompt, efficient responses to prospective students and agents is vital

11 New players -MOOEC

12 ICEF Coursefinders

13 ICEF Course Finders the Trip Advisor for language study Delivers quality student leads to language schools on a cost per lead model with no paid ads on the site Responses to students are fast, relevant and visual The site engages students through reviews and content sharing. Presentation order of colleges on the site is driven by the number of reviews (positive) and shared information eg videos, photos Students can request their details are sent to a local (ICEF approved) agency. Any reviews shown on agent sites. Schools can follow up in-house or through their agents

14 Coursefinders Greenwich College front page

15 Information Planet a global online booking system Language travel market is seen as having similarities to holiday travel in its processes and timelines. Offerings are shorter and less complex than university and college English pathway programs A global distribution system allows automated transactions between schools and agents (like airlines, hotels do). It links in real time to the school s database to draw up-to-date information for agents to make student course bookings. Concerns expressed at the IALC briefing included: Commoditization of the product Forced standardization of courses and prices Price, not course quality or suitability, might reign Small independent operators might be squeezed out

16 TOEFL Search Service

17 TOEFL Search Service Almost 1 million students across all English proficiency levels registered for the TOEFL Search Service by opting in Designed to connect colleges and universities directly to this huge database of students who have already indicated an interest in study overseas in an academic program Institutions can select the criteria on which they wish to choose test takers Institutions pay a small annual fee then pay by query Successful institutions need to utilise a well planned communication strategy to enrol the student The investment in landing the student is tiny compared with an agent commission payment Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. ETS, the ETS logo and TOEFL are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the U.S. and other countries. TOEFL Junior is a registered trademark of ETS.

18 26 Search criteria for TOEFL Search Service The institution chooses relevant criteria and runs trial queries to refine the outcome and the number of names delivered Demographics Current Location Education history includes lots of criteria to gauge a students English preparation to date Educational Objectives includes country of study interest, field and level of study, intended date of enrolment TOEFL test scores includes total and individual skill scores Institution submits queries and receives report with contact information about those names generated by the query. Follow up actions done by the institution Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. ETS, the ETS logo and TOEFL are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the U.S. and other countries. TOEFL Junior is a registered trademark of ETS.

19 TOEFL India Facebook

20 Why use social media? Research shows: The user experience online is important as well designed easy-to-use sites are perceived as more credible (than just a well known brand). This is especially important for mobile Students enrol initially and then retain their enrolment, if there is a strong social connection to the institution Student outcome satisfaction is greatest if their college performance conforms to information regarding the attributes that the college promoted and marketed

21 Drivers of Student decision making One of the key influencers always listed by students for their study decision is recommendation of family and friends. Perhaps the recommendation of family and friends translates through social media into feedback from current students or alumni of the college if it is seen as relevant and believable. Through targetted social media group interaction, you can provide authenticity and immediacy Attention to social media also demonstrates the college s engagement and attention to student needs

22 The cultural aspect of social media outreach Key markets have different tools popular with prospective students. Understanding regional differences in preference for tools are important for crafting social media strategies Facebook remains the largest and most popular globally Weibo is crucial for China Orkut has more than half of its users in Brazil Mobile technology is now used by more than half your target audience to access the internet and engage. Smart phone usage is growing exponentially in your key markets

23 TOEFL China sites

24 Other digital tools Virtual fairs which can be hosted for longer periods of time than a traditional recruitment event are emerging. Sometimes online chat times are set aside for questions Online videos/virtual campus tours/city tours help form accurate perceptions of the living environment. YouTube videos provide information students take better than text Social videos and short clips (Instagram and Vine) are faster growing tools among mobile users and can be used to tell a short story about your institution Online competitions and surveys can also be used to engage Eg Austrade s Win Your Future Unlimited and the Qld Government s Ultimate Gap Year competition.

25 TOEFL TV YouTube videos

26 Austrade s Win your future unlimited digital post cards from 140 countries over 7 weeks Campaign web site was promoted largely through social media channels Sponsors used their media channels for this promotion Indonesia had most postcard entries (3500). Brazil had the most website traffic with 150K visits 7 finalists all received a trip around Australia. They were from USA, Philippines, Vietnam, Russia, India, Brazil and Indonesia Winner (from India) received free 1 year s tuition, a TOEFL ibt test, a stipend and other services from gold sponsors

27 TOEFL TV Austrade video

28 Qld Government s Ultimate Gap Year Video Competition

29 Limitations of digital media Fast paced change means it is difficult to keep knowledge up-to-date and invest in tools and staff training Selecting and prioritizing promotional channels can be difficult Measurement of success, effectiveness and real costs can be challenging The breakdown in structured and formal information flows/student contact attribution/commission models with agents each requires new solutions Informal information provision may not match college branding messages or positioning

30 Experiment, Engage, Evolve Start small and trial approaches, getting feedback Use learnings to devise a well thought out end-to-end costed strategy. Don t ignore mobile developments Maintain a cultural/behavioural approach ( not one size fits all). Before starting, research online behaviours and cultural mores relating to digital media in key target markets Find innovative ways to differentiate your offerings. Promote special offers which grab attention Ensure two way communication with prospective students provides you with valuable insights to prospects (including their English proficiency) Manage privacy issues Monitor progress and analyse outcomes and successes

31 Experiment, engage, evolve A fantastic resource Invite experienced students as college ambassadors or paid assistants on social media. They are credible and immediate Survey new students on arrival. Ask what tools/channels they use to find you and make decisions. Run focus groups to learn more. Have students contribute photos, videos, messages to relevant country/regional social media groups through targetted sub groups focussing on key markets. Build communities. Connect with alumni about their success after graduating and invite them to tell their story Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. ETS, the ETS logo and TOEFL are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the U.S. and other countries. TOEFL Junior is a registered trademark of ETS.

32 Edusoft (ETS) mobile online courses

33 Some web links Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. ETS, the ETS logo and TOEFL are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the U.S. and other countries. TOEFL Junior is a registered trademark of ETS.

34 Thank you for your attendance References can be provided on request Questions? Helen Cook Copyright 2012 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRE, POWERPREP, TOEFL, TOEFL Ibt and TOEFL Journey are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN, SCOREITNOW!, SCORESELECT and TOEFL Junior are trademarks of ETS. All other trademarks are property of their perspective owners