Customer

International students want one-stop course search site

A new survey by StudyLink has found 70% of international students would like to research university offers on a neutral directory website. But they all start with Google.

That’s the findings of a recent student focus group and survey on study abroad decisions, conducted by leading global education information provider StudyLink.

The international student recruitment survey involved 1000 responses from 15 countries, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia. It was followed up with two focus group meetings in the UK, involving students from twelve countries.

“Students start with their desired course,” says Therese Larsson, StudyLink’s Marketing Analyst. “Location is a much less important factor for study abroad. But many students were frustrated that they had to visit so many university websites to compare details.”

By starting with Google, they often faced a bewildering array of international education marketing – none of which was easily comparable, and some of which was unreliable. They also found that many university websites lacked the critical information they needed – including visa information, English-level requirements and fees.

As a result of their findings, StudyLink is launching its new, improved international education website on Monday February 1st 2010.

The future of student marketing

On the eve of a new decade, we’ve gazed into our crystal ball to predict the major changes, challenges and opportunities ahead for those of us marketing to international students.

Here are five essential marketing trends to understand in 2010.

Using technology for good (not evil!)

Unless you were hiding under a rock for most of the past decade, you will have seen a huge shift in the way products and services are marketed – all thanks to rapid developments in technology.

Technology has given us new channels to reach and build relationships with customers, and new tools to measure the results. We’ve seen this growth in social technology help drive a change to a more sophisticated and informed customer. From Twitter instant news to Facebook fan pages and Google Analytics… where would we be today without online communication and collaboration tools?

But in this race to embrace digital marketing, we need to remember to put the student (or ‘customer’) and their needs and personal data protection at the heart of the organisation. Who is the technology serving? Is it creating real value-driven relationships? Are we protecting their data and explaining our terms of service clearly?

In 2010, we’ll find new ways to automate the most mundane or repetitive marketing tasks – like data entry and analysis – and free up more time for customer service. Instead of mass marketing, such as broadcast communications and de-humanised decisions, we can use technology to develop one-on-one personalised relationships through better data segmentation and market research.

Ethical marketing

Marketers have a critical role in developing sustainable business strategies, because we are closest to the student market. We understand them, and how they feel about privacy, sustainability and how their personal data is used.

Attracting Gen Y – what do they really want?

Generation Y, the ‘net generation’, probably forms the largest part of your student cohort. Born between 1982 and 2000, these ‘Millenials’ are now aged between 11 and 29. They are (generally speaking) smart, creative, productive and achievement-oriented - which makes them the perfect candidates for further education.

So, along with the HR departments in businesses around the world, many universities and colleges are looking at what they need to do to attract the best and brightest Gen Y students. By 2020, it’s predicted that Gen Y will make up half our working population. Which means they’re not just your current and future students – they are also your current and future employees.

So what is the first impression you make on Generation Y? And is that what they are looking for?

A need for speed

Gen Y are multi-taskers. They are used to juggling school, sports, coaching, computer games and text messages (often all at the same time). So whatever they’re doing, whether it’s looking for information or filling in an application, they want to do it quickly, and they want it to be simple.

The simplicity of your website design and navigation, bite sized information chunks, and the ease with which they can access further information or apply, forms an impression of what it will be like to go to class at your school or do business with your organisation.

Likewise, your future Gen-Y staff don’t expect to be dealing with huge amounts of paper or re-keying data. They’d rather be getting on with more important and meaningful work – like helping students once they’re here.

Trained and Certified Agents

We are training agents for our clients at the rate of 3-5 new agents per week and welcome these new users on behalf of their education provider clients.

The following list of agent offices use the StudyLink agent portal to submit electronic applications to AppManager clients (those marked in bold with an '*' have been trained and certified to use the StudyLink AppManager system) - as at 23 February 2009:

AMET*, Brisbane

AusEd-UniEd*, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Malaysia

Beijing JJL*

City Smart*, Brisbane

Connect Education Network*

EduGlobal China*

EduYoung*

Erajasa Globalindo (South Jakarta)*, Indonesia

Fortrust*, Indonesia and Sydney

Insight Education Consulting*, Thailand

Knowledge Plus Education Services*, Thailand

PacAsia* Delhi

Shadeda*, India and Bangladesh

SIEC* Delhi, India

Storm Consulting Group*

Study Overseas Limited*, India

The Chopras* Delhi

IDP Austria

IDP Beijing*

IDP* Delhi

IDP Essen

IDP Gangnam

IDP Guangzhou

IDP Hong Kong

IDP Indonesia

IDP Jakarta

IDP Kota Kinabalu

IDP Kuwait

IDP Melbourne

IDP Mumbai

IDP Perth

IDP Saudi Arabia

IDP Seoul

IDP Shanghai

IDP Singapore

IDP Sri Lanka

IDP Subang Jaya

IDP Sydney

IDP Taiwan

A&A International Shanghai

AAET

ACE Australia Pty Ltd

ANZ Education Centre

AOJI Enrolment Centre of International Education

Argyle Hotel Management Group

Ausfly Consultancy

AustraLearn

Australia Education

Australian College Information Centre

Australian Connection Student Services

Australian Visa and Student Services (AVSS)

BaDa Education Centre

Beijing JJ International Overseas Education Consultants

Bluewater Accommodation & Study Services

Century 21 EduNet

China Education International

CMS (Pte)

CP & Co International

Dongfang International Centre for Culture Exchange

Dream Overseas

Duc Anh Advisory & Translation Company

Eden Education & Migration Centre

EdLink + Connex

EIC Group, Guangzhou

Fortrust

Frontier Planning, Taiwan

GEC International Study Center

Global Reach

Granger Australia

Health Careers International

Hong Kong Education Web

iAE EduNet Auckland

ICC International Cross Culture Committee - Tokyo

iCorp Education

IL Institute, Cebu

IL Institute, Davao

IL Institute, Manila

Infinity Migration Services

Interface Group

INTI International College, Penang

ISF Butler

JA Study Abroad Centre

JEIC World Network

JSC Centre for International Programs

Juncture International

Kangaroo Studies

Knowledge Plus Education Services

Kokos International

KOM Consultants

Latino Australia

Lano Centre for Education Services

Luxbridge

MTT Student Services

Nichigo Support Services

Oriental Migration and Education Centre

Ozzie Study Care

Ozzy Study Brazil

Planet Education, Mumbai

Prime Uhak Net

Right Educational Consultancy

S&K International Education

Shaanxi Happy International Education

Southern Seas Education

SSTC Education Centre

Staff Solutions, Australia

Sydney Express Education Consultancy

T & TC Australia

Taylor's Placement Centre

Time Educational Consultants

U&I Australia

Uhak Station