March 30, 2021
Earlier in March 2021, Laura Sippel, President of Laura Sippel Dynamic Consulting, who also serves on ACEI’s Global Consulting Group as Media & Branding Strategist, presented a webinar on “How do we Rebound? Marketing Toolkit.” The following is a recap of the highlights of her presentation. For a complete recording, please click here
With federal, state, and local health directives to keep up with, some of which change daily and impact a college/university’s ability to operate normally, prospective students and their parents will have questions and concerns. What precautions and restrictions are in place at your college/university in light of the pandemic?
Top 10 Challenges:
- COVID-19 Restrictions
- Virtual Learning
- U.S. Political Climate
- Worldview of U.S.
- Political Climate Worldwide
- In-person instruction should resume—quite challenging
- Students Opting Out
- Decreased Marketing Budgets
- World Economy
- Competition for Market Share of Students
Things to consider:
- What is your current marketing/media plan?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- How can we leverage this new administration?
Reforms: Biden Administration
● DREAMers Protected
● Travel ban revocations
● Protection of OPT/STEM
● Green card for PhD graduates
● Welcoming Messages
Solutions to Challenges:
- Diversified Marketing Package
- Branding tailored to International Students
- Country-based approach to your audience – one size does not fit all
- Global Marketing – Diversity and Engagement (how does your brand land?)
- Consistent Branding
- Engage through video
- AI provides excellent data
Free Marketing Hacks
- Look at your own data (applicant data – former and current)
- Look at your rejection data due to capacity limits and tap that market
- Look under every rock at your university for student success data
- Utilize alumni and parents
- Analyze under-enrolled programs and market for future success
Other Countries’ Marketing Strategies
- China: Institutional/government partnerships
- UK: Agent Networks
- Australia: Direct travel for recruitment
- New Zealand: Trans-National Education
- Canada: Scholarships and digital recruitment
Toolkit for Marketing Success
- Platforms like Slate, WeChat, Akreo CRM packages
- Social Media Platforms
- A/B Test your messages
- Video Content brings in your audience
- Tap Recruiters
- Tap Staff and Alumni
- Micro Surveys
- Tailor curricula designed for online success
- Consistent messaging
- Test and edit along the way
- Invest in partners that can promote your brand
- Global communication via platforms is key
- Research the best partner for your brand
- Tap data from staff
- Use Alumni in Other Countries to tell positive stories
Resources
ACEI Blog: https://acei-global.org/category/blog/
ACEI Global Consulting Group: HOME – ACEI Global Consulting Group (acei-global-consulting.org)
AACRAO: https://www.aacrao.org/research-publications/research/eye-on-research-blog
ThePIE Webinar Series: https://www.crowdcast.io/thepie
Social Media & International Education Consulting: Social Media & International Education Consulting, LLC – International Education Consulting, International Education Consulting, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing (smieconsulting.org)
Laura Sippel is President of Laura Sippel Dynamic Consulting. She has more than 25 years of experience in marketing in higher education. She is recognized for her expertise in social media marketing, identifying trends, setting marketing strategies, providing client relations, and building partnerships to this unique audience. She has served on several committees and presented webinar and conference sessions pertaining to international education and higher education. She is the recipient of NAFSA Region V Award of Excellence (2007). Laura is also the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc., a not-for-profit professional association for international credential evaluators and is a member of ACEI’s Global Consulting Group as the Media and Brand Consultant. laura@acei-gobal.org
The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), was founded in 1994 and is based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. ACEI is a full-service company providing complete and integrated services in the areas of international education research, credential evaluation, and translation. ACEI’s Global Consulting Group®, offers expertise in the following specialties: Media and Branding, Global Pathways, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to interested institutions and organizations around the globe. www.acei-global.org