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

1. Beyond the school web site –
create a comprehensive web presence
to reach international students
Don Sears & Dr. Lokesh Shivakumaraiah
Tuesday, October 29, 2013

2. About Us
Lokesh – Associate Director of International Institute, Mississippi State
University &
• Originally from Bangalore, India
• Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University
• Over 7 years experience in International Education
Don - 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
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Mississippi State University
• Land Grant Institution: Est. 1878
• Location: Starkville, MS
• Enrollment: 20,400
• 800 international students - 75 countries
• Carnegie - Very High Research Institution
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StudyMississippi Consortium
• 17 institutions, Est. 2011
• Recruit Int’l Students & Promote Study Abroad
• Pool resources to market MS Higher Education
• Extensive 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
• Mississippi State & Study Mississippi
• 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. 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

7. 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

8. Why is a Web Presence Important?
Ability to reach millions of international students
Cost effective ROI
Compliments your travel and traditional recruiting efforts
Reach students when they are in the decision making process (top sections of the funnel)
Brand awareness
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

9. Why is a Web Presence Important?
On-Campus Visits?
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
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
o 18% of students turn to independent websites to learn about cost and financial aid

10. Why is a Web Presence important?

11. 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!

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

13. How is Your School’s Website Found?

16. Mississippi State University & StudyMississippi
E-Marketing and Recruiting
• 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, Zinch, HotCourses
• Engage your Prospects & Partners
• Social Media Campaign – Facebook, Twitter, etc
• Webinars, Chats & E-College Fairs
• CollegeWeekLive
• SMS Text Messages
• Newsletters
• Overseas Media Release
• Overseas in-home receptions & Education Fairs

17. StudyMississippi Web Landing Pages
• Strategically placed landing pages
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Envisage Internationals
Zinch
ThinkeducationUSA.com
StudyUSA.com
USAEducationGuides.com
HotCourses
• Increases visibility to member institutions
• Leads shared with member institutions

18. StudyMississippi Partnership with LearnHub
Website
vs
Web Presence

19. Social Media Marketing
Engaging Prospects, Current Students,
International Student Organizations
and Alumni

20. Leads: Creative Inquiry Form

21. E-Recruiting Fairs & Events
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On-campus International Recruiting fairs?
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Use E-recruiting fairs to reach out to worldwide student pool
– Webinars
– Google Hangout
– Skype Group Video Call
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Develop theme based webinar events
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Admissions, Scholarships, Student Life
Intro to Local Community, Int’l Student Organizations, etc
American Culture & Tradition (Ex: Tailgating, Learning To Speak Southern, etc)
Topic: Padai (Studies), Masthi (Fun) and Cricket @ MSU
• Commercial E-College Fairs: CollegeWeekLive E-College Fairs
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Technology requirement for targeted students
– Internet access
– Desktop or Laptop Computer: Internet Café or Personal Computers

22. Engaging
Prospects
Skype
Google Hangout
Webinars

23. E-marketing and Erecruiting: Taking US
02/15/08
institutions to the doorsteps

24. SMS Text Messages
• Reminders for important deadlines
– Scholarship
– Online chats/Webinars
• Send greetings on national festivities & important days
– Chinese Moon Festival
– Colombian Independence Day
– Happy Diwali
• Mississippi State University wishes you & your family a Happy Diwali
• Overseas In-home Reception/Faculty visit reminders
– Meet our Faculty or International Student Ambassador in Hanoi

25. Mississippi State University &StudyMississippi
StudyMississippi - Zinch

26. Envisage International Overview
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 HotCourses…
• 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