International universities looking to establish a presence in China face numerous challenges, especially those new comers with limited budgets. However, with strategic planning and smart marketing tactics, it is possible to effectively promote your university to Chinese students. This article examines proven approaches to stretch your marketing dollars and successfully recruit top Chinese talent.
Research Your Target Audience
The first step is understanding your ideal Chinese prospects. Conduct market research to identify factors like:
– Demographics – Age, gender, income level, geographic location
– Needs and interests – Academic programs, campus culture, post-graduation goals
– Media habits – Where they get information and which platforms they use
This will allow you to tailor messaging and select media channels that genuinely resonate with your audience.
Leverage Brand Reputation and Academic Excellence
Highlighting academic and research excellence is key for International universities. China has over 2,000 universities, but only a handful rank among the world’s best. For students who can afford overseas education, prestigious institutions are highly desirable.
– Promote faculty credentials, research output, resource/facility quality
– Spotlight rankings, accolades, notable alumni achievements
– Offer merit scholarships to top-scoring students
Establishing your university among China’s educated elite stimulates strong word-of-mouth interest.
Advertise on Baidu is crucial for international universities
Baidu, China’s largest search engine, offers a huge audience of prospective students actively searching for overseas education options. Running PPC campaign on Baidu allows International universities to appear at the top of results when students search relevant keywords.
– Optimize ads with degree program names, location, and other keywords students search
– Track click-through rates, impressions, conversions to gauge performance
– Adjust bids and text to improve results and control costs
Getting your university to appear prominently in Baidu search results can be reasonably affordable and drive qualified traffic from students proactively exploring study abroad.
Build Your Brand on Chinese Social Media
Social media is massively influential among Chinese youth. A study in 2022 found that 97% of Chinese born after 1995 use social media apps like WeChat and Weibo. If you have extra budget, leveraging these platforms is essential for establishing brand awareness and interest.
– Create official accounts on WeChat and Weibo to directly engage prospective students
– Share university news, student testimonials, campus photos/videos, and program information
– Promote your social media on all university assets – website, brochures, ads, etc.
– Consider paying to promote page posts and drive more traffic/followers
Microblogging and sharing authentic content is a cost-effective way to organically build an audience and shape your brand image.
Partner with Influential Student Recruitment Agencies
Working with established Chinese student recruitment agencies grants you access to large pre-screened applicant pools. While agencies charge fees, the time and money saved on sourcing and vetting students yourself is significant.
– Vet agencies’ reputations, networks, and International universities clients
– Negotiate competitive pricing based on number of student referrals
– Provide marketing assets and regular program/scholarship updates for agencies to promote
– Establish referral goals and closely track agency performance
This outsourced promotion and lead generation model is used by top international universities like NYU and University of Sydney.
Conclusion for international universities
It’s very fierce for new university players to acquire Chinese students with limited budget. There are so many channels and solutions can be chose. However, at the first beginning, you don’t have to cover all the channels. In the early stage, building word-of-mouth momentum and drive traffic to your website are most important. It takes time to become established, but with the right strategy, even bootstrapped programs can stake their claim in this vital market. If you want to know more, please don’t hesitate to contact Deep Digital China!