Using Chinese Social Media for International Student Recruitment

Presented by: Higher Education Marketing

1.  Importance of China in International Recruitment 2.  Chinese Social Media Marketing Basics 3.  An Intro to QQ & Qzone for Recruitment Pros

4.  WeChat: China’s Most Important Social Media Site?

5.  Sina Weibo- Using the ‘Chinese Twitter’ to Connect with Prospective Students

6.  What RenRen Can Offer Western Schools

7.  Tips for Launching Chinese Social Media Campaigns

Overview

1. Importance of China in International Recruitment

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

China is the world’s largest market for international student recruitment.

�  Many schools now offer Chinese versions of their websites, Chinese admissions services, and other initiatives that specifically target Chinese students.

�  Social media marketing, however, continues to be a problem for recruiters.

In 2014 alone, 459,800 Chinese Students Entered programs abroad!

- Chinese Ministry of Education

Why do many schools struggle to establish a social media presence in China? �  Since 2009, The Golden Shield Project- AKA ‘The Great

Firewall of China’- has severely restricted internet use in the country

�  Popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all banned

�  In their place, Chinese-based sites have thrived, creating a unique and unfamiliar social landscape for recruiters

Read on to learn more about the most popular Chinese social media sites!

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

1. Importance of China in International Recruitment

Here are a few important things schools need to remember when using Chinese social media- �  The popularity of Chinese social networks tends to fluctuate more

frequently than established Western sites �  QR codes are the preferred method of adding connections among

social media users �  Chinese social media platforms offer far more functionality than

Western sites, often including games, online shopping, and more. �  Heavily tailored towards mobile- 61% of Chinese users access

social media on their phones �  Censorship still plays a role- be careful not to post controversial

content!

2. Chinese Social Media Marketing Basics

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

QQ is one the world’s most popular social media sites, with nearly 1 billion active monthly users!

3. An Intro to QQ & Qzone for Recruitment Pros

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Overview-

Ø  Users tend to be quite young with limited spending power

Ø  An instant messaging app similar to Skype

Ø  Also offers a host of other features

Ø  Includes Qzone, a Facebook style site with over 659 million users!

Your school can use QQ and Qzone to connect with prospective students in a number of ways- �  Send targeted promotional messages to leads using the QQ

Groups function, which allows between 200 and 1,000 chat members!

�  Use Qzone like Western social media sites such as Facebook, sharing photos, videos and status updates

�  Translate articles and blog posts into Chinese and repurpose them on Qzone. The site’s users like long-form content!

�  Invite a current Chinese student to use the ‘diary’ section on Qzone to document their experience at your school

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

3. An Intro to QQ & Qzone for Recruitment Pros

Example- Follow the lead of Chinese institutions like Anhui University to get a feel for what sort of content works on Qzone

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Qzone’s layout is similar to Facebook. Anhui use it to share regular updates and answer prospective student inquiries through the ‘message board’ function.

3. An Intro to QQ & Qzone for Recruitment Pros

WeChat is often called the ‘WhatsApp of China’, but it actually offers a whole lot more!

4. WeChat: China’s Most Important Social Media Site?

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Ø  762 million monthly active users as of March 2016!

Ø  93% market penetration in Tier 1 Chinese cities

Ø  Usage of the app has exploded, with 39% growth in 2015

Ø  Includes games, a dating app, and an E-commerce section, WeChat Wallet

Ø  Users ‘Moments’ page functions as a mini social network

Ø  You can even order a cab from WeChat, just like Uber!

Many western schools already have already set up WeChat accounts to engage with students. Here’s how you can use the app- �  Answer queries from prospective Chinese applicants using the

IM function �  Communicate with existing Chinese students on your campus �  Share as much content as possible on your Moments feed- WeChat

has no file size restrictions or character limits on posts! �  Promote your school through paid campaigns using WeChat

Advertising and WeChat Subscriptions

4. WeChat: China’s Most Important Social Media Site?

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

WeChat users will only be able to receive your communications if they follow your official account, so schools need to promote it on their websites-

4. WeChat: China’s Most Important Social Media Site?

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Example The University of Nottingham- Ningbo campus has a page on its website to promote its WeChat account. Use ‘WeChat’ in the title for maximum SEO benefits, and don’t forget about QR Codes!

Sina Weibo is by far the most-used Chinese social media channel by international schools-

5. Sina Weibo- Using the ‘Chinese Twitter’ to Connect with Prospective Students

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Ø  176 million users Ø  Popular for breaking news

stories and topical content Ø  Most visible western presence Ø  Many brands and celebrities

post regularly Ø  Likely to be one of the first

places Chinese students search for international schools

Sina Weibo is very similar to Twitter, and can be approached in a similar way by recruiters, but does offer a number of more customisable options-

5. Sina Weibo- Using the ‘Chinese Twitter’ to Connect with Prospective Students

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Example- The Hague University customised their Weibo homepage with a scrolling image slideshow, and displayed QR codes prominently on their page

Formerly China’s most popular social media platform, RenRen now has just 195 million users. However, it could still be valuable for recruiters-

6. What RenRen Can Offer Western Schools

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment

Ø  Still very popular among students in 2nd and 3rd tier cities

Ø  Now features an online student shopping service which allows users to pay bills in installments

Ø  Have invested in Social Finance, a student loan and financing company

Ø  Provides full service for brands, including paid advertising and on-page analytics

While setting up accounts for your school on Chinese social media can be challenging, the number of students you can reach makes it worthwhile. Here’s a few tips for launching your campaigns- �  Use current Chinese students as student ambassadors for your school

�  Offer convenient Q&A hours on Chinese social media that account for timezone differences

�  Pay close attention to Chinese cultural norms and to produce content that really speaks to your audience

�  Chinese social media is competitive and changes all the time, so keep an eye on developments to ensure you’re present on the most popular channels!

7. Tips for Launching Chinese Social Media Campaigns

Source: HEM – Social Media Marketing in China for Student Recruitment