Go live on social media to engage with prospective students

With international student recruitment becoming increasingly competitive, universities must find new ways to engage prospective learners. However, heavy teaching workloads make it difficult for staff to travel and meet them in person. While it is possible to combine academic and student recruitment activities in international trips, it is not always feasible. 

Sending email newsletters offering useful content to prospective students is an effective way to outline the benefits of studying at your institution. So is posting regularly on social media channels. Building on this, I suggest running live streams on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube to connect with these students in real time. 

Expanding engagement through live streaming 

At my institution, our live Facebook Q&As have been very popular. Our Facebook page has a large following, and advance email and social media promotion help attract large audiences. We’ve created series such as the “International Citizen Student Show” based on our Citizen Student Strategy, streamed on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn simultaneously using StreamYard. Co-hosted by academic and non-academic staff, students, alumni and external guests, it covers topics of interest to international students. We record these sessions and then post them on our social media channels. 

We have also hosted a “Micro MBA” with eight one-hour taster sessions covering different topics integrating quizzes and digital content. Topics we cover include strategy, leadership, sustainability, finance, supply chain, marketing and digital transformation. 

Make it appealing 

To maximise engagement, it’s essential to tailor content accordingly. Conduct research about your target audience and what would appeal to them to help you decide what kind of content to cover. If you want to promote a particular programme, you can use content from it to create some taster sessions. Offer an automated certificate as an incentive to complete the course.

Inviting alumni guests to live-streamed events and ensuring the content highlights their experiences can boost word-of-mouth marketing. As graduates become active ambassadors for the university, their stories and insights can foster trust and authenticity in the recruitment process. 

Structuring your sessions

Start your live streams with a 10-minute introduction to the topic and updates about your institution, then allow an expert speaker to deliver a 15-minute presentation. The remaining 30 minutes can be set aside for a Q&A. Five to 10 one-hour sessions work well.

Encouraging interaction

We use StreamYard, which allows participants to post questions in the comments section of their chosen social media channel. The co-hosts then choose audience comments to display on the screen for the speaker to answer. This ensures that irrelevant questions are not visible to the audience. We also create a ticker tape banner with information on how to submit questions and make enquiries after the session.

You can also ask participants to submit feedback in the comments section and create a short exit survey to find out what audience members found valuable and identify any areas for improvement. To maximise insights, consider making surveys a required component of the course. 

One participant said that taking part in the live-streamed course helped build their confidence, make connections and learn about the university, allowing them to make an informed decision about whether or not to apply. These kinds of comments encourage us to seek further ways of building confidence in our institution’s offering.

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The benefits of live streaming for institutions

These sessions offer opportunities for more targeted and cost-effective efforts while maximising the benefits of working with agents. In our case, some of our agents and local businesses also participated in our Micro MBA course and it further strengthened our relationships with them. 

The integration of prospective student feedback from agent networks, student surveys and live-streamed events also allows universities to refine their recruitment strategies, create better personas and better understand which agents, markets and communication channels are most effective. This can lead to more strategic marketing efforts, maximising return on investment.  

Furthermore, these live events allow staff to directly interact with students in real time to build relationships, increase connections, address concerns and provide useful content, strengthening trust. This can lead to increased enrolment from individuals who feel more informed, reassured and connected to the institution after the sessions. By embracing live streaming as a recruitment tool, universities can build global connections, foster trust and attract a more diverse student body. 

Alex Fenton is associate dean for international and associate professor in the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise at the University of Chester.

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