In last week’s blog post, we shared with you the trends in Malaysian student mobility. In Part 2 of our Malaysian mini-series we will give you a better sense of how you might want to market your institution to these prospective students.
A quick aside: We are thrilled to be presenting at #NAFSA2015 with some great, global institutions including:
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Fresno State
- University of Cincinnati
- American University
- University Cattolica Sacro Cuore
- University of Otago Language Centre
- Thompson Rivers University
We will share the dais with two of our expert marketing partners:
- FPP EDUMedia
- Admission Table
The level of expertise around us at NAFSA will be daunting but we are up to the challenge. I hope you’ll be there to gather up all the great take-aways. Our international student recruitment focused presentations will address:
- Int’l student recruiting STUDENT MOTIVATIONS - Wed 5/27 2:45pm -groundbreaking research
- Int’l student recruiting CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING - Fri 5/29 8am - practical experience from the field
- Int’l student recruiting MYSTERY SHOP INSIGHT - Wed 5/27 11:45am - how your peers fail (or succeed) at digital mrktg
Our blog from 5/6/15 provides more detail. We hope to see you there.
So getting back to the soft breezes of Malaysia, how can universities attract Malaysian students ? Let’s take a look at the many ways to share digital information through Malaysia’s poplular social media platforms.
Reliable sources tell us Malaysia ranks highest in social networking users across Asia, with 90% of students actively engaging in social media activities. We have explored some of the most used social media sites to help you build your brand and enhance your reputation in this part of the world.
#1 Mobile Use of Facebook
Almost half of Malaysian Internet users identify Facebook as their favorite social platform. More than 8.7 million, out of 10 million, Malaysians are accessing Facebook via mobile devices on a daily basis. Malaysian youth primarily use Facebook to share their thoughts and feelings, so information-sharing activities will be well-received. Photos and videos are important elements of your posts.
If you would like to monitor your Facebook pages, one option is to use this Facebook monitoring tool by Socialbakers Analytics.
#2 Twitter
In Malaysia, an average of 5.4 million tweets were posted in a single day in 2014. Not only are individuals posting, but companies, celebrities and politicians all participate actively on Twitter.
#3 Instagram
Youth love to see fresh photos from other people or places around the world, so why not use Instagram as your school album? You have the photos of student and campus life, now use them!
#4 Tenecent Weibo
This is a China mainland-based social media platform, which is highly used in many other countries in Asia, including Malaysia.
Keep in mind that Smartphones and youth go hand-in-hand. Using popular messaging apps is another excellent way of reaching students where they are. The mobile messaging apps listed below are popular among Malaysian students:
Line (out of Japan)
WeChat (out of China)
And while Malaysian Internet users may have their favorite platforms, they do use a wide range of different services to stay connected – far more than are seen in other regions around the world. To gain some perspective on the Malaysian consumer mindset, here are a few sites worth browsing since your prospective students are likely going here as well:
Now, that we’ve talked about where to engage with students, let’s talk about how to do that. Below are a range of good ideas and approaches for engaging students on social media and otherwise, and what they are interested in.
- Advertise on Facebook: Targeted social media advertising is worth looking into. Intead has been testing these waters over the past few months specifically in Malaysia and India. We will have results to share in this blog during the coming year. We are using the latest tools and some very knowledgeable country experts to help us learn and succeed with this kind of targeted digital marketing. Successful techniques and content will be different by region.
- Speedy Response: In general with all digital marketing, respond quickly and share frequently. This is part of the Malaysian Sutra! Actually, it applies everywhere when using digital marketing.
- Games (or Gamification): Create online interactive quizzes (with prizes) that students can easily access on their mobile devices to participate. Our Intead tech team can help you here.
- Affordability: Provide student information on scholarships and financing university study. This can be as simple as sharing tips/guidance about paying for school. Financing university study is always an interesting topic for students.
- Student Testimonials: Share interviews with your current students from Malaysia. In this area, video is king.
- Travel and Engage: Be aware of opportunities to engage in person through in-country Education Fairs. Consider these two options in Malaysia:
We hope this has been helpful perspective. And we look forward to meeting our Malaysian colleagues in Boston next week!
