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Recruiting Intelligence

Do You Know #Studyspo?

Studying up on the latest digital trends in higher ed? We have one that may surprise you but it is certainly familiar to your student intern.  

We’re talking about Studyspo: the trend turning study time into scroll-worthy content.


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In recent years, every nook of the internet—from Pinterest boards to TikTok stories—has gained noteworthy momentum in helping students build connective digital spaces and communities where students share life hacks and ideas with each other. And now, students are convening on these platforms even more frequently—even to study. 

Studyspo, a blending of “study” and “inspiration,” involves students sharing posts, videos, hashtags, and the like, to show how they’re studying. Generating noteworthy digital engagement, Studyspo is, indeed, trending.  

The hashtag #Studyspo has been used in over 1,011,091 posts on Instagram, with an average of 12 new posts per hour. On average, these posts receive 106 “likes” and 2 comments each, indicating moderate engagement. Other related hashtags frequently used alongside #studyspo include #studygram, which has garnered over 13 million posts, #studying with around 6.7 million posts, and #studymotivation with about 3.5 million posts.  

More of the same can be seen on Tumblr, where hashtags related to studying and similar topics (like #studyblr) also enjoy substantial popularity. For example, #studyblr has over 500,000 posts, showing that the study-related community on Tumblr is incredibly active.  

But, trends they are fleeting. How do you know when to jump on the social media fad train (and hashtag) and when to happily let it pass you by? Let’s get into it. Read on…

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Going out of Business: Many Institutions are Struggling. Notice Any Red Flags?


If you follow the trends of higher education, you’ve no doubt heard the prediction that 50 percent of the country’s colleges will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 years. And that perspective has been touted for the past 20+ years, so…we need to take it with some salt.

Still, we have seen an uptick in closures and mergers of late. This is worth looking at because, there is some truth to this prediction and we’d be fools to simply say, “Never gonna happen.”

There are plenty of industries that have gone through these kinds of retrenching or refocusing. In the world of Mergers and Acquisitions, any business is broken down on paper for its assets and liabilities. Assets are considered for liquidation – the idea of “selling off the parts.” This is happening in academia as well. Harsh but true: profitable departments or schools within an institution are being “adopted” by other stronger institutions while the rest of the weaker institution is shut down.

Before we all consider our college diplomas to be rare antiques, is there any way to safeguard against this trend?

Below, we share some perspective on different options being considered and some resources you may want to access for a deeper dive. Here’s one of them: Our non-traditional student recruitment ebook: Quality. Cost. Convenience. The extended edition on Intead Plus gives you marketing planning insights, sample personas along with case studies from nine very different institutions.

Next week we'll be talking about long-term vision and growth. But before we get there, we need to understand a bit more about where we are now.

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

(Read on)

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Intead’s Top 10 International Student Recruiting Podcasts

Podcasts can be an invaluable tool for international student recruiting professionals. They inspire new ideas, motivate us to try new things, and teach us industry secrets. And, you can listen to them just about anywhere, from your morning commute, to the coach seat as you fly to your next student fair, or just at your desk as you carve out a few minutes for lunch between all the demands of the day. Listening to leaders and experts in the field of international student recruiting discuss the same topics you struggle with can shed light on new solutions.

These are all of the reasons Intead started sharing podcasts a few years ago, and since then we’ve shared insights into everything from hiring admissions staff to innovative education models, to marketing to diverse audiences. This week, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 most listened to podcasts. Here’s what your peers found most valuable.

In all, Intead has produced 46 podcasts with international student recruiting leaders covering all the topics you grapple with all the time. At the end of our top 10 list you will find a link to Intead’s full library of podcasts. Find the insights that are most important to you. Special nod to our co-founder, Michael Waxman-Lenz, for all his work producing these industry-leading resources.

Meet Us in Miami or San Diego!

When temperatures get cold here in New England, we seek out warmer weather ;) Join us at the AIRC and ICEF conferences in Miami in December as we share our latest global digital marketing insights at workshops and other presentations. In January, meet us in San Diego at our First Annual International Student Recruitment Bootcamp (2016 theme: What Works Where), presented in partnership with CGACC. Let us know if you’ll be at any of these venues–we’d love to catch up over a cup of coffee!

Read on to find links to our top 10 podcasts, plus one bonus podcast you won’t want to miss. Read on...

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