Goal setting is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. And it’s a critical tool to effectively measure progress when breaking into a new market such as China. In the first part of our blog series on digital marketing goal setting for education marketers, we have covered how the state and performance of your current digital presence in China impacts how you set goals for the future.
In this blog post, we’re explaining other factors that will impact how to set the goals at the right level when you develop a digital marketing strategy for your university in China.
How well-known is your brand in China?
While brand awareness can be tricky to measure, having some idea of how well-known your university or school is within your target market in China will help you to set more realistic goals.
For instance, if your institution happens to be among the highest-ranking in the country, chances are that many Chinese students may have already heard of it. This would make it easier to attract relevant organic search traffic early on. Similarly, if you’re already working with local partners, you may already have a bit of a head start because of the work they have been doing on the ground for you.
But even if you’re starting from scratch, you will get there! It will just take consistent effort over time - and you will want to set your goals accordingly.
How strong is your Chinese alumni network?
If your university has been welcoming students from China for a long time, many of them likely have very fond memories of their time studying at your school. This makes them perfect potential promoters for your digital presence. You could even create some video case studies to show the impact their overseas studies had on their career.
Having a strong alumni network will help you gain traction with your digital presence and increase your credibility, so be sure to factor it into your digital strategy and your goals.
How would you rate the quality of your current applications from China?
Even if you’re already receiving a large volume of applications from China, there is still likely to be room for improvement. When you’re setting goals for your digital presence, it pays to take a closer look at the numbers further down the line of the application journey.
How many applications are you currently receiving from Chinese international students? Are they of the desired quality? What’s the application to place offer ratio? How many Chinese students that you offer a place actually end up enrolling?
If you find, for instance, that you receive many applications that don’t meet your university’s standard, you may want to set a goal to improve the application to place offer ratio. This goal would then inform your digital strategy as you would need to include more information about application requirements on your Chinese website and in your lead nurturing program.
If you want to learn more about developing an effective digital strategy to support your Chinese student recruitment goals, download our latest guide.
