International higher education marketing is a crucial aspect of universities’ efforts to attract and recruit international students.

International higher education marketing is a crucial aspect of universities’ efforts to attract and recruit international students. With the increasing globalization of the education sector, institutions must develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience.

However, despite its importance, international higher education marketing is often ineffective due to several factors.

According to a report by Study portals, the number of international students worldwide reached 5.3 million in 2021, representing a 5% increase from the previous year. As such, institutions must develop effective marketing strategies to compete in a crowded and competitive market.

However, many institutions struggle to develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with international students, leading to low engagement and recruitment rates.

Several factors contribute to the industry’s challenges, including a lack of understanding of the target audience, overreliance on traditional marketing tactics, inadequate resources and budgets, and a failure to adapt to technological changes.

In this article, we will explore these factors and discuss how institutions can develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience, increase student engagement, and achieve their international recruitment goals.

Lack of Understanding of Target Audience

International higher education marketing has been a challenging task for many universities and colleges. Despite the growing demand for higher education across borders, the industry has failed to reach its full potential due to several reasons. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of understanding of the target audience.

Cultural nuances and differences play a crucial role in international marketing. However, many institutions fail to recognize this, resulting in misaligned messaging and branding.

A report by QS Enrolment Solutions found that only 19% of international students feel that universities adequately understand their cultural background. This lack of cultural intelligence can lead to an ineffective marketing strategy, as messaging and branding may not resonate with the target audience.

Moreover, institutions often rely on a one-size-fits-all approach when communicating with potential international students. This results in a lack of personalized communication, which can be a significant turn-off for students.

The same QS Enrolment Solutions report found that 56% of international students did not feel that universities communicated with them on a personal level. Personalized communication is essential in international higher education marketing as it helps build trust and creates a sense of belonging for students.

Another factor contributing to ineffective marketing is the misalignment between the institution’s marketing goals and the target audience’s expectations.

A report by EAB Global found that 42% of international students were dissatisfied with the information provided on the institution’s website. This dissatisfaction could be due to a lack of clear and concise information that addresses the students’ concerns and questions.

Overreliance on Traditional Marketing Tactics

International higher education marketing has been struggling to achieve its full potential, and one of the reasons for this is the overreliance on traditional marketing tactics.

While print advertisements and brochures, recruitment fairs, and campus visits have been the go-to strategies for many institutions, they are proving to be increasingly ineffective in reaching today’s digitally-savvy international students.

Print advertisements and brochures are becoming less effective due to the rise of digital media consumption. According to a report by Study portals, 74% of prospective international students rely on digital sources to research universities. Therefore, institutions need to invest in digital marketing to reach their target audience effectively.

Recruitment fairs and campus visits can be expensive and time-consuming, limiting their reach to a limited number of students. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted travel, forcing institutions to cancel recruitment events and campus visits. Institutions need to pivot to virtual events, such as webinars and virtual fairs, to reach a broader audience and increase their ROI.

Although digital marketing is increasingly popular, many institutions are still not using it effectively. According to a survey by QS Enrolment Solutions, 40% of institutions are not utilizing social media in their marketing strategy.

Moreover, 64% of institutions fail to personalize their email marketing campaigns. Personalization and digital marketing are key to reaching today’s international students effectively.

Inadequate Resources and Budgets

International higher education marketing has been struggling due to inadequate resources and budgets. Limited funding, insufficient staffing and training, and the inability to compete with well-resourced institutions are some of the factors that contribute to the industry’s challenges.

Limited funding is a significant challenge for many institutions, particularly in the face of rising competition. According to a report by Study portals, 62% of institutions are increasing their marketing budgets to attract international students.

However, smaller institutions often have limited resources to invest in marketing, making it challenging for them to compete with larger institutions with more significant marketing budgets.

Moreover, insufficient staffing and training can hinder an institution’s marketing efforts. A report by EAB Global found that 70% of institutions have fewer than five staff members dedicated to international student recruitment.

This lack of resources can lead to a limited understanding of the market and target audience, resulting in ineffective marketing strategies.

The inability to compete with well-resourced institutions is also a challenge for many institutions. Larger and more established institutions often have well-resourced marketing departments that can invest in various marketing tactics, making it challenging for smaller institutions to compete.

According to a report by QS Enrolment Solutions, 51% of international students consider a university’s reputation when deciding where to study, making it crucial for smaller institutions to invest in their brand awareness.

Failure to Adapt to Technological Changes

International higher education marketing has been struggling due to a failure to adapt to technological changes. Institutions’ reluctance to embrace new technologies, failure to optimize for mobile devices and lack of focus on social media marketing are some of the factors that contribute to the industry’s challenges.

Many institutions are reluctant to embrace new technologies, resulting in outdated marketing strategies. According to a report by QS Enrolment Solutions, 53% of institutions have not updated their marketing strategies in the past two years.

This reluctance to embrace new technologies can lead to ineffective marketing strategies that fail to resonate with today’s digitally-savvy international students.

Failure to optimize for mobile devices is also a significant challenge for institutions. According to a report by Study portals, 62% of prospective international students use their mobile devices to research universities.

However, many institutions have not optimized their websites and marketing materials for mobile devices, leading to a poor user experience for prospective students.

Lack of focus on social media marketing is another challenge for institutions. According to a survey by QS Enrolment Solutions, 40% of institutions are not utilizing social media in their marketing strategy.

Social media is a crucial channel for reaching today’s international students, with 77% of prospective students using social media to research universities, according to a report by Study portals.

To Conclude

International higher education marketing is a crucial aspect of universities’ efforts to attract and recruit international students.

However, despite its importance, many institutions struggle to develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience, leading to low engagement and recruitment rates.

We have identified several factors that contribute to the industry’s challenges, including a lack of understanding of the target audience, overreliance on traditional marketing tactics, inadequate resources and budgets, and a failure to adapt to technological changes.

Institutions must address these factors and develop effective marketing strategies to compete in a crowded and competitive market.

We call on institutions to invest in their marketing efforts, understand their target audience’s cultural nuances and differences, align their messaging and branding, personalize their communication, and embrace new technologies.

By doing so, they can develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience, increase student engagement, and achieve their international recruitment goals.