7 Secrets to recruiting more post graduate

Students

By Liz MurphySpecialist Student Recruitment/ Marketing Consultant07939 167313 UK

Promote!• We’re a good university, PG students will find us? Wrong!• No one plays by these rules any more• Many courses are highly specialised and students might not be

searching for your course title • Well crafted, detailed course information

is needed• Promotion will require the investment of

some budget

Think Digital• Shopping for a PG course will largely be done digitally • It is vital for international recruitment and compared to agents fees it

is extremely cost effective • Avoid the temptation to dump everything online.

Your ‘elevator pitch’ is vital in all forms of communication, especially in the digital world as attention spans are short

Use Specialist Media • Several sites now have advertising and email opportunities to

communicate with your market • It’s possible to find lists of people considering a PG course in your

subject area• Direct communication, via email, can be highly successful

More Video Less Words!• ‘If a picture paints a thousand words…..’• YouTube is now the second biggest search engine. Only Google is

bigger showing that video is the preferred medium for so many of us.• Remember this is the sound bite

generation. It is possible to give a complex message in a small window of time via video.

Be Prepared For A Dialogue • PG study is clearly a big decision and students need detailed

information• Encourage a dialogue. It shows you care• Use support staff to respond to simple questions• Insist your academics engage in a friendly manner

on subject specific matters

Make It Personal • The days of impersonal, mass marketing have gone• Market research shows, prospective students want information tailored to

their needs and interests• Encourage academics to reach out to individuals who could become good

PG students • As a minimum all emails and letters should be

correctly address to the person by name. Use rich data & incorporate it into the message with a CRM system

Embrace Online Advertising • Search engine optimisation will enable your courses to be seen in a

digital search and is worth investing in an expert to make this happen • Use pay-per-click advertising strategically. It is inexpensive

& highly successful. Particularly in India and China• Use online behavioural advertising. Once someone

clicks out of your website it shows a reminder ad of your offer

Timing• Communicate early so your programme will be considered. The

beginning of 2nd year undergraduate studies is ideal.• Communicate from end of finals to the start of the

course. Research shows some undergrads will take a PG course at the end of the summer if they cannot find a job• Use digital media which is 24 hours, 7 days a week

AND international. This is also perfect for those in work, who are part of your market too

It’s A Rational & Emotional Decision

• Decisions are mixture of rational thoughts and emotional feelings • It is so important that students feel an

emotional connection with your brand, department, course and staff • A warm welcome and a feeling of

being wanted is key• Be upbeat and positive• Remember this is a people business

Need Some Help? • I’m a successful, freelance, education, marketing

consultant at director level• You can hire me for a few weeks, a few months or offer me

a job• My activities genuinely recruit extra students and improve

brand perception. I could do that for you • I have worked for 6 universities & UCAS so have extensive

experience • Feel free to ring me for a chat

Liz Murphy lizmurphywork@gmail.com 07939 167313 in the UK or find me on LinkedIn