Last year, Global Campus released an informal survey about the use of social media in international recruiting based on the responses of 30 institutions. While its authors describe the survey as “exploratory,” it’s worth a look for what it reveals about how social media is being used to recruit international students.

Considering some of the core characteristics of social media–open dialogue, instant communication, and low cost access to enormous pools of international prospects–the results of the survey were surprisingly banal. For instance, rather than turning to social media in order to drive traffic or extend the institution’s brand the study found that, “the most popular reason for engaging in social media was to reach students already engaged in social media activities.”

While most respondents did indicate that they view social media as a “more cost effective recruitment strategy,” the results also point to limited investment of time and money among the majority of these institutions: only eight schools reported spending over 12 hours per week on social media activities. Although the respondents seem to recognize the value and potential of social media in their international recruitment efforts, the level of engagement and investment in social media by most of the responding institutions was minimal and the strategies they employed (for the most part) were unfocused and passive.

The results beg the question: why aren’t institutions taking advantage of this scalable and accessible resource in their international recruiting efforts? The answer may lie in the responses offered regarding the perceived drawbacks of social media, which included “ambiguous results”, and a lack of “clear guidelines or information on effective strategies.”

Perhaps the problem isn’t a lack of recognition that social media is a powerful tool but rather an overestimation of its power. When it comes to recruiting international students, social media can be an incredible outreach vehicle, but it requires a well thought-out strategy, cultural sensitivity, and a concerted effort to focus its targeting. Optimal use of social media to reach international students requires adhering to the following imperatives:

1. Maintain a Cultural/Behavioral Approach.  As with all behavior, online behavior is overwhelmingly influenced by cultural frames of reference. International outreach can’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach, especially in the world of social media. If you’re going to reach out to International students, invest time in researching and analyzing your targets’ online behavior and customs in the context of the local culture.
 
2. Employ Social Media as a Discovery Tool. One of the best ways to learn about prospects is through informal surveys and conversations with the people you want to reach. Strategies that utilize social media properties should be preceded by research into customs, culture, online behaviors, and cultural mores. Try using student assistants (especially those who are members of your target populations) to engage with your prospects online in a social media context.
 
3. Leverage Communication and Lead Experience for Qualification. Social media engagement is not only beneficial in terms of reaching wider audiences; it also provides a means of filtering unqualified prospects, particularly in international recruiting. Once you have established a culturally appropriate mode of interaction, two-way communications with prospects provides valuable insights that range from English proficiency to individual interests and aspirations.  Using tools such as standardized country specific Q&A matrices can help streamline this process.
 
4. Use a Multi-Pronged Approach to Build Your Brand. Social media engagement is only one part of online recruitment, but it can be a powerful component of a more comprehensive awareness strategy by helping to establish your institution’s reputation in a given region. Today’s International students have more choices than ever, and the most qualified students will only make the investment of time, money, emotion and cultural adjustment if they feel that their efforts will pay off. Publishing or linking faculty research, alumni success stories, and specialized professional opportunities will help international prospects see the value in attending your institution over another.
 
5. Track and Monitor. Whether you are using country specific sites (such as Mixi, Renren, Okrut or Tigtag) or sites like Facebook with a broader global reach, it’s important to segment your properties based on the country or region you’re targeting. You need a system to track what’s working where, and monitor the conversation within that area to help manage your reputation. While this can seem like a large undertaking, employing software agents, student assistants, or outsourced resources can help ensure that a cultural misstep or language error doesn’t spiral into a crisis among the prospects you’re trying to reach.