Web Content

How to Make a Better FAQ Page

February 19, 2019

Is your institution doing a good job of providing the answers to frequently asked questions? Follow these tips for how to make a better FAQ page; in the process of building a more comprehensive FAQ page, you just might save your staff some time spent answering applicant questions.

How to Make a Better FAQ Page

Link to admissions dates and pricing pages

You have hopefully made this information easily accessible through a user experience (UX) audit; however, this information should also be prominent on the FAQ page. Make sure that each of your main pages is hyperlinked appropriately so that students can get more information if needed.

Explain the differences between programs

If your institution has more than one program, then these should be clearly explained. It should be apparent who each program is ideal for; in addition, it should explain the benefits of each program.

Thoroughly explain each fee

Imagine being an applicant to your institution. If you saw a list of fees, wouldn’t you want to know what each is for? Students need this transparency. Explain what each fee is for, when it is due, and how it can be paid. Make clear distinctions between ongoing and one-time fees.

Remember that medical insurance is confusing

Explain medical insurance in detail. Be sure to use simple language and make the following things clear:

Who must have health insurance
The insurance provider your school uses
Fees
Due dates
What it covers

Consider a separate “FAQ” page for common medical insurance questions, including where the local urgent care and hospitals are located.

Provide a walkthrough for the process of applying

Make sure that each step of the application process is clear. Number them when needed. Add links to each of the forms that need to be filled out (or instructions for which documents need to be provided by the applicant). Make sure the applicant understands what will happen after he or she has submitted their application.

Don’t forget visa info

Who needs a visa, and how do they apply? What documents are needed? This should be clear.

Provide a detailed walkthrough for the process of preparing to arrive (and arriving)

What items and documents are needed in regard to medical insurance, housing, and academics and visas? Provide this information.

What happens once you arrive? Is there an airport transfer? How do you check in to your accommodation? Are there hours in which check-ins are not available? Are there holidays when students might not be able to check in? Make sure they know this information so they can book flights that meet any requirements for arrival.

Consider facilities questions

Does the campus have wifi? Air conditioning? Food services? Vending machines? What can students expect on your campus and in the classrooms? List these to give them a better idea of campus life.

Constantly reevaluate and update

Ask your student services and front desk to keep track of the questions they are often asked. Add these to your FAQ list, and continually update this list throughout the year.

Lastarria Media LLC provides digital marketing solutions for clients who work in international education. For more information about our services, contact us.

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Instagram Marketing Marketing Guides Social Media

Using Instagram Stories to Promote Your School

February 12, 2019

With more than 200 million users, Instagram Stories has surpassed Snapchat as the leader in applications sharing real-time (disappearing) content. Is your institution taking advantage of this free marketing tool? Here are some of the many ideas for using Instagram Stories to promote your school or business.

Using Instagram Stories to Promote Your School

Idea #1: Show a typical day as a student

Potential students will benefit from content that shows what a typical day is like. Recruit a student to be an ambassador and show what a day is like, including transportation to and from the school, coffee or cafeteria breaks, classes, and after school programs. Save these and make them a “saved” story that users can easily access at the top of your Instagram page.

Idea #2: Give campus and classroom tours

Provide insight into what your campus and classrooms look like. Have a student advisor or administrator provide tours and introduce the staff members that students may work with when they attend your school. This serves as great orientation content for new students as well!

Idea #3: Highlight activities

Many schools put together incredible activities, yet feel frustrated that potential students do not see this content. Instagram Stories is an excellent way to give potential students an idea of what they may experience after school. It’s also an excellent opportunity to show some of the area’s highlights.

Idea #4: Highlight campus events

What is happening on campus? Share this in IG Stories!

Idea #5: Share blog posts

In addition to sharing blog posts on Facebook, use IG Stories to notify followers that a new post is up. You can also recycle old posts to generate more readers for articles that were published in the past.

Idea #6: Post news for students

Let students know of school news using IG Stories. Examples include posts on the following:

Last-minute changes
Tuition and application deadlines
Weather advisories
Birthdays

Idea #7: Share user-generated content (student photos)

Utilize user-generated content by sharing photos that students posted. It’s an excellent way to highlight the experience of students through their own eyes!

Did you know? A third party marketing team can help organize and motivate your internal staff to continually promote your school on social media channels. Contact Lastarria Media for more information.

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Higher Education Marketing Newsletters

The Benefits of Creating Newsletters for Agents

February 5, 2019

Email is the preferred method of communication for most people in the workforce . . . are you taking full advantage of this opportunity to communicate with your agents? While newsletters might not be appropriate for all industries, they are a highly valued and effective method to promote sales in the higher education sector. Read on to learn more about the benefits of creating newsletters for agents.

The Benefits of Creating Newsletters for Agents

Benefit 1: Newsletters keep agents up to date

You could share your latest news with your agents via a traditional email or an easy-to-read, branded newsletter with graphics, images, and catchy fonts. Which would you prefer to read?

Schedule your newsletter to coincide with the release of new price lists, programs, course schedules, or the publication of other marketing materials (such as a video testimonial).

Benefit 2: Newsletters provide useful data about your agents and the information they are seeking

Did you know that newsletters are a valuable tool for data collection? With a newsletter, you can gain access to the following information:

Which accounts received your newsletter (and which accounts caused the email to bounce back)
Which email accounts opened the newsletter (and how many times it was opened)
Which URLs and images were clicked on
What PDFs were downloaded

This data illustrates which agents are utilizing your newsletter, which in turn helps you better understand its effectiveness (and what information should be included in future newsletters). Furthermore, your email newsletter data tells you where agent interests are: the most clicked hyperlinks or most highly downloaded PDFs indicate which programs agents are promoting (and which they are not).

Benefit 3: Newsletters provide an opportunity to brand your institution and recycle marketing materials

Are you getting enough use out of your logo, your written and video testimonials, your blog posts, and your professional photos? Newsletters provide another opportunity to use these materials and present them in a professional, branded way. Be sure that agents understand your school’s message loud and clear.

Benefit 4: Newsletters ensure you have the most current agent contact information

People change jobs all the time. Are you 100% sure that every email address you have for every agent is up to date? If not, consider a newsletter. Each time you send an e-newsletter, you will receive a report of emails that bounced back. Some are “soft” bounces, meaning that there simply may be some spam software installed on the agent’s email account. This is an opportunity to email this agent directly, provide them with the link to the newsletter, and show them that your school has a high attention to detail.

Sometimes, the bounces are “hard bounces.” These are emails that no longer work. Either your institution has the incorrect email listed (this happens often!) or this person is no longer with the company. Either way, this is a red flag . . . and something that should be investigated further. In doing so, you are ensuring you are up-to-date on your partner agencies and their personnel.

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February 2019