Study abroad marketing strategies
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was common for students to move away from their own country to study abroad. Now that the pandemic seems to be over, this trend is picking up again.
But how do they know where to go? Which country and which institution are the best fit for their needs? Today, there is a huge range of possibilities from which students can choose, especially thanks to the web.
For this reason, schools and institutions do their best to promote their study programs online. They use a lot of marketing strategies to appeal to students from all over the world. Firstly, they need to know the students’ interests. In particular, where they would like to live, what type of facilities they need and so on. Secondly, institutions need to have an appealing profile on social media. Indeed, this one plays a crucial role in the lives of young people.
It is also important to have a website that students can browse in different languages. Indeed, if institutions want to get the attention of international students, they need to make information accessible in their own native language. This is the key to avoiding misunderstandings.
So, as we can see, here again, the role of translators is essential. A lot of institutions contact us to get their websites or marketing campaigns translated into several languages. In this way, they can reach as many students as possible.
The power of social media connections
Many students may have reservations about whether to embark on this journey or not. However, thanks to social media, they can take a quick look at the campus and the programs the institutions offer. In addition, they can also get in touch with previous students to ask about their experiences. Consequently, institutions are investing increasingly more in social media to create a catching profile and to relate to their students.
In addition, one of the main marketing strategies that institutions adopt is to use their own students to provide testimonials. Students who are currently studying at the institution can make videos and take pictures to share on Instagram, for example. They can also create content about their day-to-day life on campus. In this way, students who are still hesitant can make a choice. Furthermore, students can also share content in different languages. In this way, they can help overseas students find someone to talk to in their own language. In this case, you can create different profiles or post the same content in different languages. You can let students who speak other languages manage a social media profile. If this is not possible, you need a translator to translate your content.
Up-to-date website
Another important element that institutions need to promote their study programs is an up-to-date website. Whilst they can post a lot on social media, they also need a website. Thanks to this students know what to refer to for further information.
If we look at institutions that promote study abroad, we can see how their websites are full of information. These include a variety of programs, the campus life, the students, a section to apply, and much, much more.
It is important that websites are easy to browse. They should have pictures of international students and a focus on the local culture students are going to experience. Moving to another country to study is also about getting familiar with a culture different from their own.
Finally, it is important to provide students with the possibility to browse the website and get information in their native language. Indeed, every website should have a language setting, where students can choose the language they prefer.
The translation of a website can be daunting. This happens especially when it comes to the translation of qualifications, grades and culture-related content. In the next section, we will see how to deal with these topics.
How to deal with different levels of qualifications
Translating every section of a website is not an easy task, especially when it comes to the qualifications required. If an institution requires students to have completed compulsory education, students from different countries will be of different ages. In Japan, compulsory education lasts nine years, so students will be 15. In Italy, instead, it lasts 10 years, so students will be 16-17.
Furthermore, if institutions require a university degree, the same program can be of different duration in different countries.
A similar problem occurs with grades. Every country has its own grade system. Translating from one scale to another is not easy. Indeed, a grade that can be sufficient to pass in one country may not be high enough in another. In Italy, for example, grades go from 0 to 10, 10 being the highest. In Germany, instead, the highest is 1 and the lowest is 6. Other countries like the USA, Canada and the UK, use a system ruled by letters. These go from A (the highest) to D or F. Similarly, everything changes if we are talking about university grades.
So, as we can see, translators do not have an easy task.
Paperwork to study abroad
Once students have made up their mind and chosen their institution, there is a lot of paperwork to sort out. Here, we face the same problems with the translation of qualifications. Institutions will require qualifications, diplomas, and other documents for students’ admission. If you don’t have an English version (or a version of the language required), you will need to get one.
However, a simple translation is not enough. You will need a certified translation of your documents, provided by a certified translator. To learn more about this topic, read our other blog post about studying in Canada!
Certified translation to study abroad
At LingoStar, we work with a lot of institutions that need their website and flyers translated to promote their study abroad programs.
We also provide certified translation services in many languages. If you want to study abroad and need documents translated, do not hesitate to contact us! Please request a free translation quote or email us at info@lingo-star.com. We’ll be happy to help you with your translation.
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Multilingual websites to promote study abroad programs
Do you want to make your website multilingual to promote your study abroad programs, but you do not know where to start? Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Multilingual Website Translation to learn important information on how to expand your online business.
Review our Beginner’s Guide to Multilingual Website Translation here >>.
