Early in my career, I had the opportunity to market to international students through my role with StudyAdelaide. I too was an international student in Adelaide at that time, which gave me excellent perspective on the needs, wants, pain points and goals of my target audience.

Education marketing was a massive industry in South Australia. Education ranked as their #1 service export. Adelaide itself is home to over 44,000 international students from 130 different countries around the world.

Here are some things I learned about marketing in the industry:

Students crave community. Moving to a new country to study can be very intimidating. Creating opportunities for connection with other international students, and positioning your brand at the heart of those opportunities, is critical to show that students should choose your city/school/program.

Culture is huge. Students want events that lean into three types of culture: the culture of their new country, their home culture, and the cultures of their international student peers. Leaning into culture, creating fun experiences and celebrating diversity drives connection, understanding, and a sense of belonging.

Build partnerships. You have to learn what brands or organizations your target market is already engaging with, and forge partnerships to increase your reach and build brand equity. Trust is everything when marketing to international's, and targeted partnerships are a great way to accelerate the trust-building process.

Social proof is critical. Continuing on the Trust theme, it's important to get creative with social proof to get your target audience to believe in your ability to deliver an exceptional experience, both in the classroom and in the community. Videos of past events, student testimonials, and success statistics all contribute toward building legitimacy and trust.

I could go on, but I'll leave it there for now! If you're interested in digging deeper into this topic together, let's talk!