Digital and mobile marketing is extremely prevalent in the US when it comes to college recruitment. However, the same strategies and tactics that work in the United States don’t necessarily work abroad; particularly in China where different media and search engines dominate the student landscape. This presentation will use research conducted by Zinch China (a division of Chegg Enrollment Services based in Beijing) as well as data from Baidu (China’s #1 online search engine) to shed light on best practices and opportunities for brand building, student engagement and recruitment via digital tools, mobile devices, and social media. This webinar will provide keen insight towards the digital recruitment technology used in China.

1. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Leveraging Digital
Marketing in China

2. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Xiaoqiao Zhang
Associate Director of
International Admissions
at Lycoming College
Justin Hutchings
Director of International
Services at Chegg
Gil Rogers
Director of Enrollment
Marketing at Chegg
Today’s Presenters

3. A Huge Opportunity
and Growing
1985
1995
2005
2014
1.1 Million
1.7 Million
3 Million
4.5 Million
8 Million
2025
Source: IIE Project Atlas, 2015

4. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
There’s China…
and there’s everyone else
31%
of international
students in the US
are coming from
China
Source: IIE Open Doors Report, 2015

5. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
The China Landscape
The Numbers
• Over half a million students studied abroad in 2015
• Over 90% of students are studying abroad at their own
expense, remainder are government or company
sponsored
Growth
• Growth in students studying abroad grew by over 13%
from 2014-2015, surpassing half a million for the first time
Source: Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Students Studying Abroad (2015) No. 4

6. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Key Influencers
Brand Recognition
• Institution type
• Digital presence
• Legitimacy, time in market, and on-the-ground presence
Ranking/Reputation
• US News and World Report
• Institutional and program rankings
• Perception of academic quality
Student/Parent Perceptions
• Safety and location
• Program offerings and internships
• Admission criteria and cost

7. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Tools of the College Search
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60% Search Engine (Baidu)
College Ranking Sites
Chinese School Search Site
(Zinch)
Official College Website
Social Media Website (Weibo)
Foreign School Website (College
Board)
Social Media Mobile (WeChat)
News App
Source: Chegg Social Admissions Report: China Edition

8. The Top Digital Sources
More
than
40%
Over
Half
1 in 3
Source: Chegg Social Admissions Report: China Edition

9. That’s over
360 million
annual searches for
study abroad related
terms

10. Sample: Lycoming University

11. Social IS Mobile

12. China’s population:
1.37 Billion
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China: 2015年国民经济和社会发展统计公报

13. Social Media Resides in Mobile
71%
of SNS users access platform
via mobile
593 million mobile internet users
95% of China checks smartphone
before bed
43% of China’s population
Source: GroupM Interaction, China at Your Fingertips 3.0; China Internet Network Information Center, July 2015

14. Nearly 70%
Use a smart phone as
their primary tool for
researching colleges
Top Activities:
• 85% check school info
(rank/majors/tuition)
• 38% watch a video from a
college
• 28% posted a question to a
college rep on a social
media site
• 27% participated in a live
chat
Source: Chegg Social Admissions Report: China Edition

15. China has been experiencing a light speed
evolution in Social Network Service (SNS)
development
2008 - 2009
Renren Dynasty
2010 - 2013
Weibo Dynasty
2014 - ?
WeChat Dynasty
Source: Imagination Creative Agency, April, 2014, Chinese Social Media Brief: Overview, SNS Analysis and Key Trends.

16. Nearly
90%
of students indicate they will use
social media when deciding where
to enroll
Source: Chegg Social Admissions Report: China Edition

17. 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
College Official Websites
Search Engine (Baidu)
Chineses School Information
Website (Zinch)
News App
Social Media Website (Weibo)
Social Media Mobile App (WeChat)
How important are the following (according to students) … ?
Source: Chegg Social Admissions Report: China Edition

18. 0 20 40 60 80 100
College Website
Email
High School Counselors
Social Media
Hosted Campus Visit
Overseas High School Visit
College Fairs
How important are the following (according to recruiters) … ?
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014-2015

19. Mobile Messaging Apps
Instant-messaging apps are the types of apps
students indicate being most likely to use
when searching for colleges.
This indicates a high value placed on the
perspectives of their peers when researching
and evaluating colleges.
It also places an importance on having a
verified presence on these platforms (which
is not easy)

20. WeChat
• Chat by text
• Chat with voice notes
• Send pictures
• Send video
• Engage in a voice call
• Engage in a video call
• Can operate like a walkie-talkie
• Customize your branding
• View basic user information

21. Personal Account – personal account tied to one individual (not
shareable). Offers direct engagement or group interaction with users. Is
replacing the business card, and is a must for any recruitment initiatives
in China.
Public Subscription Account – designed for brands to share updates
with audiences, with a limit of one push message per day. Build into a
microsite for informing users. Builds social awareness, and brings
legitimacy.
Two WeChat Account Options:

22. Confidential Material – Chegg Inc. © 2005 - 2014. All Rights Reserved.
谢谢!
Xiaoqiao Zhang
Associate Director of
International Admission at
Lycoming College
zhang@lycoming.edu
Justin Hutchings
Director of International
Services at Chegg
jhutchings@chegg.com
Gil Rogers
Director of Enrollment
Marketing at Chegg
gil@chegg.com
Get the full report at http://edu.chegg.com/downloads