Study Abroad Marketing Insights & News

One thing that you and I have in common is we’re both interested in study abroad marketing. This is evidenced by the fact that you found your way to this article and have started reading it on the web. There’s no doubt, we’ve been working hard to find the right strategies and marketing mix, among a plethora of competition. I’m sure you’re in the same boat!

I think what makes us different is we’re a publisher and consultant. We don’t have our own programs and customized services. Our business is study abroad information and education abroad consulting.  It’s been almost a year now since we launched Facultyled.com, and only six months for AbroadScout.com. Despite our youth, it’s mind-boggling how far we’ve come!

One of the best books I read this year was The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly (New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs,) by David Meerman Scott, and the most amazing quote was this:

“You have a choice when you create search engine marketing programs. One method is to optimize on and advertise with a small number of words and phrases that are widely targeted, in order to try to generate huge numbers of clicks. Think of this approach as like an ocean-going drag fishing boat with huge nets used to harvest one species of fish. Sure, you can capture thousands of fish at a time, but you throw away all that are not the species you’re after, and it is a very expensive undertaking.” (page 250)

It’s funny David mentioned this because most internet advertisers are interested in the number of clicks, rather than the quality of a website and its traffic. This is because too many internet marketing companies brainwash advertisers into believing that clicks results in sales.  It’s only a matter of time before people wise up and change this approach. It’s not the number of clicks that’s important; it’s matching the right species to the product or service you’re offering. It’s about meeting needs. A hundred quality clicks are more effective than a thousand generic ones.

With that said, here’s where Facultyled.com stands. Today (December 11, 2009), I conducted a search on Google. A generic search using the key words “Study Abroad” resulted in very little among 17,200,000 results. However, the following searches were very fruitful, and we hope to continue along this path of hitting our specialization right on!

We were also included in a nice article in the International Educator, Attracting Faculty to Education Abroad, by Janet Hulstrand.

Part of Study Abroad 101 (paperback book) is now posted on AbroadScout.com. We’re also working with two study abroad professionals (new authors) to produce a book that speaks directly to faculty and professionals (how to design and develop faculty-led programs). It should be on the press before the summer.

The publisher in us will continue to produce quality books and information and we’d like to use this information to help you. Please take advantage of how we can help you reach your potential customers, and help us also to succeed. We offer you win-win solutions and much more.

Win-Win Things that You Can Do

:: Enter our monthly photo contest by adding your photos to our Flickr Group. Winners receive free publicity on the front page of AbroadScout.com

:: Become a Fan on Facebook

:: Befriend Professor Bob (on Facebook)

:: List your services as a Customized Program Provider

:: List your programs in our Abroad Programs Directory

:: Write something for our Facultyled Blog or Abroad Scout Blog

:: Advertise on our websites (inquire at studyabroad@agapy.com)

:: Link to us and help our websites climb

If we help each other, we will all succeed.