Promoting Your Faculty-led or Custom Program
Program Promotion Strategies for Success
You’ve invested a lot of time and energy designing a faculty-led program. Now it’s time to spread the word and get students enrolled! We’re pleased to share some tips on overcoming barriers to study abroad and successful strategies for promoting your program on campus.
Overcoming Barriers to Student Participation
We know cost, curriculum, and culture are the three main barriers that prevent students from studying or interning abroad. CIEE aims to help overcome each one.
1. Cost
Make sure you meet with your study abroad office to learn about financial resources available to students so you can point them in the right direction. This could include funding scholarships and/or financial aid.
2. Curriculum
Help address your students’ concerns about time to graduation and meeting curricular requirements by communicating clearly which degree or general education requirements your program fulfills. Ensuring your program has credit approval from a wide range of academic departments will help more students be able to participate.
3. Culture
Be sensitive to the needs of students from varied cultural and financial backgrounds, and those who typically don't consider studying or interning abroad like athletes, first year students, and students whose parents didn’t study or intern abroad.
Try to find ways to speak to the concerns and benefits of studying abroad for a broad range of students. This could include investigating access to gym facilities, articulating CIEE’s health and safety expertise, and promoting support services like airport pickup or housing.
Promoting Your Program
The earlier you get the word out about your program, the longer students will have to start planning and saving. The most successful programs begin marketing 12 months before the program start date. But even if you’re working on a shorter timeline, these guidelines will help you attract participants.
1. Utilize CIEE’s Program Promotion Toolkit
We have compiled tools for you to use to overcome the barriers above and generate interest and enthusiasm for your program. From program flyers and location images to social media posts and press releases - it's all there, easy to download and customize with your program highlights.
2. Tailor your Messaging
Understand the needs and interests of your students and tailor your messaging appropriately. Emphasize what makes your program stand out such as the destinations, cultural activities, or academic content. Show students how studying abroad can provide unique learning opportunities, increase cultural awareness, and lead to better career prospects. You can also integrate study abroad programs into your curriculum so students can see their relevance.
3. Share Your Expertise and Enthusiasm
The most important aspect of your program promotion is you! Word of mouth has become one of the most powerful forms of marketing. Share your vision and enthusiasm with as many faculty, students, and administrators as possible.
4. Involve Campus Partners
Collaborate with the study abroad office, colleagues, campus leaders, and advisors to reach students. Offer them promotional materials or incentives to share with their students and ask for student referrals. Spread news of your program in your classes and relevant classes taught by your colleagues as well as faculty meetings and other groups in which you’re involved on campus.
5. Incorporate Student Alumni Voices
Leverage the influence of student alumni and mentors to promote your programs and share their stories and experiences of transformation and cultural engagement.
6. Plan & Engage in Campus Events
Participate in the study abroad fair, student activities fair, or other campus events and student organization gatherings. Organize webinars or info sessions to provide detailed information about the program and include alumni to share their experiences.
Create a sense of community among interested students by encouraging curiosity about the world, sharing diverse stories and cultures, celebrating traditions, and including multicultural activities. At each event, circulate a sign-up sheet so you can develop a list of interested students, and follow up with more details.
7. Create Engaging Content on Social Media and Beyond
Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn to share testimonials, student experiences, photos, and videos. Engage with your audience through interactive content like Q&A sessions or live chats. Develop high-quality content such as blog posts, videos, and infographics that showcase the benefits and experiences of your program. Share stories from past participants to provide real-life perspectives.
Check out a sample promotional video from our colleagues at UC Denver!
By combining these strategies, you can effectively promote your study abroad program and attract a diverse group of students eager to participate in your program! If you have questions, please reach out to your CIEE Custom Program Manager.