Can You Hear Me Over All the [Digital] Noise?

Written by: Laura Johnson, Education Abroad Rep

Gen Z & Effective Communication in Education Abroad
Are students reading the emails I send, or reviewing the website content I worry over? 

These are just a few of the questions that plague me most days as I work to communicate clearly and effectively with students. As a marketer in higher education, and more specifically in education abroad, who is JUST this side of Generation Z, I am keenly aware of the importance of accurately reaching an audience. Understanding the students we serve is vital to our ability to connect with and support them.   
With the sheer volume of emails students receive, we are constantly competing against other communications for priority. It’s no wonder that our messages inevitably end up in the vast void of emails sitting in student inboxes. Add to the list of barriers to communication an ever-shortening attention span and a preference for short-form video (hello, TikTok and other video-based platforms) and we reach our current reality.

Students preparing to go abroad reference videos on TikTok for information and they scroll, consuming videos of packing tips, the best aesthetic photo locations, or influencers in search of the perfect croissant with Dubai chocolate. There is something to be said for the pull of a short TikTok video. Because what is not to like? The information is personalized and easily consumed. 

With an ever-evolving number of tools and strategies to reach students at our fingertips, allowing us to leverage creative, out-of-the box thinking, how do we best enact strategies to reach students? To reduce barriers to effective communication with students, we must first understand student preferences and adapt our practices to mirror these tastes. 

How can existing communications be adapted to fit these changing preferences, so that we can meet students where they are? 

Source student feedback

• Speak with students to better understand their needs, starting with those already in your spaces (student employees) and expanding to include students going abroad, and those in the wider campus community. 

​
Consider repurposing resources

• There may be opportunities to adapt and create more effective communication from existing content. Ensure that this is realistic (from the perspective of your communication strategy, finite budget and workload capacity). For example, perhaps a PDF can be updated to create a more visual, accessible resource. Or else, a long YouTube video could be adapted for short-form storytelling, like a one-minute Instagram Reel. 
• Leverage free tools, such as free versions of design tools such as Canva and design materials with an updated look and feel.

Support student storytelling 

• Across platforms, identify opportunities for short form, impactful visual storytelling. 
• On our website and social media, I share what we have named ‘student stories.’ These are student-written reflections accompanied by student photography. Be sure that your naming convention connects with students! After polling students if they liked the name ‘student blogs,’ I was met with an immediate, visceral reaction, “it’s not 2010 anymore!”  

To address the constant digital noise students, encounter, consider changing the way you deliver information. 

Connect one-to-one

• Identify opportunities to connect one-to-one. For students feeling overwhelmed by group advising or info sessions with many attendees, look for opportunities for connection such as one-to-one advising, or perhaps even student-to-student engagement.
• During weekly study abroad 101 webinars for students, there are approximately 15 students who attend each session. The webinar concludes with time for questions. Increasingly, week after week, students choose to wait until the end of the session to ask their questions, opting for the personal attention of an individual conversation to ask their study abroad questions. 

 Provide personalized content

• Just as the Instagram algorithm curates a user’s feed based on their activity, thereby personalizing content and ensuring it is relevant, identify opportunities to target to specific student personas, ensuring relevant information. 
• Are students able to locate the resources that they need? For example, are first-generation college students supported with information explaining study abroad, including details such as financial aid considerations?
• Refer to experts for information. Help connect students with the appropriate on-campus support offices, external partners or resources which directly support their needs. 

Meet students where they are (sometimes literally) 

• Over the last year, some of the most successful events were hosted in student spaces (such as residence halls). No cross-campus trekking was required for students, who were met in common spaces with pizza and a chat about study abroad.

​
Centering students, their preferences and their digital needs helps us to better support them on their international education journeys.

I would love to connect with you. What tools and practices do you find most effective when communicating with students?