CHINESE MARKET UPDATE: EDUCATION TRENDS AND DIGITAL INNOVATION - www.sieconnection.com 2.21.19
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CHINESE MARKET UPDATE: EDUCATION TRENDS AND DIGITAL INNOVATION www.sieconnection.com Please scan the QR code to join 2.21.19 the Wechat group.
SUNRISE INTERNATIONAL
Chinese Recruitment and Marketing Experts
Achievements
517
Member Schools
200+
Events Annually
Sunrise International is a Beijing-based full-service media production studio and education
company that is flexible and attuned to your needs. We are experts at providing cross-border
digital services, whether it is a short promotional campaign or a comprehensive marketing
solution, Sunrise has the experience and network to help deliver your message to Chinese 120,000+
students, parents, and schools Community
Members
Print Digital Mob Video Live Events Content Thought
Marketing Leadership
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Chinese Study Abroad Trends
• The total Chinese market is still
growing, and will continue for
sometime.
• Evolving patterns of Chinese
student mobility
• Political uncertainty has taken
its toll, but we’re not alone
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
International School Growth by
the Numbers
• 484,300 Students in International
Schools
• 87 International Schools Added in
2018, and the increase is expected
to continue through 2019
• In 2018, the amount of
international schools in China
increased by over 11% from 2017
to 821 total.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Types of International Schools
• Private International Schools: Private
institutions with Western pedagogy
(usually bilingual, preparing (mostly)
Chinese students to study abroad,
majority are Chinese local students
(sometimes with a small percentage of
foreign students)
• Public School’s International
Departments: Usually carried out as a
Sino-foreign cooperative educational
project, all Chinese local students
• Foreign International Schools: For foreign
passport holders and expats
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Curriculum Diversity and Tuition
• Domestic Curriculum: includes
Chinese-themed subjects like politics,
history, literature, and language while
preparing students for the Gaokao
• International Curriculum: prepares
students to study abroad at foreign
universities, different schools offer
different national curricula
• Tuition rates for international private
schools are approaching those of
private schools in the US.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
By Population
Growth in 2nd and 3rd Tier Cities
According to Chinese National Statistical Bureau, China has 675 cities (4
municipalities, 2 special administrative regions, 294 prefectural-level
cities and 375 county-level cities) as of 2018.
No standard definition on how to categorize Chinese cities.
Cities are usually divided into 3 or 4 or 5 tiers according to population,
economic size, and political ranking.
Tierr GDP Range (in Population Political Administration Examples
USD) Range Level
By GDP
1 Over $300 billion Over 15 million Directly controlled by the Beijing,
central government Shanghai
2 $68-299 billion 3-15 million Provincial and sub- Wuhan,
provincial capital cities Harbin
3 $18-67 billion 150,000-3 Prefecture capital cities Foshan,
million Changde
4 Below $17 billion Less than County level cities Dazhou,
150,000 Ordos
Source: Chinese National Statistical Yearbook, 2018; Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
Urban Legend: China’s Tiered City System Explained. SIEConnection.com
Graphical Distribution of
International Schools
• The international school trend is very strong
in China’s Tier 2 and 3 cities.
• Schools in cities in Jiangsu Province, all Tier
2 and 3, outnumbered those in Beijing.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Target: Students Tier 2-3 Cities Strategies
• WeChat follow up for top students to encourage them to apply via
template messages (tags and remarks are useful)
• Rapid follow up is key
Target: Counsellors
• Recognize that they are becoming more influential and may not like
the use of agents
• Add them on WeChat personally, tags and remarks to remember
details and to categorize them
• Thank them immediately after your visit; Ask them to add you to their
mailing list
• Keep your database updated and ask them if they plan to stay every
May.
• Send updates and holiday greetings.
• Hunt 10 new schools per year.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Accepting Gaokao and the Test
Optional Movement
• Gaokao, Chinese National Higher Education Entrance
Examination, the most important test determines where high
school students attend university; the public system is geared
towards preparing students to take the test.
• Hundreds of thousands of Chinese high school students who take
China’s all-or-nothing university placement exam, the Gaokao, fall a
few points short of their selected university and have few choices:
apply to foreign universities, take the test a full year later, or settle
for a second-choice Chinese university.
• While acceptance of the Gaokao is quite rare in the US, more than
30 universities in Canada and 7 out of the prestigious Australian
“Group of 8” universities accept the Gaokao in making admissions
decisions.
• Amore and more US universities have embraced a test-optional
admissions policy, there is a unique opportunity to recruit students
disenfranchised by the Gaokao.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comThe CTOI is a web index accessible inside Mainland China. Students browse a list of test-
optional universities organized by geography and indicate their interest in learning more
about that school’s application process. Once they express interest in applying to a
particular university, we relay that student’s inquiry and the contact information that they
choose to provide to the university that they inquire about.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comDecline of National Agents and the Rise of
the “Gongzuoshi”
• Agent regulations were relaxed in recent years, and the
rise of subsidized online education technology
companies disrupted the market
• Large national education agents and private education
consultants had a tough year in 2018, amid tighter
government regulations on training classes, increased
competition from boutique consultants, and higher taxes.
This competition will intensify in 2019.
• More sub-agents or studios (GongZuoShi) have emerged
in sending markets, frequently broken off from former
national agencies
• More agents and agencies will enter the education
market. This will make it harder for parents to determine
their legitimacy. AIRC is working to engage and vet these
sub-agents, but the number of them makes this a time-
consuming task. Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.coml Trade War and Meng Wenzhou: Chinese seem content to News and Other Trends
”Blame Canada,” trade talk news is much more optimistic in
China.
l Economic Growth Slows: China’s economy continues to
grow, but the pace of economic growth is slowing, with
most growth in 2nd and 3rd Tier Cities.
l Changing Recruitment Landscape: Graduate programs
should take advantage of the weaker domestic job market
by aggressively recruiting in China next year. Private schools
that depend on significant Chinese student populations
should plan for a challenging year and reinvest in
recruitment efforts that have been successful in the past.
l Slowdown in Double First Class: Chinese universities are
implementing the Double First Class Initiative, but many
Sino- joint institutes were shuttered this year.
Administrators seem to be channeling much of the Double
First Class funding away from international cooperation
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
projects with Western universities.
SIEConnection.comDIGITAL STRATEGY
Localization: Make it Easy
üLocalized Website
üAccessible Application
üSimple Inquiry Forms
Online Engagement: Tell Your Story
üSEO: Baidu, 360, Shenme
üWeb Forums (Baike, Zhihu, Toutiao)
Sunrise SEM and PPC
üPPC Campaigns
Overview
Social Media: Connect with Students
üWechat Official Account
üWeibo Official Account
üVirtual Reality Tours
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com• China utilizes “intranet” more frequently
THE GREAT FIREWALL: than “internet”
WHY YOU MUST LOCALIZE • Register your .cn domains
• Local website hosting
• Local registration forms
• Make sure your content is accessible!
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comBAIDU YOURSELF!
VISIT CHINESE WIKIPEDIA “BAIKE”
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comChinese Search Engine Market Share 2018
Data source: StatCounter Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comOnline Visibility Campaigns
Search engines connect businesses with billions
of netizins in China, allowing advertisers to
reach a huge base of potential customers and
increase brand influence at a relatively low cost.
However, complicated registration process and
language barrier make it extremely difficult to
navigate the SEM systems on Chinese search
engines.
Plus, China does not only have Baidu, in recent
years, platforms like Shenma and 360 are
acquiring a significant amount users too.
• Platform Advertising Account Setup (Baidu,
360, Sogo, Shenma)
• PPC Campaign Strategy
• Campaign Report and Strategy Update
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comToutiao News Media Campaign
Toutiao is a news and information content platform. By analyzing the
features of content, users and users’ interaction with content, the
company's algorithm models generate a tailored feed list of content
for each user.
By 2018, Toutiao has acquired over 700 million active users in total
and its monthly active user has reached 263 million. Toutiao’s growth
of download numbers in the past year has surpassed Baidu and is
now one of the biggest news app in China.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comWechat Official Accounts • The most important social media presence
• Share information
• Send important updates
• Redirect audience to a websiteWhat is WeChat
1 1/3 14% 50% 10
billion monthly of all time spent by users of WeChat monthly active users users spend at least 90 mins times a day or more that a
active users on mobile internet is on are between the ages of 17-21 per day on WeChat typical user returns to
WeChat WeChat
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com01.
You can post every day to your followers. They will see
a notification when they enter the WeChat platform.
02.
A common use for WeChat moments is marketing and
promotion. It is a great community for you to deliver
various types of content and build relations with your
current and future students.
03.
It also enables you to set up auto-response menu.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comNeglected But Important:
Weibo Official Accounts
• Total user has surpassed Twitter
• 392 million monthly active users
• 61 million are under the age of 18
• Content driven and high frequency of posting
• Great diversity in forms of content including
short videos, live streaming and 360-degree
pictures
• One of the most popular social media
marketing channel
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comSina Weibo: Official Account
• Fastest way to improve online exposure
• Blue V icon is required to be verified by Sina
• More creditable to attract the target customers
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comWeibo is more diverse- 360-
degree pictures and
videos/short films are all
common forms of content.
Weibo Stories – same
features and
positioning as
Instagram Story. But
users can see
content/accounts that
they are not following
too.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com360 Campus Tour
l Make it Unforgettable
A VR campus tour is the most interactive experience a
student can have besides a physical trip. A good VR
campus tour not only impresses perspective students
but also paints a picture of a rewarding college life for
them.
l Make it China Ready
VR campus tours are a powerful selling point for
Chinese students because the vast majority are
unable to visit your campus and understand what
makes your school unique. The Great Firewall of
China requires a customized strategy in order to
succeed: China domestic hosting platform, mobile
adaptation and compatibility, localized content, and
wow-factors to impress your target audience.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comvs
• A social communication platform • A social media platform
• Two-way connections • Connections based on interests
• Targeted (follower only) information dissemination • Fast information dissemination
• Good for maintaining leads • Easy, large-scale, and precisely targeted marketing
• Good for creating leads
WeChat and Weibo are the two dominant platforms, but they possess drastically different
personalities which require different focuses and strategies. To do this right, time, energy, and local
expertise are equally important.Connect all your social media accounts
Integrate Chinese website in
WeChat official account
WeChat
Weibo
Mini Program
Website
Email/PhoneGrow Your Followers
QR code Visibility Emails
QR codes are extremely common in China. It’s the fastest Let more students know about your account by featuring
and easiest way to acquire followers. some posts/activities your have posted/started on
WeChat/Weibo in your newsletters. Don’t forget to
include your QR code.
Marketing Campaigns Tours
A WeChat/Weibo account can help market your school Tell whoever you meet in China to scan and follow your
but the account itself needs to be promoted first. Get WeChat/Weibo account. Remind them that they can get
featured in popular accounts or push your content to latest updates and Chinese information about your school
potential audience groups. through those platforms.
Sunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.comSunrise International, Feb. 2019
SIEConnection.com
Weibo PPM Targeted Ads, very similar to Weibo Raffle promoting a brand or an Examples of Weibo Ads
Facebook Ads. event
and CampaignsCongratulations,
you made it!
CONTACT US
www.sieconnection.com
david@sieconnection.com
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