Media preferences and the power of the peer-to-peer student voice

This article looks at the sources of information students refer to when making decisions about their international education journey and how presenting the right content on the right platform can assist student recruitment and help provide great student experience. Our data shows us that:

• 52% of students get information on news and policy from online news sites

• 53% of students get information about the student experience from alumni

• 61% of students want to engage with ‘real students’ on WhatsApp

• 50% of students said student interviews are valued when researching institutions

IDP and The Ambassador Platform (TAP) are working together to help institutions provide the best and most appropriate types of content on the most trusted platforms.

In our previous Emerging Futures 6 article on international students’ Perceptions of Global Study Destinations, we explored the relationship between unstable policy environments and student choice. Understanding where students get their information from on policy and news means institutions can be mindful of the types of information they are consuming and therefore be better prepared to answer questions and queries as they arise.

In our previous two Emerging Futures surveys (March 2024 and August 2024) we asked Prospective and Applied students which sources and channels they use to follow news and policy in their chosen destination country.

Emerging Futures 6: Sources of information on news and policy

In our most recent survey, Emerging Futures 6 online news websites continue to be the most used source of information followed by YouTube. Compared to the previous survey, the use of Instagram has increased – moving it from fourth most used source of information in Emerging Futures 5 (March 2024) up to third most used. ‘Word-of-mouth’ has also become a more popular source of information, rising from eighth in March 2024 to sixth in August 2024.

Source markets

In terms of the types of information used in various source market countries, of our top four respondent countries for this question in Emerging Futures 6 (China, India, Nigeria, and Philippines) Nigerian students were the top users of online news websites (71%) and this was significantly ahead of other sources – YouTube (44%) was the second most used source in Nigeria.

The most used source for respondents from India was YouTube (64%) followed by online news sites (57%) and Instagram (55%). While among students from the Philippines, Facebook is the most used source of information (64%) with online news websites (60%) and YouTube (52%), in second and third.

Students from China use Weibo (46%) the most, followed by WeChat and International TV news channels (both with 36%), followed by online news websites (35%).

Of these four cohorts, Indian students are most likely to use word-of-mouth (28%), followed by China and the Philippines (both 25%) and Nigeria (21%).

Students usually seek out a variety of sources of information when choosing a destination and institution. In Emerging Futures 5, we asked All students (Prospective, Applied, Current and Complete) where they get trusted information from regarding the admissions process, campus culture, and student experience.

For information on the admissions process, 63% of Prospective and Applied student respondents get their information from ‘education agents’, while 61% said the ‘university website’ and 34% from ‘social media’.

For information about the ‘student experience’ at a university, Prospective and Applied students prefer ‘social media’ (53%), followed by ‘alumni’ (43%) and ‘current student ambassadors’ (41%).

When it came to information on campus culture, there was no clear favourites among the top five sources:

• University website – 49%

• Social media – 45%

• University staff – 42%

• Alumni – 42%

• Student ambassadors 41%

From a 2024 report by The Ambassador Platform, “Do you know what future students really want?”, when prospective students were asked which sources of information they valued most when deciding which university to choose, 24% said 'university websites' were their most valued source of information, followed by 'talking with real students (online or in person)' (17%), then 'social media' (15%) and online events and webinars (11%).

We know that students seek out authentic content from ‘real students’, so making sure prospective students are accessing accurate, trustworthy information that reflects your brand as an institution is paramount. The Ambassador Platform survey asked prospective students which platforms they would most like to use for peer-to-peer contact.

The findings were similar in 2023; however, in 2024 the top two platform choices, ‘WhatsApp’ and ‘Email’ have switched around. Using the ‘university’s website chat’ remains in third position. ‘WhatsApp’ has seen the most growth in popularity, climbing from 43% to 61%. Online student forums, such as the Student Room, are also popular.

While we can see that social media channels, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are used, the more personalised and direct forms of communication are preferred and highlight the desire for speedy, one-to-one interactions.

IDP’s Emerging Futures surveys have consistently shown us that the primary factors students care about when deciding where to study are the ‘high quality of education’, and ‘good employment opportunities after graduation’. In Emerging Futures 6 (August 2024), other top factors included it being ‘a safe country for international students’, followed by the ‘availability of scholarships’, and ‘institutions are attractive’.

In The Ambassador Platform survey, students were asked what type of content they find useful when researching their study options at institution level.

Of the prospective students polled, almost half said they value ‘student interviews’, followed by ‘interviews with academics’ (44%), ‘student testimonials’ (39%), and ‘short form videos’ alongside ‘student-generated content’ (both at 35%). While more traditional types of typically institution-generated content, such as ‘virtual tours’, ‘student prospectuses’ and ‘blog posts’, were less valuable.

So, if you combine the valued types of content with the factors that students feel are important when researching their international education options, you are more likely to reach and influence your target audience. And when prospective students ask current students for information, they can get real time, up-to-date guidance and advice, enabling confident decision making.

The Ambassador Platform (TAP) is a proven platform providing intuitive, advanced solutions for institutions to enable peer-to-peer connections and facilitate user-generated content to enhance student recruitment. IDP and TAP have joined forces. Our combined data intelligence combined with innovative peer-to-peer solutions mean that institutions can provide prospective students with the information they want.

As an institution, once you have your student ambassadors set up, they are your institution shop window and the connections they make, the information they provide, and the content they generate is flexible, adaptable and above all else, super responsive. So prospective students can get their queries answered quickly, whether those questions are about policy that affects international students, home affairs in their chosen destination country, or what it’s like to live on campus. And student ambassadors can provide authentic insights into what it is like to be an international student with up-to-the minute information on the factors that matter most.

Find out more about The Ambassador Platform here.