Virtual Fairs are very popular these days, especially in these ´Covid-times´, as these digital formats enable Universities to connect with many students wherever they are in the world. The question remains, are they effective?
Our research indicates that is not always the case… many providers provide slick virtual conference-spaces but it seems they lack something.. Now we asked ourselves what that is and can be done about it.
A Virtual Fair is like an educational fair but avoiding having to walk through a crowded stadium where 50 universities are handling out brochures and leaflets and . You do not need to shout to speak with the representatives, and most importantly, you do not have to travel to different locations to attend!
There are many Virtual Fairs out there, but Webinars4you created a new concept: the personalized Virtual Lounge. As a company organizing Student Recruitment Webinars, they optimized the concept of Fairs by tackling the shortcomings from the usual Virtual Fairs:
- First of Virtual Fairs are typically shared amongst several Universities and lack the personal touch. Webinars4you Virtual Lounge is created uniquely for 1 University (it can be part of a bigger Virtual Fair like this one).
- The Virtual booth is not a non-existing virtually created space, however at Webinars4you we create it based on the actual pictures of the campus of the University! That way students get an actual idea of how the campus outside and inside look, almost like a little virtual tour.
- All booths can be completely customized. Instead of just slamming on a logo and inserting a video, Webinars4you creates it with the actual pictures but also filling it in with content that is customized by and with the University.
- Last but not least, Webinars4you´ platform allows not only for a Live chat, but also for ´On-demand´ viewing and questions before and after the actual Fair. Typically we open it up for a whole month so students can enter when they like, ask questions (which are send by email to the University) and they can come back when they can.
As can be seen the Webinars4you Virtual Lounge/ Fair does not lack the personal attention and care of recruiters, something that is normally missing. Also students can access it when they want, pause and come back watching videos, webinars etc. and still ask questions. See some examples of Virtual Lounges here, OR if you are a University get information on the Virtual Fair here!
So what does a Webinars4you Virtual Fair include?
Experts
When you join the Virtual Fair you can get in touch with Student Recruitment officers, possibly see student testimonials and even presentations from e.g. teachers or program directors. This gives a complete information to the student in order to make their choice, compare and get informed the best way possible.
On-demand
Although we have explained “on-demand”, let us give explain it a bit more: Most webinars are “live”. This means that you can connect at a certain day and time, and not before. You definitely can re-watch the session if you missed it, but today´s generations have a very tailored taste. That is why our On-Demand Fairs and Webinars you can watch it whenever you want.
CTA´s
In both our Webinars and Virtual Fairs we design it according to the requirements of the University, as mentioned before, with their pictures, look and feel. One important aspect is also the Call-To-Actions (CTA´s) which mean we create unique buttons, links, pollings etc. for students to access and submit, which in turn gives a clear action as well as trackable results to the University. The Reporting systems allows for tracing who answered what and in turn get an idea where students are in terms of decision-making and down the ´Application-funnel´.
Your content
You decide the content. Although we typically take the work and create a draft, including the most common content such as Intro-video, brochures, social media links and possibly webinars (especially if done through Webinars4you). In any case the University has the final say and can customize the content to their liking, which in turn helps the students to get the right, timely information they are looking for.
Check out our Webinars and find out the University that fits better your dreams!
