International offer-enrolment conversion rates in key markets increased after implementation of the CampusConnect mobile app system.

At the beginning of the 2016/17 student recruitment cycle, the international recruitment team at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) had a service gap, communicating with and nurturing international students in the specific period between offer and enrolment.

According to Head of International Recruitment at LJMU, Gemma Smith:

"International prospect comms. were going out in emails, as per CRM schedules, but it was a bit hit or miss and the transition wasn’t really being as effectively managed as it could have been.  We were on the look-out for a product that could be easily integrated into our current systems to make students’ lives better."

Discussions with the CampusConnect team began at the EAIE conference in Liverpool in 2016, where International Relations Director Sarah Beresford outlined the LJMU international recruitment context to CampusConnect CEO, Declan Sweeney and team.  The aim for LJMU wasn’t to impact on any specific cohort, rather to bump up the overall international offer-enrolment percentage.

The fully tailored LJMU CampusConnect mobile platform allowed offer holders to easily interact with the university, each other, and current students from early on in the recruitment cycle.

Additionally the LJMU international team were better able to support their international prospects as they now had a direct channel to communicate relevant information at different stages of the pre-arrival/admissions journey.

Resourcing

In the current climate of more for less, it was important for the service to be efficient for LJMU staff, and for it to fit seamlessly into their current practices.

Allie Davies, from the LJMU marketing team, was tasked with keeping in-app content fresh:

"I wouldn’t say CampusConnect is difficult to resource. There are a small handful of LJMU staff who work on CampusConnect, managing it alongside other responsibilities. It has been fairly easy to integrate CampusConnect into my working week, as the work involved contributes to our wider efforts in international recruitment."

Leveraging connections with current students and ambassadors has proven to be an effective strategy for the LJMU team.  The CampusConnect app provides a dedicated platform where prospects can ask questions and connect directly with current students and ambassadors.

Sin Ying Tan (Adlyn - below) is one of the ambassadors spending time answering prospects' questions and interacting with offer-holders on the LJMU int. app.  Adlyn regularly contributes to the group chat areas, and shares her experience as a current student.  Adlyn says that a major benefit of the CampusConnect app is that 'Incoming international students are able to ask questions and get responses more quickly compared to asking through email.'  

Gemma Smith agrees that email is no longer the best way to keep in touch with digitally savvy prospective students: 'we also love the fact that there are instant answer options.  Live chat. We can reach students in the way they want.  Students don’t answer emails, all research tells us that. The CampusConnect live chat gives academics and other staff members the opportunity to engage with students instantaneously."

With CampusConnect’s CRM backed, personlised mobile app system, the University can create deeper and more personal relationships with offer-holders to impact on conversion rates.

The business case

• 150 target users (international offer holders 16/17) in the first cycle using the service

• Majority non-EU prospects.

• Successful initial proof of concept allowed for a much more expansive, earlier, second cycle implementation.

• 35-40% daily active users on the LJMU international CampusConnect app (peaking 3 weeks prior to orientation).

• CampusConnect ambassadors currently supporting new prospects on the app.

• Significant increase in the offer-enrolment conversion rate of international students.

• Prospects from 38 different countries using the service.

• Countries with the most representatives on the app were India, Ghana, The US and Nigeria.

Final thoughts

Gemma Smith: ‘The CampusConnect app is a brilliant product. We see this as the base, the very start of our relationship’.

For further information on LJMU's success and details around conversion of international students, simply get in touch and a member of the CampusConnect team will respond within one working day.

Click here to learn more about studying at Liverpool John Moores as an international student. 

Kimberley, from Dubai, is doing a masters-level forensic bio-science course, watch a video of her discussing her student experience.