The art of the short: Viral video for international student recruitment

The following feature is adapted from the 2024 edition of ICEF Insights magazine. The digital edition of the magazine is freely available to download.

TikTok's massive popularity shows no signs of abating despite growing concern that its parent company, ByteDance, could share users’ data with the Chinese government. The app is banned from government-issued phones in dozens of countries and is prohibited entirely in Pakistan and India. In the US, the possibility of a nationwide ban looms.

But young people in more than 160­ countries continue to flock to TikTok, unable to tear themselves away from watching, sharing, and creating addictive short-form videos on the platform.

Even if TikTok ceased to exist, short-form videos would remain a powerful marketing opportunity for international student recruiters. Video is by far Gen Z’s preferred type of social media content – students are also happy to indulge in Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. In fact, savvy marketers already use apps that optimise videos across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts to extend their audience reach and ensure their video strategy can withstand shifts in platform access or popularity.

The key to creating short-form videos that resonate with students is to be funny or brilliantly intriguing. TikTok requires a radically di‹fferent tone than Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). Students will quickly dismiss boring, corporate, or overly promotional branded videos. They will, in contrast, engage with and share videos from brands that create entertaining and trending content.

Long-term ROI

A major benefit of short videos is that they can gain new viewers at any point, so their value can increase over time. For example, a video might be picked back up by TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) months after it was originally published. Ad campaigns can be adjusted so that a video can reach new audiences, increasing the potential for it to go viral.

For international student recruiters, short-form videos are an efficient way of reaching multiple markets even across language barriers: the videos are so short and visual that it doesn’t take an Einstein to get the gist, even if a viewer doesn’t understand every word. Ideally, your institution can make videos in prospective students’ first languages, but if not, any awesome video can make an impact because it’s visual and effects-based first and foremost.

5 tips for reaching prospective students with short-form videos

1. Do your research

• First, check out what your competitors are doing. What’s their approach and tone? How frequently are they posting? Is it working? The answers can inform your own strategy.
• Second, find out what’s trending. Hit “Discover” when you open TikTok, Reels Trends in Instagram, and Trending on YouTube to see popular effects, hashtags, sounds, music, and topics.
• Third, consider the type of content your target students already watch. Top categories for Gen Z include fashion and skincare; fitness and motivation; music and pop culture; study abroad, travel, and budget-friendly tips; food and cooking; and humour. The great thing about marketing to students is that they’re interested in so many things!

2. Tap into what’s trending in target markets

A global TikTok strategy can be challenging to execute given that TikTok’s algorithm prioritises local content. In-country representatives, agents, and alumni who have returned home can be very helpful here because they can share your videos in target countries. Other tips:

• Create captions and on-video text in prospective students’ languages;
• Interview current international students in their first language and have them share the videos with friends and influencers back home;
• Take part in TikTok challenges that are trending in target countries;
• Follow and engage with influencers in your top markets.

3. Don’t lecture

Build your credibility and personality through videos that are as fun as they are informational. Create a friendship-like relationship with your fans rather than speaking “at” them. Check in with your current international students to see if anyone is already making great short-form videos, and ask if they will apply their talent for the benefit of their school, too.

4. Give it a hook

Gen Z’s attention span is down to eight seconds, so you have very little time to convince students to check out your video. Here are some ideas for hooks to use in your video description:

• Ask a question viewers really want the answer to;
• Begin with a problem and hint that you have the solution;
• Be a bit shocking or surprising;
• Share a secret (like an early-bird discount);
• Present a bold fact (e.g., “92% get a job within 6 months of graduation”).

5. Comment and encourage comments

TikTok’s algorithm rewards frequent user engagement, and it looks for meaningful interaction. Take the time to respond thoughtfully to comments – TikTok ranks comments by how many “likes” they get, so boring responses won’t get you anywhere. Comment on others’ videos, too – it’s another way of increasing your visibility and presence on the platform.

For additional background, please see:

• "Is your TikTok good enough to get noticed by international students?"
• "What a widening TikTok ban could mean for international student recruitment"
• "Are you paying enough attention to social media in your recruitment marketing?"