Digital Education Influencers visit Queensland
Study Queensland has embraced the power of social media influencers in its latest campaign to attract students to Queensland.
Six international digital influencers, with a combined reach of around 2 million overseas fans, were invited to showcase Queensland during a week-long visit that included the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and tours of Brisbane, Cairns and the Sunshine Coast.
Study Queensland Executive Director Rebecca Hall said the Digital Influencer Program targeted students using the platforms they liked best.
‘Most, if not all, students are on social media so it is logical to take our message to them on the platforms they are comfortable with and using frequently,’ Ms Hall said.
‘Study Queensland chose 6 participants to promote Queensland as the new leading study destination.’
One of the most-followed influencers was Carina Fragozo from Brazil, a PhD student in linguistics who has a popular English-learning blog and more than 560,000 followers. Carina visited English-language schools and universities across Queensland, and showcased the state’s study options to her followers including five YouTube videos covering everything from Aussie slang to life in Queensland, each of which attracted more than 20,000 views.
Juliana visited many sites around Cairns and posted images on her Instagram account, which has almost 8,000 fans.
Ms Hall said the digital influencers had communicated Queensland’s 3 key appeals as a study destination to young people around the world.
‘The program promoted the student lifestyle, education facilities and course offerings in Queensland to potential international students,’ Ms Hall said.
‘Each influencer shared their tour on their social channels, which resulted in more than 200 posts on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Weblog.
‘Study Queensland’s Instagram channel also received a boost, with followers up by 113%.’
Together, the six influencers engaged with audiences from the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Brazil, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Colombia, South Korea and Timor-Leste. In 2017, there were 123,737 international student enrolments in Queensland, generating $4.37 billion for the economy.
The Digital Influencer Program is part of the International Education and Training Strategy to Advance Queensland 2016-2026.