Leading peer-to-peer platform Unibuddy has added video streaming capability to its virtual events platform, as usage spikes by over 900% in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Higher education institutions hosting virtual events through Unibuddy’s purpose-made solution can now feature their staff and students prominently with video – as well as text chat.
Unibuddy is used by over 300 higher education institutions around the world to help students make the right choice about their university choice. For universities, it has had a proven impact on conversion and enrollment rates.
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold, Unibuddy’s bespoke virtual events solution, Unibuddy Live, saw a surge in usage as universities moved their visit days and open days online. Unibuddy added a range of new functionality to extend the platform’s capability, and has now added a video streaming function.
Emma Heady, student recruitment and admissions coordinator at Exeter University, who piloted the video streaming functionality, said: “We had done some live chats using Unibuddy Live, but when we heard about video streaming we asked our academic staff if they’d be happy to do it. They were really for it – they felt it would be a lot more personal, and come across better to students. The event went really really well, prospective students really value seeing someone’s face.”
It’s worth investing in these virtual solutions, as universities are finding they increase reach to students around the country and around the world.
Annie Doughty, social media manager at Northampton University, anticipates the trend will continue in the post-Covid world: “As with a lot of our systems and institutions, this crisis allows us to develop different solutions that will remain relevant after the situation has changed. Once we’ve put in the work, we hope that virtual events will be able to supplement and enhance our primary face to face marketing events.”
Peer-to-peer student recruitment has been a growing trend for several years, as more and more universities recognise the power of peer reviews and connections for higher education marketing.
And with the world in lockdown, universities are looking to digital methods for connecting with their future students. As well as virtual events, Unibuddy continues to pioneer in the peer recruitment space with Chat to Staff, and Unibuddy on UCAS.
Unibuddy CEO, Diego Fanara, said: “We are incredibly proud of our new bespoke events platform for universities and Higher Education providers. Now with the addition of video, universities can place their students and staff at the front and centre of their recruitment activity. We already know it’s an incredibly powerful tool for recruitment and for delivering that personalised experience prospective students are craving.”
To learn more about video streaming on Unibuddy Live, book a demo with the team and see it in action.
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