Part
01
of one
Part
01
Virtual Tour Best Practices - Follow-up
Key Takeaways
- Providing prospective students with the opportunity to talk to an alumnus of the institution is a best practice in a virtual campus tour.
- Furthermore, scheduling an optimal day for the virtual campus tour that will accommodate prospective students in countries and cities on the campus’ enrollment priority list, is essential.
- A call to action is an effective best practice in a virtual campus tour.
Introduction
This research provides an additional five (5) best practices in virtual campus tours, including a description of the best practice, the reason for being a best practice, and some industry experts discussing the best practice.
The details of the best practices in virtual campus tours are outlined below.
Tell a Story
- Telling a story is one of the best practices in a virtual campus tour.
- This is a best practice because sharing the campus’ diverse capabilities makes the institution worth enrolling, which adds uniqueness to the virtual campus tour.
- According to Concept3D, “Telling a unique story makes the campus memorable, emotional, and real.”
Pick a Good Time
- Scheduling virtual campus tours at the right time is a critical best practice.
- This is a best practice because prospective students are in different time zones and have other national and religious holidays than students already on campus.
- Furthermore, scheduling an optimal day for the virtual campus tour that will accommodate prospective students in countries and cities on the campus’ enrollment priority list is essential.
- According to ICEF Monitor, “virtual campus tour days achieve most promising when they’re spread over two (2) days, going live for anywhere between 3-5 hours daily”.
Answer Questions in Real Time
- Attending to inquiries from prospective students during the virtual campus tour is also an additional best practice.
- This is a best practice because it is interactive, as it enables prospective students to ask questions about the institution as it pops up. Also, providing an answer during the virtual tour will be more impressive.
- According to ICEF Monitor, “The quick and helpful response to their questions will equate your institution as a well-considered administration that supports students on campus.”
Alumni Dialogue
- Providing prospective students with the opportunity to talk to an alumnus of the institution is a best practice in a virtual campus tour.
- This best practice is advantageous because prospective students will be more comfortable asking alumni questions like their experience away from home, joining organizations, and any tips on achieving distinction in the school.
- Boston Digital says, “By incorporating alumni dialogue in the virtual campus tour, prospective students will gain inside information, and their desire for the institution will increase.”
Call-to-Action
- A call to action is an effective best practice in a virtual campus tour.
- This is an effective best practice because it provides prospective students with what to do next after the virtual campus tour.
- Call-to-action can include links to the institutions’ website, sign-ups, scheduling a physical visit, and call buttons, depending on the institutions’ conversion goals.
- According to Lokalocal, “No marketing strategy is effective without a “what’s next” plan.”
Research Strategy
For this Virtual Tour Best Practices research, we leveraged the most reputable sources of information in the public domain, including Concept3D, ICEF Monitor, Lokalocal, and Boston Digital.
Additionally, we quoted industry experts discussing the best practice.
We prioritized conveying data from the most current sources, but please note that we have referenced dated sources that are still credible, relevant, and helpful to the research.