In this case study, we're going to reveal how Eyes Multimedia developed a solid video marketing strategy that helped one of the top English schools in Canada grow 47% year over year.
Every year, thousands of teenagers and young adults from all over the world come to Canada to improve their English skills at private language schools, colleges and universities. A lot of them land in Vancouver, BC, where safety, friendliness and a beautiful landscape make the perfect formula for an unforgettable experience.
For the local schools looking to attract international students, competition is fierce. Their English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, summer camps and other programs are usually similar, most of their campuses are in the same neighbourhood and the accommodation and activities that they offer tend to be about the same.
So how can one of those schools stand out in the crowd? If you thought about videos, you’re absolutely right.
Today, the advantages of using videos to promote any type of business have become obvious. Whether you sell products or services, video is unquestionably one of the most efficient AND cheapest tools for your marketing and sales strategies.
In 2013, we teamed up with VGC International College to build a solid video marketing strategy that would:
strengthen the brand and boost their SEO
capture the daily lives of students and how happy they were in that learning environment
showcase the strong focus on academics and customer service
validate the company’s services with real student testimonials
tighten the company’s relationship with travel agents and students worldwide
help the school grow 47% year over year for the next three years
help VGC become of the top Canadian schools and winner of the Top Choice Language School 2019 in Vancouver
We started off with what we call a video business card. It’s an essential video for any business, describing what the company is about, where it’s located, what it offers and what makes it special.
Then we created a series of video testimonials called My VGC Experience. Putting someone in front of the camera and letting them talk about their classes would have been way too boring. So from day one, we showed students in their actual classes, spending time with their homestay families, exploring the city, traveling around West Canada and having a good time with their new friends.
They were doing all that in English – an excellent opportunity to show how they can improve their English skills and have an unforgettable experience at the same time. That series alone has helped VGC tremendously, since it became easier and easier for other people across the globe to visualize the joyful experience that they could also have if they joined the VGC Family.
Two other popular series are the Canadian Experience videos and the VGC Amazing Race saga. In total, we produced more than 100 videos and learned a lot about the education, hospitality and tourism industries.
The videos created for VGC are used in many different ways: on their website, social media, newsletters, blog, email signatures, TV screens in the office, one-to-one meetings, group presentations and in booths at fairs. “We put them everywhere we possibly can,” says Dominic Walton, the Senior Director behind VGC’s success. “When you have a video, you don’t have to talk and try to explain everything in detail all the time.”
“Video has been the backbone of our marketing campaigns,” explains Dominic. “It’s much more difficult to convey in text or photos or just explaining what you can see in the videos. One thing is to sit and tell about your experience or emotions, but in our videos, people can see your face and hear how well the school has been for you. For marketing, it’s important to show that.”
You might be asking yourself: How much did this cost? Surprisingly, less than if our client had hired an entry-level videographer to work in house. They also did not need to worry about video equipment, hard drives, software, stock footage… Or even bother getting a computer and another desk at their office!
What kind of results did they see? “Thanks a lot to our video strategy, in the first three years we grew 47% year over year. We asked ourselves: ‘How can we get our name into the market globally?’ The best way is obviously showing what we do and the experience. Video is the best medium for us to do that.”
Do you want to know how we can help you get more leads and grow your business with a solid video strategy? Fill out our Discovery Form or send your questions to info@eyesmultimedia.com.