The 'blurb', or body of text introducing your Chat platform, can do several jobs. It can make sure relevant questions reach your Ambassadors, and it can also direct prospects to the right team if their question is better answered elsewhere (admissions, finance or visas, for example). And, written well, it can even help prospects find your Chat platform page in the first place.
What should a Chat blurb cover?
A prospect arriving at your Chat platform may never have used a peer-to-peer platform before. Put yourself in their shoes - what do they need to know before starting a chat?
What your Chat platform is for, and what's in it for them
Which questions your Ambassadors can answer
Which questions are best sent somewhere else
What kind of message will not be tolerated - i.e. anything pushy, rude, or disrespectful
Key best practices
The best blurbs follow four simple rules:
They are not exhaustive. They explain what the Chat platform is, why a prospect should use it, and what Ambassadors are there to answer.
They signpost to alternatives. They give other options for questions outside an Ambassador's expertise, such as scholarship requirements.
They set expectations. Ambassadors are real people with real commitments, so replies may not be immediate. They are not chatbots.
They use the words prospective students use. The text on your Chat platform page is also content search engines can read. Phrasing topics the way prospects actually search helps the right people find the page.
What to include
A quick intro: i.e. Choosing where to study abroad is a big decision. Our student ambassadors are current students at [institution name], studying everything from [subject name] to [subject name].
What Ambassadors can answer questions about: i.e. Our Student Ambassadors are here to answer your questions on their course, what they love about our uni, their experiences, and what student life is really like.
What Ambassadors can't answer questions about: i.e. Our Ambassadors can't answer questions about finances or fees, scholarships, visa enquiries, likelihood of acceptance, or application status.
Key contacts for admissions-related questions: i.e. If you have questions about admissions, financial aid, fees, visas, or the status of your application, please contact {insert contact here}.
A quick set of guidelines: i.e. Our Ambassadors are real people, so please be respectful. They have study and other commitments, so can't always answer right away. They are unable to contact you on other platforms such as WhatsApp or Instagram, and can't meet you in person. Please rest assured that all conversations on Unibuddy are monitored for your safety, and the safety of our Ambassadors.
A clear call to action: For example, Start chatting with a student Ambassador, placed directly above the widget.
Writing your blurb so prospects can find it
Many prospects reach your Chat page from a search engine, not from your site navigation. If the page is only a widget with a short intro, there's little for a search engine to index. A few paragraphs of useful, plain-language content gives it more to work with, and helps prospects confirm they're in the right place.
1. Model your wording on real searches.
Prospects search in short, plain phrases. They rarely use institutional language such as "student experience" or "pastoral support". Use the topics they'd actually type, and include your city, country, institution or subject name where it fits naturally.
2. List the topics Ambassadors can speak about.
A short list of "what students usually ask about" works well for readers and for search. Here are examples based on how students typically phrase searches:
living in [city] as an international student
what is student life like in [city]
cost of living in [city] for students
how to find student accommodation in [city]
how to make friends at [university]
settling into life in [country] as an international student
what is it like to study [course] at [university]
is [university] good for [subject]
balancing work and study at [university]
what is [university] really like
Choose the ones your Ambassadors can answer from first-hand experience, and adapt the wording to your institution and location.
3. Keep fees, visas and applications out of the "ask us" list.
Prospects do search for these, but Ambassadors can't answer them. Mention them in your signposting line instead, for example: "For questions about admissions, fees, visas or your application, contact {insert contact here}." That keeps the page honest and still covers those terms.
Note the difference between "cost of living in [city]", which Ambassadors can speak to, and "tuition fees", which they can't.
4. Write for people first.
Use each phrase once or twice, in natural sentences. Repeating keywords doesn't help, and it makes the page read badly.
5. Make sure the text is on the page itself.
Search engines can generally read text that sits on your web page, but may not read content loaded inside an embedded widget. Put your blurb in the page's own content, ideally under a clear heading, and check with your web team how the page is set up.
6. Find out what prospects really search for.
Type your city or institution into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions and "People also ask" questions
Check the search queries in Google Search Console, if your team has access
Review the questions prospects have sent through your Chat platform - under Conversation Insights in your dashboard, or in your digest summary emails
Ask current Ambassadors what they searched for before they applied
Search behaviour varies by country and language, so it makes sense to check this for each market you recruit from.