Panama Student Recruitment Strategies

To successfully recruit Panamanian students, U.S. higher education institutions must consider a mix of digital marketing and traditional outreach strategies. While Panamanians have fully embraced social media platforms, school counselors’ recommendations still weigh heavily in the students’ decision-making process in selecting the ideal educational institution in the United States. 

• Digital Marketing: According to the World Bank’s latest statistics, Panama’s internet penetration is 62 percent and growing. Panamanian students are avid users of all social media platforms. U.S. institutions should consider “pay to play” to reach a large and targeted number of potential students. The most popular social media platforms in Panama include Instagram (students) and Facebook (parents). For video streaming, Panamanian rely on YouTube.  
         
• College Counselors: All bilingual schools and most private schools in Panama have College Counselors that lead and organize interactions with universities from around the globe.  Counselors may interact with over 230 universities in a school year. One strategy for staying on the top-of-mind of Counselors is to develop an effective WhatsApp plan of action that keeps you connected to the Counselors beyond a college fair. This no-cost platform is widely used in Panama for daily interaction amongst friends, family, colleagues, employer, affinity groups, businesses, etc.  
   
• Media Day: A customized service organized by the U.S. Commercial Service in Panama to support U.S. education institutions recruitment goals. The paid service includes a full day of radio, TV, and printed press engagements. All engagements are conducted in Spanish.     

The U.S. Commercial Service in Panama can assist you create a winning strategy for student recruitment in Panama.  To learn about education service events, visit Global Education Team or contact Jeane Zuniga, Commercial Specialist in Panama at Jeane.Zuniga@trade.gov