Online Education Services identified a need to provide prospective students with a more human and interactive touch point during their decision making process. While existing digital channels offered information, they did not fully address the desire for direct engagement with academic experts. A pilot webinar series for QUT Online was commissioned to strengthen connection with prospective students, build confidence in online study and support enrolment outcomes.

The project required a strategic, end‑to‑end approach. Courses with strong potential for webinar engagement were identified, followed by targeted discussions with academic teams to introduce the concept and secure participation. Interviews were conducted with academics to draw out key insights about course content, industry relevance and student outcomes. These insights informed the development of a suite of materials including blog articles, media releases, media pitches, sales briefs and social media content.

I led a cross‑functional team that included representatives from sales, marketing, social media and strategic communications to deliver the project. This involved regular project meetings to ensure alignment across all workstreams, with clear guidance provided to webinar presenters to support confident delivery. The webinars were hosted live, with content rollout managed across multiple channels to maximise reach and engagement.

The pilot delivered strong results. Attendance across the six‑part series exceeded expectations and contributed to positive metrics for the sales team, demonstrating clear value in providing prospective students with direct access to academic expertise. The project established a scalable model for future webinar activity and strengthened QUT Online’s ability to engage prospective students in a more personalised and impactful way.