higher education marketing

Higher education is not one size fits all. Markers need to wade into the data and demographics and focus on creating an intentional message for their target audience.

That’s why we’re talking to Shane Baglini, Senior Director of Marketing Recruitment at Muhlenberg College. A dynamic higher ed marketer, Shane has a passion for authentic storytelling.

In this episode, we delve into the importance of differentiating your marketing strategy to fit your target audience personas.

Join us as we discuss:

- Enrollment marketing from the student’s perspective (11:32)

- Getting marketing a seat at the administrative table (14:15)

- Connecting with students through empathetic brand storytelling (17:40)

- How smaller institutions can differentiate themselves (29:58)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Shane Baglini on X
- shanebaglini@muhlenberg.edu

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.  

Authenticity has taken a front seat in higher ed marketing.

Branding your institution authentically is a big key to success, and it starts with improving the employee experience.

That’s why we’re talking to Eddie Francis, Founder of Edify Ventures. With a diverse experience in various industries, Eddie holds firm that being valued matters.

In this episode, we dive into the mechanics of employee value and authentic culture.

Join us as we discuss:

- The importance of employee recognition and retention (4:45)

- Challenges to higher ed employee retention (7:40)

- Generational impacts on higher ed culture (20:35)

- Why improvement is achievable for any size school (28:38)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Maxwell Huppert 

- CUPA-HR Higher Education Employee Retention Survey
- eddiefrancis.com
- I Wanna Work There, hosted by Eddie Francis on the Enrollify Network

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.
 
 

Marketing in Higher Education is evolving more rapidly than ever. If we sit around and watch the innovations fly by, we might be out of the game before we know it.

It’s key to ensure that when the right piece of marketing is available to your university, you seize it.

That’s why we’re talking to Tony Fraga, Marketing Strategist & CEO at Direct Development. He’s all about implementing strategic game plans to see your institution thrive against the competition.

In this episode, we delve into the importance of tailoring your marketing strategy.

Join us as we discuss: 

- Decades of change in the higher ed landscape (4:32)

- Moving marketing out of advancement and into enrollment (10:54)

- Having a sustainable and long-term strategy (18:40)

- Moving marketing from a catch-all to a tailored approach (29:00)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

Batter up!

With the 2023 World Series just around the corner, we’re celebrating an all-star roster of The Higher Ed Marketer interviews. From CMOs to school presidents, we’ve had the privilege to talk to some of the most brilliant minds in higher education.

And the best part? Each of this episode’s guests will be at the upcoming 2023 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education in Chicago, Illinois!

You won’t want to miss this special lineup of talented men and women who can help you get your college or university’s marketing into the big leagues:

- Brian Piper, Director of Content Strategy and Assessment at the University of Rochester 

- Jaime Hunt, Chief Marketing Officer at Old Dominion University 

- Walter Kimbrough, Consultant at The Registry 

- R. Ethan Braden, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Purdue University 

- Jenny Petty, VP of Marketing Communications at the University of Montana 

- Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock 

- Santhana Naidu, Vice President at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 

- Alex Boylan, Founder of The College Tour 

- Teresa Flannery, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer at CASE
- Kyle Campbell, Founder of Education Marketer 

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- 2023 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education 

- Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Brian Piper 

- Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO Podcast with Jaime Hunt  

- Revisionist History Podcast with Malcolm Gladwell 

- How to Market a University by Teresa Flannery 

- How to Market a University Mastercourse 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.   

When it comes to alumni communications, print isn't dead yet. In fact, many alumni who are express great interest in receiving printed content.

When done the right way, print not only provides a great ROI but also helps higher ed material to stand out in what is becoming an increasingly noisy digital landscape. That's why it's paramount that communications teams try to combine both a print and digital approach to improve the overall experience.

Join us as we talk to Rebekah Tilley, Director of Strategic Communications at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business , Steven Henneberry, Director of Strategic and Faculty Communications at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, and Erin Peterson, Owner of Capstone Communications.

In this episode, we delve into how to successfully navigate the alumni communications experience.

Join us as we discuss: 

- Print’s place within the alumni communications ecosystem (05:12)

- How to best integrate print, digital platforms, and other channels for alumni (15:34)

- How to utilize LinkedIn to find story angles and people to interview (31:09)

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

The market for public-facing generative AI tools has exploded since ChatGPT’s launch in November of 2022. And lots of higher ed institutions are still trying to wrap their heads around AI’s potential, for better or worse.

But the truth is that the rest of the world is going full speed ahead with generative AI, and it’s time for higher ed marketers to catch up.

In this episode, we’re joined by Gil Appel, Assistant Professor of Marketing at The George Washington University School of Business, and Raffi DerSimonian, VP and Chief Strategy Officer at ERI. Tune in to hear Gil and Raffi follow up on their presentation with Bart from the HashtagHigherEdUS Conference in June 2023 about AI tools in higher ed marketing.

Join us as we discuss:

- How AI literacy will be a benchmark for the workforce of the future (2:24)

- Why ChatGPT is like an Ironman suit for higher ed marketers (11:09)

- Arguments against AI tools and the intellectual atrophy fallacy (26:27)

- What part AI plays in proving the value of college education (35:57)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- HashtagHigherEdUS Conference 2023 - Using AI in Higher Ed Marketing 

- Fireflies.ai 

- CassidyAI.com 

- AI: Your Collaborative Marketing Partner Summit 

- ABHE Enrollment Leaders Conference 

 
To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

Like a lot of higher ed departments, international student marketing has been on a rollercoaster since the pandemic. And while other global players like Canada and India are excelling in international recruitment, the US is falling behind.

But Mary Catherine Chase, Director of Marketing and Communications at The George Washington University - School of Business, thinks domestic institutions have a real opportunity to get back in the game. First, they have to get back to some basics.

Tune in to hear Mary’s great insights on how marketers can re-engage the global community and give international students a sense of belonging at American institutions.    

Join us as we discuss:

- Covid’s lasting impact on international student recruitment (4:22)

- Marketing to different cultures in your local communities (12:54)

- The 3 pillars of international higher ed marketing (24:30)

- Why language matters in your community interactions (29:53)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP)

- Institute of International Education (IIE)

- Education USA

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Edge in your favorite podcast player.
 

When It comes to building trust by empowering teams to take ownership, higher ed leaders must communicate frequently and not be afraid to push boundaries.

Today, we're joined by the Senior Director of Enrollment Marketing at Baylor University, Jen McCrady.

Jen talks about what helps her unique management style to not only establish trust with her team but also empower them.  

How you support your colleagues is key to getting the most out of them and building a strong team for today, but it also plays a huge role in creating the work culture of tomorrow at your institution.

 
Join us as we discuss: 

- Why Jen’s team-building philosophy focuses on trust and empowerment (7:16)

- The five ways to build trust within your team (14:15)

- How a tight-knit professional community is created (25:50)

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

For any number of reasons, higher ed institutions can sometimes get caught up in a branding dilemma. And it’s often up to their marketing departments to reshape — or rediscover — the magic behind their school’s messaging.

Such was the case at the University of Louisville in 2017. It was then that the school’s Executive Director of Brand and Marketing, Kim Butterweck, and Director of Marketing, Erica Walsh, and their team set out to rediscover their brand’s promise.

Kim and Erica share how training internal stakeholders in brand awareness and redefining student success became integral to their school’s renewed brand messaging strategy.   

Join us as we discuss:

- Working with internal stakeholders on brand messaging (8:25)

- Cross-training departments through group workshops (17:12)

- The 3 pillars of Louisville’s brand messaging strategy (25:57)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- kimberly.butterweck@louisville.edu 

- erica.walsh@louisville.edu 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

Are you setting the teams at your university or organization up for success? How are you supporting your colleagues to ensure that they are at the top of their game at all times?

It all starts with being intentional, getting everyone aligned, and having a collaborative approach.

In this episode, we are joined by Kathy Kissane, Associate Chief Marketing Officer at Thomas Jefferson University.

Kathy shares her perspective on what it takes to build a high-performing team in higher education marketing, taking us through the key elements of creating a better team for your higher ed institution.

Join us as we discuss: 

- Why you need to have a clear mission, vision, and values (07:47)

- How you can encourage continuous learning (15:45)

- Why it’s important to celebrate the wins and the tries (27:03)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Kathy Kissane 

- Thomas Jefferson University 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

“Data silos” have been at the top of the buzzword pile for a few years now. But the truth is that many higher ed enrollment and marketing departments still don’t quite get each others’ roles.

Michael Doran, CRM Implementation Strategist at XEquals, thinks the biggest problem is they speak different languages. The solution? They need a translator — someone who knows how to unlock marketing solutions for their school’s enrollment strategy.

Michael leans on his admissions experience to unpack what’s keeping enrollment and marketing professionals from communicating and what the folks at XEquals are doing to break down those roadblocks.

Join us as we discuss:

- Why fast-paced demographic shifts necessitate information sharing (3:26) 

- The perks and challenges of an enrollment and marketing tag team (11:38)

- How lead scoring can help enrollment counselors prioritize leads (19:50)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- micahel.doran@xequalsenroll.com 

- XEquals

- The Golden Ratio podcast

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.
 

In this episode, we are joined by the Director of Content and Strategy Assessment at the University of Rochester, Brian Piper.

Not only do we get an inside look at his approach and strategies around content with the University of Rochester, he shares his perspective on this quickly changing landscape, and it was beyond insightful.

Not only has AI seemingly changed things overnight — people have adapted and are thinking quicker and more creatively as well.

So what does that mean for your university or organization? How is your content and the strategies around it going to change?

Well, join us as we discuss: 

 - Where your content can make the greatest impact [10:24]

- How to identify which metrics truly matter for your objectives [13:38]

- Where customer personas and audience comes into play [18:04]

- The importance of adapting to AI and a rapidly changing landscape [25:57]

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Brian Piper

- University of Rochester

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.
 

Higher ed marketers sometimes forget that they’re not merely engaging with prospective students. They’re selling their brand’s value proposition to future alumni.

That’s why Ellen Johnson, Vice President For Enrollment Management at Allegheny College, says her school’s enrollment marketing speaks to the entire breadth of the student life cycle. And by making their brand storytelling part of everyone’s mission, they’ve created a winning culture of recruitment and retention campus-wide.

Ellen tells us how Allegheny is successfully promoting a liberal arts education in a digital-first world and how they’re strategizing for the enrollment cliff.

Join us as we discuss:

- Approaching prospective students with a retention mindset (6:08)

- Storyboarding campus tours with tactical on-site branding (14:18)

- A commitment to helping students from low-income families (27:42)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- ejohnson@allegheny.edu

- Twitter

- Allegheny College

- Commitment to Access Program
To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. 

Jenny Petty, Vice President of Marketing Communications at the University of Montana, had a tall order to fill when she arrived at the school in 2021. After nearly a decade of declining enrollment, the university was in desperate need of a branding facelift.  

Jenny knew she and her team needed to bring positivity back to the school’s messaging. And she started by taking everyone to “Brand Camp.” Today, Montana has experienced consecutive semesters of growth for the first time in years.

Hear how Jenny and her team helped inject confidence back into a bleeding brand by engaging with students and adopting authentic messaging that reflects Gen Z’s priorities.      

Join us as we discuss:

- Marketing management and collaborating with outside partners (9:17)

- Incorporating student feedback into higher ed rebranding efforts (15:41)

- Tangible benefits of rebranding and the Ted Lasso effect (20:10)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Jenny Petty

- Twitter

- University of Montana

- The Servant Marketer

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.
 

Many college and university admissions offices are so focused on processing applications that they forget that students want to feel a connection with their school.

As Liz Rainwater, Director of Admission Marketing and Communication at TCU, reminds us, trust is the foundation for every relationship. That’s why the folks at TCU prioritize giving over taking when they start a dialogue with prospective students and their parents.

Liz tells us why building a two-way connection early in the admissions process is so important and how they’re getting parents actively involved in their children’s futures.

Join us as we discuss:

- Laying the foundation for lifelong relationships with students (1:24)

- Why any CRM can handle batch personalized comm flows (15:27)

- Leveraging early connections in the transfer funnel (27:39)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- e.rainwater@tcu.edu

- TCU

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.  

Higher ed creative teams have seen incredible changes since Covid, for better or worse. We saw a shift that included a greater appreciation for work-life balance for employees, but is there a point when leadership’s focus on caretaking hurts more than helps?
WAYNE BARRINGER
Wayne Barringer, Founder of Jaro Group, believes many higher ed marketing leaders have lost sight of their North Star, and their teams know it.

Wayne’s harrowing climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018 gave him a unique perspective on confronting the fear of the moment. Now, he’s using that insight to help unlock leaders’ superpowers so they can get the most out of their higher ed creative teams. And it starts with pausing to take in the view.  

Join us as we discuss: 

- Why higher ed leaders need to find the courage to pivot (5:02)

- A strategic view of getting back to your school’s mission (9:45)

- Confrontation and how to deal with elevated stakeholders (17:20)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Jaro.Win

- Wayne Barringer

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.
 

We're gearing up to launch a new, special segment of Fanatical Fridays called SUMMER SESSIONS. ☀️

Get ready for 6 episodes designed especially to teach you a new strategy and/or tactic that will help you become a better enrollment manager or higher ed marketer this summer.

- - - -

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. 

Connect with Us at the Engage Summit:
Exciting news — Mallory will be at the 2024 Engage Summit in Raleigh, NC, on June 25 and 26, and we’d love to meet you there! Sessions will focus on cutting-edge AI applications that are reshaping student outreach, enhancing staff productivity, and offering deep insights into ROI. 

Use the discount code Enrollify50 at checkout, and you can register for just $99! This early bird pricing lasts until March 31. 

Learn more and register at engage.element451.com — we can’t wait to see you there!

If we had a dollar for every time an enrollment marketer has complained to us about their school's website, Enrollify would be a Fortune 500 company 😏.

Here's the reality — you don't need just need a prettier website.  What you do need is a website built on a modern CMS (Content Management System) that empowers you to attract, engage, and delight users from their very first visit all the way through graduation (and beyond!).

On this week's episode, Zach chats with Luke Summerfield who is the Go-to-Market Lead for HubSpot's Website & CMS Hub.

Luke is an inspiring thinker and a true disruptor in the website design and development space — he was also the world's youngest paintball store owner at the age of 15!  

Tune in for a passionate conversation on the future of website design and development and what enrollment marketers need to know about how to leverage their websites as a vehicle for lead-generation and student success.

Special thanks to the team at Mongoose for making today's conversation possible. Their intelligent chatbot, Harmony, and texting platform, Cadence, are game changers when it comes to prospective student engagement. Not familiar with Moongose or want to learn more about how your school can use chatbots for student recruitment and engagement? Download their latest free guide, "Does your college website need a chatbot?" to learn more.

http://mongooseresearch.com/enrollify

- - - -

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. 

Connect with Us at the Engage Summit:
Exciting news — Mallory will be at the 2024 Engage Summit in Raleigh, NC, on June 25 and 26, and we’d love to meet you there! Sessions will focus on cutting-edge AI applications that are reshaping student outreach, enhancing staff productivity, and offering deep insights into ROI. 

Use the discount code Enrollify50 at checkout, and you can register for just $99! This early bird pricing lasts until March 31. 

Learn more and register at engage.element451.com — we can’t wait to see you there!

- - - -

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. 

Connect with Us at the Engage Summit:
Exciting news — Mallory will be at the 2024 Engage Summit in Raleigh, NC, on June 25 and 26, and we’d love to meet you there! Sessions will focus on cutting-edge AI applications that are reshaping student outreach, enhancing staff productivity, and offering deep insights into ROI. 

Use the discount code Enrollify50 at checkout, and you can register for just $99! This early bird pricing lasts until March 31. 

Learn more and register at engage.element451.com — we can’t wait to see you there!