My guest today is Sarah Whorton, Senior Strategic Communication Consultant at University of Missouri system. Sarah has a background in screenwriting and leverages storytelling principles in her higher education marketing work.

In this episode, Sarah shares her insights on crafting compelling stories for higher education marketing. We discuss a four-point story structure she uses inspired by screenwriting, the power of vulnerability and struggle in stories, and how to get interviewees to open up beyond predictable, low-stakes answers. If you’re looking to improve your higher ed storytelling, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Key Takeaways:

• Good stories start with listening first to identify the audience's needs, hopes, fears, and struggles. Craft the story to speak to those insights.
• A simple four-point story structure for higher ed: 1) Acknowledge the prospective student's need 2) Present the degree/program as the solution 3) Acknowledge the struggles students may face 4) Share how the school helped the student overcome struggles to succeed
• Ask questions that reveal conflict and get more authentic, vulnerable responses vs. predictable, low-stakes answers. Set proper expectations upfront.
• Share relatable stories of overcoming struggles, not just glossy success stories. This builds deeper connections with prospective students.
• Stakes create hooks to invest the audience in story outcomes. Establish stakes when introducing student needs.
• Compelling stories can be longer if the content merits it. Don't shy away from 2-3 mins if needed.

Example Video Mentioned:

• “Catch Up” - a story from University of Colorado Continuing Education
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OHBTodd3D0

Connect with Sarah:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-whorton/

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
• Website: https://unveild.tv
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