In this special episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, we revisit highlights from our July book club meeting with Day Kibilds and Ashley Budd, co-authors of MailedIt!.

This conversation brought together higher-ed marketers, enrollment pros, and communicators to unpack how small, intentional email campaigns can lead to big results.

Together, we explored key lessons from the book.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

✅ Why voice and tone matter more than perfect timing or design

✅ How to move from batch-and-blast to relationship-building

✅ What it looks like to build trust through repeatable email patterns

✅ When to prioritize segmentation, and when to just press send

✅ Why clarity beats cleverness (and how to write like a human)

Members shared reflections that resonated:

– Building consistency with limited resources

– The challenge of letting go of “perfect”

– Using onboarding emails to set expectations and reduce melt

– How voice, tone, and structure can build belonging, before a student even visits campus

– Why accessibility and inclusion should be part of every email strategy

Day and Ashley were generous with behind-the-scenes insights:

They shared lessons from years of testing, team collaboration, and trial-and-error—offering real-world examples from their work in higher ed and beyond.

📚 MailedIt! is a must-read for anyone who hits "send" on behalf of their institution.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 Want in on the book club? Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13140172/

Until next time ✌️