Talking Tactics

If you could officially name a squirrel at your alma mater (or turtle, or goose, or whatever critters roamed your campus when you did), would you? The only correct answer is yes.

And that’s that Caty Allgood and Brooke Preston were counting on when they implemented a Squirrel Naming campaign for Ohio University’s Giving Day. After hearing about this idea from colleagues at Ole Miss, they figured out how to implement it themselves without any extra technology or investment. 

And the results were incredible: In their first year with the Squirrel Campaign, they raised almost half a million dollars more than the previous year and had an increase of over 750 donors. They beat their own records again in year two. Plus, the campaign encouraged participation from current students, Ohio friends, and so many wholesome comments to keep it going for years to come.

At the end of the episode, Caty and Brooke surprise your host Day with her very own squirrel certificate! What an honor. Take a look.

Guest Names: 
Caty Allgood, Executive Director, Annual Giving, Ohio University 
Brooke Preston, Associate Director of Creative Strategy, Ohio University

Guest Socials: 
Caty - www.linkedin.com/in/catyallgood
Brooke - www.linkedin.com/in/brookepreston

Guest Bios: 
Caty Allgood currently serves as the Executive Director of Annual Giving at Ohio University. With a career spanning 18 years, she’s a seasoned Advancement professional who has served in roles in major giving, gift planning and annual giving. Caty received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio University and feels incredibly fortunate that she now has the opportunity to raise funds to make an OHIO education possible for others. Caty’s team won a CASE Grand Gold award in 2022 for their Give Like Gary Campaign and continues to incorporate creative strategies into their annual giving appeals, most recently introducing a very fun and successful squirrel naming campaign into their annual OHIO Giving Day. Caty spends her free time with her husband, their 4-year-old son and their 1-year-old Yorkie. 

Brooke Preston (OHIO B.S.S. ’02; MC ’23) is the Associate Director of Creative Strategy for Ohio University’s award-winning University Communications and Marketing team, where she leads the brand copywriting team and manages brand and marketing collaboration across 12 departments within the Division of Student Affairs. 
Brooke is also a published comedy and satire writer, editor and teacher, former faculty for The Second City, and is the head writer of the annual Thurber Prize for American Humor awards ceremony. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Real Simple, The Cut, McSweeney’s, Men’s Health, Paste and more. She lives in the Columbus suburbs with her husband, tween daughter and two doofy labs.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Imagine a college where 80-90% of the current student body opens your weekly email every single week. And not only that, but they attend the events you send them and take the actions you ask them to take. Well, this is not a dream for Alixandra Nozzolillo and her team at Harvard College. Alix transformed the college’s communication from way too many emails to one weekly email with all the important news. This effort has garnered them open rates between 80% and 90% consistently for over four years, incredible trust from the students, and a great culture of collaboration on campus.

Guest Name: Alixandra Nozzolillo, Director of Communications, Harvard College

Guest Social Handles: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alixandranozzolillo/

Guest Bio: Alixandra Nozzolillo has over twenty years of experience in communications, marketing, and research, including more than ten years at Harvard University where she is the director of communications at Harvard College. She has led transformative initiatives for major educational and medical institutions, served as a spokesperson for high-profile events, and ghostwritten for prominent higher education leaders, chief physicians, and scientists. In 2016, she received the University of Washington's Outstanding Early Career Award, recognizing her commitment to communications and the public good. Alix holds a Master's degree in Biology from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Washington in Seattle.  Beyond her professional pursuits, she holds a deep affinity for everything nature has to offer — from hiking in the mountains to sailing and paddling on the ocean — and is an award-winning gardener.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

What if all you needed to boost your organic traffic was just a little collaboration? Jessica Creech, Web Content Marketing Specialist at Purdue University Northwest, shares how she worked with professors to build 6 program-specific blog posts with big results. These posts have over 80% organic search traffic to the site, resulting in 4,079 page views and 3,049 unique users. Plus, about 23% of all page clicks lead to program or application pages — supporting students taking the next step in their enrollment journey.

Sample blog posts: 

What Do Biologists Do?

Which Business Degree is Right For Me?

What Can I Do with a Communication Degree? 

What are the Benefits of a 4+1 Program?

Guest Name: Jessica Creech, Web Content Marketing Specialist, Purdue University Northwest

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-m-creech/

Guest Bio: Jessica Creech is currently the Web Content Marketing Specialist at Purdue University Northwest. She has over seven years of experience in professional writing and editing. She also has five years of experience in marketing and web design.

Jessica is a lifelong reader who enjoys learning new things, watching football, and hanging out with her dog and four cats. 

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Miami University's toddler campus tour reel saw 33% more engagement than other admissions content on their main channels and won a Gold Case Circle of Excellence Award. How can we show our campus with the actual joy and excitement a prospect might feel visiting for the first time? Through the eyes of a toddler, of course. The reel featured Gerod Harder's two and a half year old son, Wesley, exploring key campus spots, attending a class, and taking snack breaks. The reel received over 100,000 impressions on Instagram — 3 times the average of other videos that month. It has been one of the university’s highest performing posts and received positive comments from internal and external audiences alike.

Watch the reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0Pv2XRxaFc/

Guest Name: Gerod Harder, Associate Director of Social Media, Miami University in Ohio

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerodharder/

Guest Bio: Gerod Harder is the Associate Director of Social Media at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He has 5 years of experience leading organic social media strategy within higher education. Gerod is the proud father of Wesley, his two and a half year old son who will be featured in the content discussed in this episode.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

For many institutions, increasing access is a strategic priority. With this tactic, you can do just that. Melody Ferguson, Dean of Admissions at Pacific Lutheran University, discusses the success of their Automatic Admission Partnership Program (AAP) in increasing enrollment, and with it, the percentage of first-generation and students of color admitted to PLU. In fact, 60.7% of this year’s incoming class admitted through the AAP is first generation, and 63.2% are students of color. Listen to this episode to start walking the walk on removing barriers to your institution too. 

Guest Name: Melody Ferguson, Dean of Admission, Pacific Lutheran University

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-ferguson-wa/

Guest Bio: Melody Ferguson has worked 23 years in Higher Education at 3 very different universities. As a first-generation college graduate, Melody has always been passionate about creating opportunities for access to education. Currently serving as the Dean of Admission at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, WA, Melody has spent the last 12 years shaping the university's approach to welcoming students from diverse backgrounds. She also happens to be a parent to a rising high school senior, which helps her understand the challenges of the college admission process firsthand. 

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Jess Frazier from Notre Dame University shares how they used custom LEGO figurines to increase engagement on the university's admissions Instagram. They rebranded their admitted student days as 'The Rally' and created a dedicated space where students could build Lego replicas of themselves wearing Notre Dame gear. The goal was to make students feel immediately welcomed into the Notre Dame family. This tactic was highly successful, with a 102% increase in engagement compared to the same admitted student post last year, 226,000 views on the LEGO reel—from 94% non-followers! Plus, the delight of students, parents, and staff alike.

Guest Name: Jessica Frazier,  Assistant Director of Digital Media, University of Notre Dame

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicatfrazier

Guest Bio: Jessica Frazier is the Assistant Director of Digital Media at the University of Notre Dame Enrollment Division for Strategy and Engagement, where she’s responsible for establishing and executing a strategy for the Notre Dame Admissions social media channels. She specializes in creating digital content centered around student storytelling, sharing the unique community and force for good mission of the University. In an effort to create a work/life balance, she likes to walk her dog around campus, hike in USA National Parks, and rewatch The Office.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Meaghan Milliorn, Director of Digital Strategy at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, reached attendees of local high school graduations hosted on their campus with geotargeted ads. The goal was to take advantage of this captive audience and promote the university's affordability and scholarships. The ads were motion ads displayed on Facebook and Display during the graduation ceremonies. The initial campaign had 32,000 impressions and 306 clicks, while the follow-up campaign had 85,000 impressions and 120 clicks. With a capacity of 5,600 and 6 total events, that’s not bad! The success of the tactic highlights the importance of targeting audiences during emotional moments and taking advantage of what’s right in front of you (literally!).

Guest Name: Meaghan Milliorn, Director of Digital Strategy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meaghan-milliorn-fikes/

Guest Bio: Meaghan Milliorn has worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 15 years and serves as the director of digital strategy. She and her team are responsible for overseeing the university website, its strategic focus and ensuring it meets the needs of our future and current students. She is currently leading the comprehensive redesign of the university website.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Keeping your social media accounts active and engaging is challenging, particularly for small colleges or teams. Sarah’s student ambassador approach (giving ambassador separate accounts connected to your college’s account) can significantly boost your content output and engagement. Schools working with Sarah have seen their student ambassador posts outperform all others, and gain the algorithm benefits of video views rising from almost nothing.

Check out the ambassador program in action at:

• Whittier College: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7zUo16vTjS/
• Wagner College: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5JPztgLwx8/
• Minerva University: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3smKhRxWnl/
• Colorado College: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C02fvJrPaSU/

Guest Name: Sarah Goldfarb, Managing Director, Digital & Social Media at RW Jones Agency

Guest Social Handles: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbgoldfarb/
Instagram: @sbgold

Guest Bio: Sarah is the Managing Director of Social Media and Digital at RW Jones Agency. She collaborates with numerous universities and colleges, focusing on social media strategy, website optimization, email marketing, and digital advertising.
With a deep passion for social media, Sarah has developed a unique expertise in social media ambassador programs and influencer activations. She believes the higher education industry has yet to fully leverage these powerful tools. Sarah has championed this innovative approach throughout her career, spending nearly a decade on campus advocating for these strategies and previously working as a journalist encouraging reporters to engage with their audiences via social media.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

Dr. Courtney Skiles, the director of recruiting and admissions at Trinity Valley Community College, shares an unexpected tactic her team uses to engage students and increase college applications: dressing down. 

By wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and cool shoes, TVCC recruiters aim to be relatable and break down barriers between college representatives and high school students. This tactic has resulted in one in five students applying to their college after a visit. 

Courtney emphasizes the importance of building rapport and making students feel comfortable by sharing personal stories and being relatable. Overall, her mindset and leadership has led to an 8% increase in enrollment and has challenged the traditional perception of college as a distant and unattainable goal.

Guest Name: Courtney Skiles, Director of Recruiting and Admissions at Trinity Valley Community College

Guest Social Handles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyskiles56/

Guest Bio: Courtney Skiles is the Director of Recruiting and Admissions at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, TX. She found her passion for higher ed as a student at TVCC in 2016 and has relentlessly pursued her higher ed career and education ever since. She is a proud gen-z leader that specializes in student engagement, creative problem solving, and organizational change. She recently earned her Doctor of Education in higher education leadership from Maryville University and aims to utilize her career to continuously promote higher education to underserved populations.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

In this engaging episode of Talking Tactics, Dayana Kibilds delves into a unique marketing tactic with Dave Tyler, highlighting RIT's innovative use of GIFs on Giphy to drive traffic to their admissions page. Dave shares how a simple yet unexpected approach turned GIFs into a powerful tool for awareness and conversion, resulting in over 1,000,000 GIF view per week and  122 people visiting RIT's admissions page from Giphy in the last 6 months.

Check out RIT’s Giphy page: https://giphy.com/rit_tigers

Guest Name: Dave Tyler, Social Media Director at Rochester Institute of Technology

Guest Social:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tyler-30974a2/

Guest Bio: Dave has been working in higher education for 15 years. At RIT, he directs social content and strategy across the University’s platforms. Before coming to RIT, he worked in a similar role for SUNY Brockport. He’s also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter, and he still considers himself a recovering journalist.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dayana Kibilds
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Talking Tactics 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 Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.

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.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register