Higher ed marketers all know the struggle of reaching target audiences, but real audience-centric content is in the eye of the beholder. With so many digital mediums to choose from, how can schools know that their brand messaging is what their audience is looking for?

Jerra Toms">Jerra Toms, Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business">University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business, has a simple suggestion: get out of your office and ask them.

Jerra shares why engaging with your audience is essential to getting real feedback on your higher ed marketing efforts, especially with social media content.

Join us as we discuss:

- Getting every perspective for authentic feedback on content (8:50)

- Implementing new social media tactics and trending technology (17:52)

- How a student advisory board can up your marketing game (23:26)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Jerra Toms">Jerra Toms

- [email protected]">[email protected]

- University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business">University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

We’re all still students of social media content creation, but some schools are bringing their A-game when generating content that speaks to Gen Z.

Owen Knight">Owen Knight, Director of Admission Engagement at Tulane University">Tulane University, shares how he and his team reach their target audience by leaning on their peers - current students within Tulane’s walls.

By building a team filled with bright, young interns who grasp the Gen Z social media landscape, Owen and his Admissions Office can meet prospective students where they are.

Join us as we discuss:

- How Tulane approaches the shifting social media landscape (4:50)

- Finding the balance between informing and entertaining (10:00)

- Organic conversations with students about content and trends (18:18)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- [email protected]">[email protected]

- Tulane Admission Instagram">Tulane Admission Instagram

- Tulane Admission TikTok">Tulane Admission TikTok

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Alumni and students have so many incredible authentic stories to tell about their colleges and universities. But higher ed marketing teams can sometimes get in their own way by curating those stories till they’re just another batch of overly processed advertisements.

People want to hear about real experiences. But if schools want to share those stories, they first have to find them.

Chris Miano">Chris Miano, Founder of MemoryFox">MemoryFox, shares with us why messy, organic stories are what audiences crave in today’s attention-seeking social economy and how higher ed marketers can find them.

Join us as we discuss:

- Delighting audiences with authentic storytelling (5:59)

- Why stories matter in spreading brand awareness (12:36)

- The difference between self-promotion and a conversation (21:23)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- [email protected]">[email protected]

- MemoryFox">MemoryFox

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How much should colleges and universities lean on legacy branding? Advancement departments undoubtedly love promoting the “glory days” to their school alums, but should legacy be a major factor in your enrollment marketing strategy?   

In the late 1970s, Indiana State University">Indiana State University produced one of the most famous basketball players in NCAA and NBA history - Larry Bird. Jason Trainer">Jason Trainer, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at ISU, shares how their school balances academic and athletic branding while giving students just the right dose of historical perspective.

Join us as we discuss:

Aligning marketing strategy with your institution’s vision (3:54)

Navigating school athletics history in enrollment marketing (13:18)

Finding overlapping themes that excite your school’s stakeholders (23:07)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

[email protected]">[email protected]

Indiana State University">Indiana State University

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Short-form video content has exploded on social media platforms over the last few years. Colleges and universities are scrambling to take advantage of these content marketing goldmines, but some are still missing the mark.

But as Rob Clark">Rob Clark, social media influencer and creator of That Tall Family">That Tall Family, told us - it’s not rocket science. You just have to put yourself out there.

Rob shared the work he’s now doing at Greenville University">Greenville University and how higher ed marketers can take advantage of short-form video content.

Join us as we discuss:

- The not-so-secret sauce in a good short-form video strategy (8:26)

- Creating discoverable content for your school (21:43)

- Predicting what social media platform will be trending in 2023 (33:01)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- That Tall Family">That Tall Family

- Rob Clark">Rob Clark

- Greenville University">Greenville University

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Working in higher ed advancement can be discouraging when you hear the word “No” from potential donors. But by imprinting philanthropy on your student culture, you can encourage them to pay it forward to their future fellow alums the second they set foot on campus.     

In this episode, the University of Findlay">University of Findlay’s Director Of Annual Giving, Amanda Nicol">Amanda Nicol, and Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship Manager, Brittany Beltz">Brittany Beltz, share their exciting advancement initiatives. Through education and volunteer programs, they’re preparing the next generation of philanthropists.  

Join us as we discuss:

- Impassioning donors by making your campus a second home (2:15)

- The components of Findlay’s philanthropy cord graduation program (13:30)

- The importance of communicating with your regular donors (23:09)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- The University of Findlay">The University of Findlay

- [email protected]">[email protected]

- [email protected]">[email protected]

- [email protected]">[email protected] 

- Together We Will">Together We Will

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Search engine marketing is top-of-mind for most higher ed marketers, but it’s still a drastically underutilized marketing mechanism.

In fact, according to our guest, Faton Sopa">Faton Sopa, co-founder and CEO of Manaferra">Manaferra, only three of the top ten websites that commonly show up from higher ed search terms are school websites.

In Part Two of our discussion around search engine marketing, we address some common shortfalls in higher ed marketing SEO strategies.

Join us as we discuss:

- The marriage of technical web design and content (1:46)

- Referral backlinks and the subtle art of link building (19:42)

- Why colleges and universities are shorting their SEO potential (36:44)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Faton Sopa">Faton Sopa

- Manaferra">Manaferra

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Search engine marketing is still considered a 21st-century mystery to many higher ed marketers. But the fact is that, with a solid content marketing strategy, any college or university can turn its website into an SEO darling.

In part one of our interview with Faton Sopa">Faton Sopa, Cofounder and CEO of Manaferra">Manaferra, we discuss the sub-disciplines of search engine marketing and how to establish authority through content.

Join us as we discuss:

- The sub-disciplines of search engine marketing (4:50)

- Establishing authority in your website’s content (15:20) 

- If gated content is appropriate in the conversion funnel (23:21)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Faton Sopa">Faton Sopa

-Manaferra">Manaferra

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Despite fifteen percent of the world’s population having a physical disability, the disability community of students is often an afterthought in DEI-focused higher ed marketing. While some schools have made massive strides in telling these students’ stories, many others could do so much more - and it starts with building relationships.

Ryan Wilson">Ryan Wilson, CEO of Team Trust Productions">Team Trust Productions, tells us how colleges and universities can make top grades in authentic storytelling for students with disabilities.

Join us as we discuss:

-Why higher ed is lagging behind in disability inclusion (8:54)  

- Approaching storytelling for the disability community (20:00)

- How schools can close the gap with students with disabilities (26:24)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Team Trust Productions">Team Trust Productions

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Imagine a personalized website experience that adapts in real-time to the home region of prospective students who visit your homepage.

We’ve seen the potential of geocaching with popular mobile applications like Pokemon Go. What if you could employ similar technology to customize your school website’s visitor experience?

Kyle Pucko">Kyle Pucko, Owner of Geofli">Geofli, tells us how colleges and universities can harness this exciting tech to enhance personalization on their websites.

Join us as we discuss:

- Why personalization in school websites matters (4:38)

- Use cases for geocaching landing pages by region (15:52

- The future of online customization after third-party cookies (22:06)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Kyle Pucko">Kyle Pucko

- Geofli">Geofli

- [email protected]

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

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.