On this episode of the Education Marketing Leader podcast, I sat down with Mariah Tang, Chief Content Marketing Officer at Stamats.

We unpack why niche content is the most underrated growth strategy in higher ed marketing right now, and how to actually make it work for you.

This isn’t another talk about SEO basics. It’s a roadmap for building search-visible, AI-resilient, and student-relevant content using the tools and team you already have.

Here’s what higher ed marketers need to know 👇

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝

🔎 Search has changed. Long-tail questions now dominate. “Do you have my program?” has become “Will this get me to my next step?”

✏️ Generic content is invisible. Focused, answer-driven content is what AI surfaces in snippets and summaries.

🍕 You’re not pizza. Trying to please everyone will tank your strategy and confuse your audience.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰: 𝐒𝐌𝐄, 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐨

👉 Every campaign doesn’t need a star academic. Use flexible content types like testimonials, timelines, and FAQs.

👉 Don’t box your content team in. Establish a reliable structure and grow from there.

👉 Predictability wins in SEO and human engagement.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬

🤖 Use ChatGPT/Gemini to test assumptions, spot blind spots, and map decision-stage questions

🫶 Don’t fear feedback, prompt your tools like you would a junior team member

✔️ Good input = better AI output. Then validate every claim and source.

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝

🏥 University of New Mexico Health Sciences CenterTurned a neuroscience program into a “Day in the Life” story. No paid ads. Won awards. Still outranks bigger institutions.

🚗 Harper College’s Lyft Pass PostBeat major universities in organic search by being first, relevant, and student-centered.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞:

“Start with one SME. Set them up for success. Give them structure. Then scale.” — Mariah Tang

🎧 Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

✅ Follow Mariah for expert takes on content strategy, AI, and enrollment marketing.

✅ Follow Stamats for proven frameworks and case studies on what’s actually working in higher-ed.

✅ And follow Education Marketing Leader for real conversations with zero fluff.

Until next time. ✌