John Azoni John Azoni

#76 - How To Do Epic Content Marketing for Higher Education

My guest today is Brian Piper, Director of Content Strategy and Assessment at University of Rochester and author of "Epic Content Marketing for Higher Education." In this episode, Brian shares insights on content distribution, SEO strategies, and effective content marketing approaches for higher education institutions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Video distribution requires a comprehensive strategy beyond just posting to YouTube - consider multiple channels and formats

  • AI tools like Opus Clips and Vidyo.ai can help automate content repurposing for different platforms

  • Creating distribution maps for different content types (student stories, events, etc.) helps ensure consistent and effective content sharing

  • SEO should be considered before, during, and after content creation - not just as an afterthought

  • Zero-click content on social media can build brand awareness even without driving traffic to your website

  • Higher ed institutions should track engagement metrics beyond just clicks - including shares, comments, and strategic goal alignment

  • Podcasting can be valuable for building relationships but requires long-term commitment (12-18 months minimum) and consistent scheduling

  • Google Search Console and Looker Data Studio can provide valuable analytics insights without expensive tools

SEO Strategies Discussed:

  • Focus on problem-solving and question-answering in content

  • Update titles and content based on performance data

  • Target featured snippets for voice search and AI results

  • Consider multiple search platforms (Google, TikTok, Reddit) where Gen Z looks for information

Resources mentioned:
Buy the book here: https://brianwpiper.com/product/epic-content-marketing-for-higher-education/

Connect with Brian:

Connect With John:

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John Azoni John Azoni

Ep 26 - Stop Boring Me! How To Harness Improv and Humor to Create Engaging Content

My guest today is Kathy Klotz-Guest. Kathy is a comedian, a storyteller, an improv actor, a keynote speaker and author of the wonderful book that I highly recommend called “Stop Boring Me.” The subtitle is “How to create kick-ass marketing content, products, and ideas through the power of improv.” In this episode we talk about the many lessons that Kathy has learned from her improv career that she brings to the world of business storytelling. How if we look at what makes for successful improv and comedy, if we view our content through that lens, we can have a much better grasp on how to create content that is engaging and emotionally resonates with your audience.

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John Azoni John Azoni

Ep 25 - Marketing an art school and starting a podcast w/ sabrina dépestre, marketing director at MICA

My guest today is Sabrina Depestre. Sabrina is the marketing director at Maryland Institute College of Art.. where I actually attended for a brief stint which is what piqued my interest to get her on the show.

She has also worked as a consultant for small businesses, delivering refined verbal identity and digital audits across all platforms and channels.

Sabrina is also the founder of marketing agency Buffer and Muse and host of the podcast Musings on Marketing. In this episode we take you behind the scenes of marketing a rigorous art school, and also behind the scenes of starting a podcast.. Learnings along the way, tools that sabrina uses to create her podcasts, and much more.

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John Azoni John Azoni

Ep 24 - Social Media Strategies, PR and Testing Your Messaging w/ Bill Zimmerman, Advertising and PR Lecturer at Penn State University

My guest today is Bill Zimmerman.

Bill is a lecturer at Penn State University’ Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. teaching Digital PR, Social Media Strategies and PR Media & Methods courses. We’ve never had a lecturer on this podcast, and we haven’t had much of a PR influence either so I thought Bill would be a great voice for that stuff. In this episode we talk about a variety of topics including Social media strategy, testing your messaging before launching your campaign, how Penn State manages the crossover between PR, Marketing and Communications at a bunch more stuff.

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John Azoni John Azoni

#23 - The Future of Higher Ed Marketing in the Metaverse - with Brian Piper, co-author of Epic Content Marketing 2nd Edition

My guest today is Brian Piper. Brian is the Director of Content Strategy at Univeristy of Rochester in Rochester, New York. he is also the co-author of the 2nd edition of Epic Content Marketing along with Joe Polizzi, a book that really covers the gamut of the content marketing space in 2023 and how to succeed in it. Highly highly recommend this book. In our conversation though we zero in on one aspect of the book and that is Web3, or in other words, the Metaverse.

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