#68 - The Top of Funnel Drought in Higher Ed
John Azoni is the founder of the Higher Ed Storytelling Podcast and Unveild, a video branding agency that helps colleges and universities tell compelling institutional stories.
In this solo episode, John addresses the challenge of top-of-funnel content drought in higher education marketing. He discusses the importance of top-of-funnel content in higher education marketing and strategies for creating engaging video content that resonates with prospective students before they're ready to be sold to.
Key Takeaways:
Many colleges lack top-of-funnel content that engages audiences without directly selling
Leadership often struggles to approve budget for content that doesn't have a direct sales component
Top-of-funnel content helps warm up prospective students before they're ready to consider specific schools
Marketing drives familiarity, and familiarity drives preference
Two recommended approaches for short-form videos:
"Man on the street" videos asking engaging questions to students
Thought leadership content featuring faculty lectures and discussions
Repurposing existing events and lectures into video content can be an efficient strategy
Balancing content across different stages of the marketing funnel is crucial
Examples Mentioned:
Central Michigan University's successful TikTok asking "Where does up north start?"
Boston University's Valentine's Day video of students calling their partners
Harvard Business School's viral classroom debate video
University of Chicago's political discussion video
Strategies for Limited Resources:
Create "man on the street" videos with engaging questions using just a smartphone
Film interesting lectures or discussions and break them into shareable snippets
Look for opportunities to repurpose existing campus events into video content
Takeaway: Investing in top-of-funnel content is crucial for higher ed marketing success, even if it doesn't directly sell the institution. These strategies can help engage potential students earlier in their college search process and build familiarity with your school.
Connect With John:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
Website: https://unveild.tv
Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter