My guest today is Dr. Josie Ahlquist, Josie is a renowned expert in digital leadership, guiding educational leaders, organizations, and students through speaking, coaching, and consulting. Her practical and evidence-based frameworks empower clients to create tailored digital engagement strategies.

Among many other things, In 2023, Josie was selected as a NASPA Pillar of the Profession, one of the highest honors for the field of student affairs. Josie is a three-time LinkedIn Top Voice in Education, has been recognized by Ed Tech Magazine as one of the “Top 50 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs” for five years. Her podcast, Josie and The Podcast, has been featured by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. Her new book, Digital Leadership in Higher Education: Purposeful Social Media in a Connected World was listed as an Amazon #1 new release for college and university student life.

Key takeaways:

Ways to identify and recruit student creators already active on social media

Developing an internship program through career services

Training students on your brand voice, tone and processes

The importance of taking a developmental approach with coaching and support

Setting students up for marketing careers by teaching transferable skills

Connect with Josie:

Website: https://josieahlquist.com

Podcast: Josie and the Podcast

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

Website: https://unveild.tv

Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Eric Stoller, VP of Digital at Territorium. In this episode we discuss the value of higher education in a skills-based economy and how colleges need to better connect the dots for students between their education and employability after graduation.

Key takeaways:

Why a skills-based focus is important for communicating value to today's students and adult learners.

The limitations of traditional transcripts and resumes in showing competencies.

How digital credentials like badges and micro-credentials allow for skills verification.

The need for colleges to directly bridge the gap between learning and employment.

Why the story of higher ed needs to show career pathways, not just promote campus amenities and experiences.

Practical ways colleges can add skills-based messaging to their marketing.

Connect with Eric:

Website: https://territorium.com/en/

Email: eric@territorium.com

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://www.unveild.tv

Join the newsletter: https://www.unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Shane Baglini, Senior Director of Marketing and Recruitment at Muhlenberg College's Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. In this episode we discuss strategies for marketing to and recruiting adult learners.

Key takeaways:

Adult learners often come back to school to overcome challenges and achieve personal goals. Marketers should address their anxiety and emphasize how your programs can help them reach their goals.

Tell authentic stories of real adult learners who overcame obstacles. This builds trust and helps prospective students see themselves succeeding.

Simplify your video production. Huge crews and setups feel intimidating and inauthentic to students. Prioritize intimacy and connection.

Survey students who don't enroll to understand pain points in your messaging or programs. Use feedback to improve your differentiation.

Scripts should feel natural, not grandiose. Focus on personal connections and specific student personas.

Connect with Shane:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shane_Baglini

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanebaglini

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

Join The Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Allison Turcio, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Siena College. In this episode we discuss creating an environment where students naturally want to share their positive experiences.

Key takeaways:

- The importance of studying other colleges known for exceptional student experiences.

- Making student-centered decisions and putting yourself in the student's shoes.

- Creating symbolic moments and traditions to make students feel welcomed and connected.

- Building one-on-one relationships between admissions staff and prospective students.

- Letting student stories take center stage in your marketing.

- Picking one unifying initiative to rally different departments around improving student experience.

My guest today is Darren Roubinek, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Central Missouri. In this episode we discuss the challenges of social media platform overwhelm and knowing where to focus your efforts.

Key takeaways:

The difference in resource capacity between Darren's previous team at Avila University and his new team at UCM - this impacts the type of content they can produce.

Importance of prioritizing and focusing on what you can do really well vs. trying to be everywhere and spread too thin.

Picking a platform to "own" with quality content and engagement vs chasing every new platform that pops up.

Being cautious about jumping on "shiny new" platforms like Threads that you can't easily deactivate if needed.

Advice for preparing for the future of social media - keeping your team (especially social media manager) healthy, challenged, and supported.

Connect with Darren:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/droubinek/

Email: Roubinek@ucmo.edu

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

Video Storytelling Subscription Pricing: http://pricing.unveild.tv

My guest today is Andy Fuller, Executive Director of Brand Content at the University of Notre Dame. In this episode we go deep on the power of narrative ownership and storytelling to strengthen your university's brand.

Key takeaways:

What narrative ownership is and why it's so important for universities to own the stories about their history, buildings, traditions, etc. rather than letting others shape the narrative. Andy shares great examples from Notre Dame's history.

The process Notre Dame uses for identifying stories to tell - including social listening and checking mentions.

Tips for finding the compelling stories in research breakthroughs and conveying why your university matters to people through relatable examples.

Advice for rolling out content across platforms, starting with internal audiences first.

Behind the scenes look at how Notre Dame's creative team works together to bring stories to life across mediums.

The power of evoking emotion through stories vs. just stating facts and stats.

Andy's key piece of advice: focus on telling your authentic stories first, irrespective of what other universities are doing. Raise your flag high!

Connect with Andy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-fuller-95bb8412/

Instagram: @andy_fuller

Threads: @andy_fuller

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/

Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv

Video Subscription Pricing: http://pricing.unveild.tv

My guest today is Jen Porter, Director of Alumni Relations at Rochester University in Michigan. We discuss the full-length documentary film they produced about Garth Pleasant, their former basketball coach

About the Film:

Garth Pleasant coached basketball at RU for over 40 years and is the winningest college basketball coach in Michigan

The film is called "Coach, Make the Big Time Where You're At" and explores Garth's story and impact on RU and the community

It's 36 minutes long and was funded by a donor who wanted to showcase Garth's legacy

Includes interviews with Garth, Oakland University coach Greg Kampe, Milwaukee Bucks alum John Horst who played for Garth, and more

Key Topics In This Episode:

Garth's humble roots and how he built an incredible program with few resources ([00:02:00])

World premiere event at a movie theater and other screening events ([00:12:00])

Behind the scenes of production - coordinating interviews, filming, post-production ([00:27:00])

Measuring return on investment from an emotional storytelling project like this ([00:37:00])

Building a pipeline for finding and telling stories at your institution ([00:41:00])

The value of investing in b-roll footage for future video projects ([00:44:00])

Links:

Connect with Jen: Jporter1@rochester.edu

Watch the trailer for COACH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wwSxKMTa20

Check back in winter 2023 to view the full film: https://rochesteru.edu/coach/

Connect with John on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/

Learn about UNVEILD’s work: https://unveild.tv

Download:

Video Subscription Pricing Guide: http://pricing.unveild.tv

3-part storytelling framework: http://unveild.tv/studenttestimonials

My guest today is Bart Caylor. If you’ve floated around the higher ed marketing sphere for very long you’ve probably come across Bart at least once. Bart is the founder of the education marketing agency, Caylor Solutions as well as the co-host along with Troy Singer of the Higher Ed Marketer podcast. He is also a keynote speaker, as well as a first-generation college student himself. In this episode we’re talking all about AI.. specifically practical ways you can incorporate AI into your workflow to save you time and effort in your job.

Keep listening to learn:

- How Bart saves 10-15 hours per week using AI

- How it’s not AI that’s going to take your job, it’s going to be the people who know how to harness the power of AI that will take your job

- The successes and limitations of various AI applications and where perfectionism can cause you roadblocks

-How higher ed marketers should be early adopters of AI and how higher ed administrators can support the marketing team in those efforts

- A bunch more stuff - including how you can save time on your next trip to Aldi using Chat GPT.

Links:

Connect with Bart on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartcaylor/

Connect with Caylor Solutions: https://www.caylor-solutions.com/

Subscribe to The Higher Ed Marketer podcast: https://www.higheredmarketerpodcast.com/

Connect with John on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/

Learn about UNVEILD’s work: https://unveild.tv

Download:

Video Subscription Pricing Guide: http://pricing.unveild.tv

3-part storytelling framework: http://unveild.tv/studenttestimonials

My guest today is Mike Richeson.

Mike is the founder of a video production company called Homestead Production and they work with clients in a variety of industries. Don’t waste your time trying to Google Homestead Production because they don’t have a website and as you’ll learn in this episode, that’s a strategic choice. In addition to being a talented video content creator mike is a very talented marketer and thought leader in the content creation space.

In this episode you'll learn:

- How building a b-roll library is essential to get the most out of your content marketing and social media efforts

- How your content is just a blip on the radar when someone is scrolling, and the importance of capturing attention.

- Learn about pattern interruptions. What makes a good one and why gimmicky ones are dumb.

- What to do if you are overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with content creation, social media, keeping up with the algorithms.. All that.. Mike is going to say something in here that might set you free a bit, and give you permission to go against the traditional social media advice.

- The importance of storytelling to not stay top of mind but as mike puts it “buried in their hearts”

My guests today are Ashley Budd and Dayana Kibilds. Ashley is the director of marketing operations at Cornell University. Day is a strategist at Ologie which is a marketing and branding agency focused on educational institutions.

Ashley and Day are co-authors of a new book that is forthcoming about emails. Writing effective emails that people actually want to read and respond to and take action from. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to optimize your institution’s email newsletter to alumni, or emails to prospective students… and how to meet those people where they’re at with empathy and personality and clarity… You’ve come to the right place.

In this episode we talk about:

-An actionable template for writing everyday emails that get results based on the F Email method.

-The importance of Writing in a conversational tone.. Even if you’re an ivy league university.

-Personalizing email communications based on where recipients are in your funnel

-How actually upping the frequency of newsletter communications can actually improve your results… counter to the popular belief that we don’t want to bug people.

-Building trust with your email recipients and not breaking that trust with gimmicks

My guest today is Lauren Keane.

Lauren is the Associate Vice President of Communications at Southern New Hampshire University and she wrote a fabulous article for Inside Higher Education called “harnessing the power of student stories.”

In this episode we turn our attention to getting media exposure with your content and how student success stories in particular are appealing to media outlets.

In particular we cover:

-Building a story pipeline - how to create a system where students are self-submitting stories

-putting students first over your institution in your story

-pitching to media outlets and how to make it easy for them to feature your story

-some great examples of how SNHU got tons of exposure

-A bunch more stuff

My guest today is Jenna Spinelle.

Jenna is a writer podcast writer and speaker in higher education. She hosts and produces the "Democracy Works" podcast and the Narrative series "When People Decide."

Both of those are productions of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State.

She also teaches courses on freelancing and the creator economy at Penn State University's Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Her writing has appeared in outlets including Belt magazine, Inside Higher Ed and Current.

And so in this conversation, we talk a lot about podcasting. We talk about both of her podcasts that she produces, and she takes us behind the scenes of those and we discuss tips for starting your own podcast and making that an efficient process as well as a bunch of other things.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My guest today is Seth Odell. Seth has a solid background in higher ed marketing and producing great results for the institutions he’s worked at. He brings that expertise to his company, Kanahoma - a boutique education marketing agency based in San Diego, California. Founded in 2020, they serve colleges and universities from across the country, as well as K-12 organizations, and education technology and service providers.

In this episode we talk about a lot of things, but we zero in on Kanahoma’s unique process for finding great stories to tell. They have kind of a white glove, done for you approach to this with the schools they work with and it’s pretty in great… and the great thing is you can take this approach and make it work for you. Do it as is, or simplify it.. But it’s a great way to go about cataloging great student and alumni content at scale. That’s the key here.. At scale.

My guest today is Andrew Cassel. Andrew is the Senior Social Strategist at Middlebury College in the beautiful state of Vermont. He’s heads up all of Middlebury’s social media strategy and execution and he’s here to tell us what’s working for Middlebury, what hasn’t worked so well. Now if the idea of using Tumblr and Pinterest is your college marketing strategy sounds odd, you’ll want to keep listening. Andrew employs some non-mainstream platforms into Middlebury’s strategy and has interesting reasons for doing so.

My guest today is Rob Clark. Rob and his family are social media sensations known as “that tall family” and you guessed it, they are all very tall individuals. They post mostly funny takes on being tall and have amassed quite a following. As of today they have about 2.5 million followers across all their social media platforms.. 2.6 billion views. And Rob is here to share with us The incredible reach and influence that short form vertical videos can have on your school’s marketing. And I know there are a lot of schools out there like “ehhh should we get on tik tok? I don’t know.. It’s a whole other platform and we don’t want to do choreographed dances…” Well i’m here to tell you, or rather Rob is here to tell you that getting started with these short vertical videos for tik tok, instagram reels and youtube shorts is easier than you think and can grow your school’s brand faster than you think.

My guest today is Josh Cantrell. Josh is the founder of Signal Brandworks which is an agency working brands on clarifying and simplifying their messaging and marketing content and helping them craft marketing collateral that moves people to action.

In this episode we cover things like why saying “we’re the best school” is counterproductive and what to say instead. Taking vague messaging and making it clear and direct and make concrete sense to people.

We talk about how storytelling connects people emotionally to your school and helps them tune out a lot of other options.

We also talk about Chat GPT - how to use it as a tool for helping you get your message out there, and how not to use it, and whether Ben Franklin and Mary Poppins would be good babysitters.