Higher Ed Marketing Lab

Alex Grodnik joins the pod to discuss storytelling, podcasting, and how universities can create one-of-a-kind content that captivates audiences.

Host Jarrett Smith dives into the pervasive issue of 'blah blah content' on college and university websites. He identifies two main types of ineffective content: generic content that lacks creative punch and institutionally centric content that fails to meet user needs. He offers practical solutions for identifying and eliminating blah blah content, emphasizing the importance of a student-centric approach, usability, and making institutional claims real for students.

Ryan Brown, EVP and Co-Head of 160over90, joins the show to talk about fostering more effective relationships between institutions and the agency partners they hire.  Ryan and Jarrett discuss: * How an institution’s culture can help or hinder agency partnerships * Tips for finding great partners through RFPs * What it takes to bring breakthrough creative work to life, and  * How to foster a strong, collaborative partnership with the agencies you work with.

W. Kent Barnds and Jeff Kallay join the show to discuss important behavioral shifts in how prospective students approach college visits and implications for the year ahead. Along the way they explore why it’s time to treat campus visits as yield events, ways to integrate digital and physical experiences, and the importance of providing more value than students can find on social media.

Enrollment management veteran, Laurie Koehler, joins Jarrett to talk about the challenges facing enrollment management and key ways the practice needs to evolve.   They discuss: -How the practice of enrollment management has evolved over the last two decades -Why enrollment strategy can’t be separated from institutional strategy -Five ways we need to improve how we attract, retain, and develop the next generation of enrollment leaders -And why it’s time for everyone to stop talking about discount rate.  Learn more about Laurie: koehlerconsulting.net/ [https://www.koehlerconsulting.net/]