Higher Ed Storytelling University

#109 - "May 1st Is Halftime, Not the Finish Line": A Yield and Melt Survival Guide w/ Rita Winthrop

If your school just came off a yield season that didn't go the way you hoped — or if you're staring down summer melt and wondering what to actually do about it — this episode is for you. Rita Winthrop is a marketing consultant with 15 years in higher ed and edtech who helps institutions and brands build content that actually moves people. She runs Rita Winthrop Consulting out of Newport, Rhode Island, specializing in enrollment email campaigns, LinkedIn ghostwriting for higher ed executives, and content strategy that doesn't just fill a calendar. She also has a lot of feelings about yield season — which is exactly why I wanted to get her on the show. Rita has a rare background: she was both an admissions counselor and the person writing the MarCom for her team at the same time. That dual perspective shapes everything she talks about in this episode — why the disconnect between admissions and MarCom is so damaging, what actually moves students from accepted to enrolled, and why May 1st is halftime, not the finish line. In this episode: * Why the personalized experience students get with their admissions counselor so often evaporates the moment they deposit — and what a good handoff actually looks like * What bad yield communication strategy looks like in practice: too much volume, too many CTAs, and content that forgets it's talking to a 17-year-old making the biggest financial decision of their life * Why parent communications deserve their own dedicated strategy with its own tone, cadence, and content — and why most schools treat parents as an afterthought * What you can still do right now if you didn't make your class — including how to re-engage fence sitters without looking desperate * Why silence is the biggest driver of summer melt, and what a smart anti-melt campaign looks like from May through August * Transfer students as an underutilized population — why they should be a year-round conversation, not a backup plan * What EdTech vendors consistently get wrong about the people they're selling to (and why cold emailing admissions counselors in April will get you yelled at) Resources mentioned: * Mailed It! by Day Kibilds and Ashley Budd:https://emailbook.co/ [https://emailbook.co/]  Connect with Rita: * LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-winthrop/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-winthrop/] * Website: https://ritawinthrop.com [https://ritawinthrop.com/] Connect with John: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni] * Website: https://unveild.tv [https://unveild.tv/] * Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter [https://unveild.tv/newsletter]

#108 - AI Findability: How to Structure Your College’s Website to Answer Questions (Without The FAQ Dump Page)

If you've been feeling the pressure to overhaul your entire web presence for AI search, this episode is your permission slip to take a breath. Georgy Cohen is a content strategist who has spent her career in and around higher ed — in-house at universities, at agencies, and as an independent consultant. She joined the show to talk about one of the most practical and overlooked problems in higher ed marketing: how to actually structure your website so it answers the questions prospective students are asking — without relying on the sprawling, ungovernable FAQ page that becomes a dumping ground the moment you create it. Georgy brings a content strategy and information architecture lens to a conversation that usually stays at the surface level of SEO and branding. The result is a genuinely useful framework for thinking about your web content on two levels at once — what the human sees and what the bots are crawling — and why attending to both doesn't have to mean starting from scratch. In this episode: * Why FAQ pages are well-intentioned but create more problems than they solve — and what to do instead * The difference between the "viewable web" and the "semantic web," and why higher ed is mostly only thinking about one of them * Why clear communication fundamentals will get you most of the way to AI findability — and why panicking won't * How to bridge the gap between subject matter experts (faculty, financial aid staff) and the content strategists who know how to structure information * Why higher ed's reluctance to have a point of view is hurting both their brand and their findability * The role user research should be playing — and why it's underused * Two short books Georgy recommends for anyone who wants to build a foundational understanding of content strategy and information architecture Resources mentioned: * Everyday Information Architecture [https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Information-Architecture-Maria-Marquis/dp/B0DP5JDBPN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GTG866P7KPRS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.37rr5Bry0oT7htgbalrpYSYxFFtWvirntV37qSPfKXlCPCuz77IX_lMj4rLkoZSTFlAtMtJmPfU6IUFxxjUCTBmBhXForx5UNSjikIwGqhlrSOcT04sS3UUtbwng_TaQ0Fo4sRCxv-wyuxZIYPK8-Yz0BVwHREzitCnGaSLd7BtGKWV94PDRre1B8fAKOtL8UTrAQFnsFAto3fT_ygVNUg_Wfw0gkwhhh_ZKIxZKtJg.oOflBZh5Uazi-zDXPYGsqJg7AMBR1RYjRHPaT6KjcgY&dib_tag=se&keywords=everyday+information+architecture&qid=1777546843&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=everyday+information+%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1] by Lisa Maria Marquis:  * The Elements of Content Strategy [https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Content-Strategy-People-Websites/dp/B004ZRFJ4G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=48Y8IBVE35PS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vuDQraxv35VFMxAvEQn5QhnQOTUKQvt0bvs71DeFlPoIRCEQlxb9n--cExyFrpxzL-8oi0zJcUxuJhL7-vSGe4Eda_wo4OYx47ImDP43g4w2EorDk7Retr-nMWof3YMrw15uXKh_KL3S2Er2oz2ko4nESORf_HS9hGwbAv0YoKeYodB3v03WjUReOIBIQlDlGNqn5LoQQWf9AZI4XpQkjTFYQGC2MiVOeSLNlTG4rMU.IacMlRejRKSGN5vu6PinXKp-wvgmm56jtFnwqbGdZPU&dib_tag=se&keywords=elements+of+content+strategy&qid=1777546888&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=elements+of+content+strategy%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1] by Erin Kissane * About Schema Markup:  * https://schema.org/docs/schemas.html [https://schema.org/docs/schemas.html] * https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/ [https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/] * https://search.google.com/test/rich-results [https://search.google.com/test/rich-results] * https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/higher-education-schema-how-your-school-can-win-google [https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/higher-education-schema-how-your-school-can-win-google] Connect with Georgy: * LinkedIn: Georgy Cohen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgy/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgy/] * georgycohen.com [http://georgycohen.com]

#107 - Higher Ed Videography 101 for In-House Teams: A Crash Course in Elevating Your Videos

In this solo episode, John breaks down the fundamental camera settings and workflow decisions that can immediately elevate your video quality—whether you're brand new to video or looking to refine your technical foundation as an in-house higher ed videographer. Key takeaways: * The four critical camera settings: frame rate (shoot 24fps for cinematic look), aperture (lowest f-stop for background blur), shutter speed (set to 2x your frame rate), and ISO (keep as low as possible to avoid grain) * Why shooting in 4K but editing in 1080p gives you flexibility without unnecessary file sizes * The case for auto white balance in run-and-gun scenarios to avoid color correction nightmares * Why shooting in LOG color profiles often creates more problems than it solves for in-house teams * How to avoid the two biggest stabilization mistakes: micro-jitter from handheld shooting and overusing gimbal shots * Audio quality matters more than video quality—record directly into your camera and hide those lav mics * Think about workflow and asset management, not just the single video you're making right now Connect with John: * Email: john@unveild.tv * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni] * Website: https://unveild.tv [https://unveild.tv] * Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter [https://unveild.tv/newsletter]

#106 - CRUSH Yield Season With a Simple Google Doc w/ John Azoni

In this solo episode, John addresses a critical gap in how colleges use video content during yield season. Most institutions have great video content scattered across platforms, but admissions counselors often don't have easy access to share it in one-on-one conversations with prospective students—exactly when it could make the biggest impact. Key takeaways: * Video shouldn't just be a broadcast tool measured by views—it's a powerful one-to-one communication asset * Five strategic views from an admissions counselor to fence-sitting students may be more valuable than 5,000 algorithm-driven views * Marketing, social media, and admissions teams often operate in silos, missing opportunities to leverage existing content * A simple Google Doc library organized by student questions can bridge this gap in an afternoon * Don't just rely on the algorithm to deliver your content—be the algorithm by hand-delivering the right video at the right moment * Measure success not just through broadcast metrics, but through counselor feedback on whether videos helped close enrollment gaps Resources mentioned: * Free Google Doc template: https://unveild.tv/strategytoolbox [https://unveild.tv/strategytoolbox] Connect with John: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni] * Email: john@unveild.tv * Website: https://unveild.tv [https://unveild.tv] * Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter [https://unveild.tv/newsletter]

#105 - How Pratt Institute is Helping Change the Narrative on Creative Education w/ Jolene Travis

My guest today is Jolene Travis, Assistant Vice President for Communications and Marketing at Pratt Institute. In this episode, Jolene shares how Pratt built a comprehensive campaign to combat negative headlines about creative arts education and shift public perception. Jolene discusses the "Power of a Creative Education" framework that emerged from a single question from her president: "What are we going to do about these headlines?" She walks through the internal process of building messaging that all stakeholders could see themselves in, the importance of listening to faculty pushback, and how strategic media relations generated nine top-tier placements including The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, and WNYC—all amplifying a counter-narrative that painting and drawing programs have waiting lists while critics claim art school is dead. Key Takeaways: * GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is critical for higher ed—95% of AI citations come from earned media, not your website. * A creative education teaches critical questioning and problem-solving, not just technical skills—it prepares graduates to pivot across industries. * Internal alignment on messaging is non-negotiable—if faculty and staff don't see themselves in your framework, it won't work externally. * Success in creative fields isn't always a Google salary—art residencies, grants, and having a "bar gig that supports your creative work" are valid markers of success. * The most compelling messages often come from proximity to leadership—Jolene captured "there's a waiting list for painting and drawing" from staffing her president at an event. * A single data point (applications up in fine arts) became the foundation for 9 major media placements when paired with proper media prep and relationship building. * Partner with peer institutions rather than compete—a chorus is stronger than a single voice when shifting narratives. * NBC produced a full campus segment without ever visiting campus because Pratt had organized B-roll in their digital asset management system. * Zoom waiting room videos are an overlooked touchpoint—Pratt's 30-second video plays in 60,000 meetings annually, creating brand impressions before conversations even start. * Start your campaign by listening, not by pushing out your message—understand what the other side is saying first. * Holiday breaks are ideal times to think through big strategic challenges. Connect With Jolene: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolene-travis/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenetravis/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenetravis/] Resources Mentioned: * Pratt Institute website * Bynder (Digital Asset Management system) * Muck Rack GEO report * The New York Times: "Pratt School of Art applications up" coverage * WNYC/Gothamist: Trend piece on NYC art school applications * NBC Nightly News segment on AI and creativity * Blog post on Zoom waiting room videos: https://unveild.tv/blog [https://unveild.tv/blog] Connect With John: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni] * Website: https://unveild.tv [https://unveild.tv] * Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter [https://unveild.tv/newsletter]