Advertise on podcast: Higher Ed Marketing Lab

Just back from this year's Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association (CIVSA) conference, Jeff Kallay joins the show to share what he heard and what campus visit professionals across the country are really struggling with right now. We talk about everything from declining visit volume and rising no-show rates to the challenge of rebuilding student ambassador programs and why some virtual tours just aren't cutting it.

HEML host Jarrett Smith explores the essential elements of strategy. Learn how strategy differs from activities like planning and big-picture thinking, why strategy doesn't begin with goals, the importance of selective over-performance, and how to recognize a true strategy over something that merely sounds strategic.

Jaime Hunt, a veteran higher ed marketing leader, consultant, speaker, and author, joins the show to talk about the principles of empathy-driven leadership she outlines in her new book, Heart Over Hype.  Jaime and Jarrett discuss: Common misconceptions about empathy and why it's not about simply being nice How psychological safety directly impacts a team's ability to generate innovative ideas What it does and doesn't mean to bring "your whole self" to work Tips for understanding your own leadership style And an exercise you can use to begin applying empathy-driven principles in your own work.  This was a fun and thought-provoking talk that's relevant to anyone in a position of leadership who wants to unlock their team's full potential.   

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/

The challenges facing small private colleges are very real—but they're not the whole story. In this episode, we talk to Scott Novak, former CEO of Underscore and Chief Development Officer at Carnegie, about how small colleges across the nation are adapting to enrollment trends and industry changes. Explore Scott's latest project: The Small College Movement

We recently conducted a nationwide survey to understand how college-bound students factor politics into their decision. We packaged it all up into a report, Politics and College Choice: How Students' Political Views Influence Where They Enroll—and our results were informative and surprising. Today, Jarrett sits down with our research partner, Grant De Roo, to share three insights from the research they found most interesting.   Download the full report: https://echodelta.co/politics/  

Jarrett sits down with author Ben Guttmann to discuss practical ways to simplify your marketing communication strategies. An expert on simplicity, Guttmann explains why simplicity is essential if you want to reach and move audiences—and shares plenty of tips and tactics you can use immediately to craft simpler, more effective communications.  Read Ben Guttmann's book, Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win―and How to Design Them  

Student recruitment can only happen if you sell your institution well. But because higher ed typically avoids the word "sales" like the plague, admissions counselors miss out on key skills they need to succeed. In this episode, Jarrett sits down with higher ed consultant Chris Lewis to discuss how your admissions team can embrace sales during student recruitment—and steps you can take to do so.

Explore the "Performance Marketing Trap" with Jarrett as he discusses the pitfalls colleges experience when they over-rely on so-called performance marketing channels to advertise. Learn why brand marketing is crucial for long-term success and get actionable steps you can take to create a more balanced strategy. 

TikTok is the platform of choice for many of today's prospective students, but consistently executing relevant and engaging content is a challenge many colleges and universities are still trying to overcome.  In this episode, you'll hear from Morgan Goodwill, social media manager and producer at Flagler College, and someone who has seemingly cracked the code on TikTok content.  We discuss: Details on how Flagler College's marketing team works with student creators to generate 80% of their TikTok content Why quality over quantity and audience over platform is a critical social media success Morgan's favorite tactic for increasing the reach of important but less engaging institutional content, and   Some of Flagler's TikTok home runs, surprising flops, and the lessons she learned from them.  

Geoff Baird, CEO of EnrollML, shares pragmatic insights on how to evolve enrollment management. Discover how understanding market share, addressing foundational weaknesses, and leveraging data and technology can transform student recruitment higher education.