On the latest Education Marketing Leader Podcast, I sat down with Ryan Trout, Director of Admissions at Northeastern Illinois University.

We revisited his 2020 Stamats article, “Three Ways Relationship Building Helps Admissions Teams Excel,” and discussed how those lessons look different in 2025.

Here are the key takeaways for higher ed marketers and enrollment leaders:

🔹 Admissions is more competitive than ever.

Test-optional is the norm, discount rates keep climbing, and students arrive less prepared for college-level work. Institutions that fail to adapt risk falling behind.

🔹 Human connection wins.

Virtual fairs and online-only touchpoints haven’t delivered. Preview Days and campus experiences that feel personal—meeting professors, eating in the cafeteria, real interactions—are driving yield and retention.

🔹 Brand is about feelings, not features.

At NEIU, students no longer choose the school just because it’s close or affordable. They now talk about how campus visits and staff made them feel. That shift is the result of intentional, relationship-first strategies.

🔹 AI is a double-edged sword.

Chatbots and predictive tools can help, but only when the data inputs are right and the tools are closely monitored. Costly AI recruiters are underwhelming; personalization and staff training still carry more weight.

🔹 Relationships extend beyond prospects.

Ryan shared how strengthening ties with high school counselors has fueled event attendance and trust. Monthly counselor updates through Slate are proving more effective than one-off outreach.

🔹 Lean into your strengths.

Don’t try to be the middle-of-the-pack institution. Be bold about what sets your campus apart—and back it up with student experiences that prove it.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation for practical ideas on balancing tech with human touch in enrollment: [Podcast link]

👉 Follow the Education Marketing Leader Podcast for more insights from the frontlines of higher ed marketing and admissions.

How do you create marketing that connects with students, parents, and alumni—all at the same time—without watering down your brand?

In this episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, Chris Rapozo talks with Jen Brock, VP of Marketing & Communications at Mount Holyoke College, about how to engage intergenerational audiences in higher education.

You’ll learn:

• How Gen Z, parents, and alumni respond differently to marketing messages
• Why authenticity, ROI, and legacy all matter in brand storytelling
• Strategies to keep your higher ed brand consistent across multiple channels
• Practical campaign ideas you can apply this semester to improve enrollment, engagement, and fundraising

Whether you’re building recruitment campaigns, parent communications, or alumni engagement strategies, this episode gives you tools to connect across generations.

🎧 Subscribe to the podcast for conversations with higher ed marketing leaders.

#HigherEdMarketing #EnrollmentMarketing #Podcast #GenZ #HigherEducation

This special episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast brings you inside our August Book Club meeting, where we discussed Chasing Mission Fit with the author himself, Bart Caylor.

📖 Chasing Mission Fit tackles one of higher ed’s toughest challenges: finding and connecting with the students who are the right fit for your institution. In this episode, Bart and our book club community of higher ed marketers dive into:

✨ Why avoiding generic claims matters more than ever

✨ The “short-order cook vs. chef” mindset shift in campus marketing

✨ Smarter ways to use metrics and engagement data (beyond vanity numbers)

✨ Repurposing content and leveraging AI tools to maximize reach

✨ Competing with trade schools, alternative credentials, and changing student expectations

You’ll hear insights from higher ed leaders across the country sharing what resonated most from the book—and how they’re applying these lessons at their institutions.

👀 Stick around to the end as we announce our next book club pick.

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Kristen Johnson, Founder of Wise Marketing Strategy, to talk about how colleges and universities can better use data to guide enrollment marketing.

Here are some of the key takeaways for higher ed marketers:

✅ Focus on inquiry conversion Don’t just count inquiries—track how many convert to applicants, accepts, and enrolled students. That’s where you’ll see quality and funnel movement.

✅ Build multi-channel, segmented nurture flows Pair admissions outreach with marketing support across email, text, phone, and retargeting ads. Start small with segmentation (school, program) and build toward deeper personalization.

✅ Know your audience Adult learners care most about affordability and flexibility. Make those front and center in your messaging.

✅ Diagnose weak conversions with data Break down each step of the funnel. See where inquiries are dropping off, then compare strong and weak programs to identify what’s working.

✅ Make CRMs manageable Don’t get lost in the data. Start by asking: What question would help us use budget more efficiently? Then pull only the reports that get you closer to that answer.

✅ Report smarter to leadership Keep reports concise. Highlight a couple of wins, be transparent about challenges, and share the actions being taken. Leadership hates surprises—clarity builds trust.

✅ Advertising isn’t just about clicks Go beyond cost-per-lead. Build your own CRM-based reports to track whether those leads move further down the funnel, and share that insight back with your agency.

✅ Offline data counts too Map student zip codes to billboard locations.

Place ads where your students already live and commute. Kristen also shared how she’s using AI tools like ChatGPT to visualize insights and streamline reporting—proof that even small teams can make their data work harder without big investments.

Higher ed marketing is complex, but Kristen’s advice reminded me that it always comes back to one thing:

using data to connect marketing activity directly to enrollment outcomes.

📌 Follow the Education Marketing Leader podcast for more conversations like this, and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

What does it look like when a creative director is also a former student?

Luis Landeros brings that full-circle perspective to his work at Arizona Western College, and it shows.

We talked about:

• Why stock photos kill authenticity and how real images connect better with community
• How one unplanned photo shoot turned into a national Paragon Award
• The power of being a real-world practitioner in the classroom (Luis also teaches design)
• Building creative confidence by failing fast and doing the work anyway
• How AWC’s team builds momentum by sharing feedback, wins, and work in progress

He also dropped this quote that stuck with me:

“Creativity is not taught. It’s provoked.”

Luis is the kind of creator who steps up, even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you work in higher ed marketing, especially at a small or scrappy institution, this conversation is worth your time.

▶️ Listen to the full episode.

Follow Luis on LinkedIn for more real-world design insights.

Follow and subscribe to The Education Marketing Leader for more conversations like this one.

#HigherEdMarketing #EducationMarketingLeader #NCMPR #CommunityColleges #AuthenticContent #CreativeLeadership #VisualStorytelling

🎙 New Episode: Using Stories to Market to International Students

Guest: Kris Achten, Manager of International Marketing & Recruitment at Karel de Grote University College and Founder of People Like You.

We covered a lot in this one, from environmental triggers to user-generated content to a student who went from doubting he could afford college to landing a job at TikTok.

Here are the highlights for higher ed marketers:

✅ Stop telling stories about your institution.

Start telling stories about your students. Especially international ones who are facing a major life transition.

✅ Cultural context matters.

What works in Belgium might flop in Vietnam. Tailor content by region. Avoid assumptions.

✅ Environmental triggers > platforms.

Don’t promote bachelor’s degrees on LinkedIn. Show up where your audience already is, TikTok, Instagram, school counselor offices.

✅ Make the student the hero.

Your institution is the guide. If the story can’t be told without you, you’ve done your job.

✅ Don’t forget the parents.

KDG literally sends an email: “Forward this to your parents.” That link? A custom landing page written just for them.

✅ Trust > Features.

At KDG, storytelling starts with empathy. Capture emotional arcs—fear, uncertainty, belonging—not just course features or buildings.

✅ Mining the inbox for stories.

Shared inboxes are goldmines. Uncommon questions = content opportunities. Patterns = gaps to fill.

✅ Creator Academy.

Instead of chasing Gen Z trends, Kris trained student ambassadors to become short-form content creators. Content from students about student life performs better, and builds trust.

✅ Alumni stories close the loop.

Zoom out. Don’t just tell stories about enrollment. Tell stories about life after graduation, and how your institution helped get them there.

Want to hear Paul Christian’s story from Romania to TikTok?

Or why Kris still reads every email to study@kdg.be?

It’s all in the episode.

🎧 Listen now!

Download Kris’s course on storytelling: peoplelikeyou.be

Connect with Kris: LinkedIn

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If this episode sparked ideas for your team, follow and subscribe to The Education Marketing Leader podcast for more practical conversations with higher ed marketing pros.

In this special episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, we revisit highlights from our July book club meeting with Day Kibilds and Ashley Budd, co-authors of MailedIt!.

This conversation brought together higher-ed marketers, enrollment pros, and communicators to unpack how small, intentional email campaigns can lead to big results.

Together, we explored key lessons from the book.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

✅ Why voice and tone matter more than perfect timing or design

✅ How to move from batch-and-blast to relationship-building

✅ What it looks like to build trust through repeatable email patterns

✅ When to prioritize segmentation, and when to just press send

✅ Why clarity beats cleverness (and how to write like a human)

Members shared reflections that resonated:

– Building consistency with limited resources

– The challenge of letting go of “perfect”

– Using onboarding emails to set expectations and reduce melt

– How voice, tone, and structure can build belonging, before a student even visits campus

– Why accessibility and inclusion should be part of every email strategy

Day and Ashley were generous with behind-the-scenes insights:

They shared lessons from years of testing, team collaboration, and trial-and-error—offering real-world examples from their work in higher ed and beyond.

📚 MailedIt! is a must-read for anyone who hits "send" on behalf of their institution.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 Want in on the book club? Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13140172/

Until next time ✌️

Most faculty pages are outdated directories. No story. No strategy.

But in today’s landscape, faculty visibility impacts everything, from citations and media to enrollment and funding.

In this episode, Dr. Hashim Zaman breaks down how higher-ed marketers can support faculty online without adding to their workload, or risking trust.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

• Why personal branding feels performative to most academics and how to reframe it as “visibility with purpose” rooted in research—not hype.
• The disconnect between MarCom teams and faculty. One wants content. The other wants control. Here’s how to bridge the gap.
• What makes academic content more shareable and engaging. From video abstracts to short posts, Dr. Zaman shares formats that work.
• How marketing leaders can support faculty without overwhelming them. Tools, templates, opt-ins, and mindset shifts that build long-term trust.

“Most professors want their work to be seen, they just don’t want to lose control of how it’s represented.” Dr. Hashim Zaman

🔗 Check out academic.blog to learn more

🎧 Follow Education Marketing Leader for more conversations like this.