About the Blog
As a higher education leader, part of our work is to lead change and create a culture that is open to exploring new technologies. It’s one of my favorite parts of my job, but it’s also one of the most important.
Marketing and communications teams have a myriad of perceptions around AI. Some team members use AI to do every part of their job. Others reluctantly try the tools, and some will absolutely run from it.
Our job as a leader is twofold. First, it’s important to showcase how the tools can be utilized intentionally to save time and brain power, allowing the team to focus on tasks that need a human touch. Second, we must create a culture that brings along those who are too scared to use the tools, while balancing those who want to use it for everything.
Over the past year, I’ve been spending more time with AI tools and have gotten comfortable with it. For those on the fence about how to best use AI, this post will provide a leadership structure and some ideas to get the team started.
Introducing the 6x6 Framework
In project management, regardless of industry, it is common to pilot new processes or tasks before full adoption. This allows for testing and refinement before significant resources are allocated to implementation.
Typically, this is done with several ideas at one time over the course of six weeks. This is where the 6x6 framework comes from. It’s testing six ideas over six weeks. Testing several ideas at once allows for a rapid, low-risk innovation sprint, helping prevent implementation fatigue. Then, the top ideas are expanded into full implementation.
The 6x6 approach has roots in agile methodology and design sprint thinking, which emphasize experimentation and learning cycles. You can read more about these concepts in Harvard Business Review’s Run More Experiments.
In essence, the 6x6 Framework is a structured way to test small ideas fast – without betting the farm.
Using the 6x6 Framework with AI
This Framework works incredibly well for teams looking at how to incorporate AI into their workflow. It gives space to try new pilot projects without a significant time investment. It also showcases the value of the tools for those who are hesitant to explore, and it models strategic use for those who tend to use AI for everything. For marketing and communication teams, the 6x6 Framework provides a balanced approach to AI adoption – encouraging experimentation, measurement, and reflection while aligning with institution goals.
For a deep discussion on responsible AI experimentation in higher ed marketing, check out The Enrollify Podcast: AI in Enrollment Marketing - What’s Working Now.
Getting Started
Getting started is always the hardest part. For each idea below, assign a team member to serve as the lead and assign each lead a specific week to work on their project. Since each project should take about 30 minutes from the team, it may be possible to do the work in a staff meeting or at a standing time.
Before the work begins, create a tracker spreadsheet that can show key KPIs and lessons learned. This will be helpful in the reflection process – and serve as valuable documentation when sharing results with leadership.
Pro tip: Capture qualitative feedback too – noting how the team’s comfort level with AI changes across the six weeks.
Possible Ideas for Your 6x6 AI Pilot
Here are a few possible ideas for AI use that would work well in a 6x6 Framework.
- Advertising copy generation – Test AI’s ability to generate ad variations faster than the team alone.
Tool: ChatGPT
Task: Generate three versions of ad copy for an upcoming advertisement. Then polish for brand and tone.
KPI: Compare time to final copy when writing without AI.
Bonus: Run a side-by-side A/B test in paid social to explore measurable value.
Why it works: This pilot demonstrates how AI can accelerate creative production while maintaining voice consistency. See Talking Tactics: Piloting AI in Your Marketing Stack for tactical applications like this.
- SEO refresh – Test AI’s ability to improve web performance across a low performing website.
Tool: ChatGPT + Google Search Console
Task: Identify one underperforming landing page on your website. Ask AI to rewrite metadata and improve keyword density.
KPI: Improve click-through rate (CTR) or keyword ranking within 4 weeks.
Why it works: AI can help identify low-hanging fruit in organic search performance and make targeted optimization quickly.
- Email Subject Line Support – Test AI’s ability to improve open rates for marketing emails.
Tool: ChatGPT, Copy.ai, or HubSpot AI.
Task: Use AI to generate a subject line option for one email campaign and A/B test it to the one written by the marketing team.
KPI: Match or exceed team-written open rates while saving time.
Why it works: This pilot highlights AI’s ability to support micro-optimizations – improving results without replacing creative strategy.
- Persona builder from CRM data – Build personas that can be used to determine target audience using existing CRM data.
Tool: ChatGPT (with anonymized input from CRM)
Task: Upload CRM data (that has no personally identifiable information) to generate three audience personas based on the data. Then, share these personas with the team to help make more informed marketing decisions.
KPI: Reduce research time by 50%.
Bonus: Turn the personas into a custom GPT that can evaluate other marketing copy, ads, etc.
Why this works: Using existing CRM data with AI reduces manual segmentation time and strengthens message targeting.
- Content summarization for marketing reports – Use AI to reduce time to reduce reporting time for campaign performance.
Tool: ChatGPT or Claude.
Task: Input analytics data and have AI create an executive-friendly 150-word summary and provide recommendations for upcoming adjustments.
KPI: Save 1 hour of staff time per report.
Bonus: Have AI create dashboards that can make this visually friendly for leadership.
Why it works: This pilot showcases how AI can support analytical storytelling – helping leaders make faster, data-informed decisions.
- AI intent audit – Use AI to identify what prospective grad students are asking about your programs and fill content gaps on landing pages.
Tool: ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s “People Also Ask.”
Task: Ask AI what students typically want to know about your specific graduate program (e.g., “Is an MBA worth it?”). Identify top recurring questions and compare them to your current landing page content.
KPI: Uncover at least five new student-driven content opportunities to address on the page.
Bonus: Have AI draft short FAQ or paragraph responses for each gap.
Why it works: This helps your team understand audience intent and ensures web content reflects what prospective students truly want to know.
Closing the Pilot
Once each team lead has completed the pilot projects, meet as a team to decide what projects to scale, tweak or sunset. The goal is to end with two or three projects that can be implemented broadly into the team’s workflow.
If several of the projects show strong possibility, this could become an ongoing road map of development for the MarComm team over the next year.
Over time, the 6X6 Framework itself becomes part of the team’s cadence to test ideas, assess outcomes, and refine how AI supports MarComm goals. In doing so, the process moves beyond a one-time pilot and evolves into a sustainable system that fuels innovation, strengthens collaboration, and builds confidence in using AI effectively.
Learn More:
- Explore EDUCAUSE Review: Piloting AI Tools Responsibly in Higher Ed
- Listen to Starter Stories: Innovation Frameworks in Higher Ed
- Read more about Agile Testing Frameworks and 6x6 Innovation Models
Want to keep testing new ideas responsibly? Explore Enrollify’s AI Resource Hub for Higher Ed Marketers.
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