Why Content Marketing is Essential for Higher Education Marketing

In this episode, we dive into the world of content marketing for higher education marketing  teams. Content marketing expert and writer Melissa Fiorenza shares valuable tips for avoiding common mistakes and developing a successful strategy that engages audiences and generates leads. Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve your current approach, you won't want to miss this advice-packed episode.

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Key Takeaways

• Content Marketing is a Long-Term Strategy: Unlike other forms of marketing, content marketing is always “on.” Evergreen content, like blogs and guides, remains relevant and continues to drive traffic and engagement over time.
• Start Small and Simple: You don’t need an elaborate strategy to get started. Focus on one audience, develop content that speaks directly to their needs, and expand as you gain traction.
• Define Content Buckets: Identify 5–7 core content categories based on your audience’s needs (e.g., admissions advice, campus life, career outcomes). These buckets will guide your editorial planning.
• Don’t Forget Promotion: A common mistake in content marketing is creating great content but failing to promote it. Use social media, email campaigns, paid media, and other channels to get eyes on your work.
• Leverage Tools Like ChatGPT: AI tools can help lean teams brainstorm, summarize, and proof content more efficiently. However, human oversight is essential to maintain originality and tone.
• Audit and Optimize Existing Content: If you already have a content strategy, conduct an audit to ensure your content includes internal links, strong CTAs, updated data, and proper SEO practices.

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What is Content Marketing?

Melissa defines content marketing as creating, publishing, and distributing content that is interesting, helpful, or entertaining to your audience. Unlike traditional advertising, content marketing is less sales-driven and more about building long-term relationships by providing value. Examples include blogs, videos, podcasts, white papers, and more.

Melissa highlights how content marketing allows institutions to:

• Build brand awareness and thought leadership.
• Generate right-fit leads.
• Foster engagement by providing answers to the questions prospective students and families are actively searching for.

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Why Content Marketing is Essential for Higher Ed

Higher ed marketers are tasked with reaching a diverse set of audiences, from prospective students and their families to alumni, school counselors, and industry partners. Content marketing allows you to tailor your approach to each audience. By answering their unique questions and addressing their specific concerns, you can build trust and demonstrate your institution’s value without resorting to a hard sell.

For example, content marketing can help address common parent concerns about campus safety, or engage prospective students with tips for navigating the college search process. This approach not only builds trust but also positions your institution as a resource and thought leader.

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Real-World Examples of Content Marketing in Higher Ed

Melissa shares several examples of successful content marketing strategies:

1. Microsites for Niche Audiences: A College of Education developed a microsite dedicated to content for teachers, offering resources on classroom management and combating burnout. The site not only provided value to educators but also highlighted the institution’s graduate programs, leading to increased interest and applications.
2. Siena College’s Blog: Siena’s blog addresses a mix of topics, from admissions advice to college life tips. Posts include strong calls-to-action (CTAs), internal and external links, and SEO optimization, making it a powerful lead generation tool.
3. Sponsored Content: The New York School of Interior Design partners with media outlets like Apartment Therapy to create articles such as “How to Turn Your Side Interest into a Career.” These pieces are promoted on publisher sites and link back to the school’s website, driving traffic and generating conversions.
4. Creative Video Content: Tufts University’s “Ever Wonder” video series features faculty answering quirky questions like “Why is the sky blue?” The series showcases the university’s personality while educating and entertaining viewers.

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Steps to Create a Content Marketing Plan

Melissa emphasizes the importance of starting simple and building from there:

1. Define Your Audience: Choose one target audience to focus on first, such as graduate students, parents, or industry partners.
2. Set Realistic Goals: Decide how often you can realistically produce high-quality content (e.g., one blog post per month).
3. Choose a Medium: Start with a blog, microsite, or video series—whichever aligns best with your resources and audience preferences.
4. Develop Content Buckets: Identify key categories or topics that resonate with your audience, such as career outcomes, admissions tips, or student life.
5. Create a Distribution Plan: Promote your content via social media, email campaigns, paid ads, and other channels to ensure it reaches your audience.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failing to Promote Content: Creating great content isn’t enough—you need a solid distribution plan to get it in front of your audience.
• Overcomplicating the Process: Start small and focus on quality over quantity. A well-written blog post or thoughtfully produced video is more effective than a flood of rushed, low-quality content.
• Ignoring SEO and CTAs: Ensure your content includes relevant keywords, strong calls-to-action, and proper internal linking to maximize engagement and conversions.

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Can AI Tools Like ChatGPT Help?

Melissa highlights how AI tools like ChatGPT can support lean teams by generating ideas, summarizing reports, and proofreading content. However, she cautions against relying on AI for final copy, as it lacks creativity, ethics, and the ability to capture institutional tone. Use AI as a starting point, but always add a human touch to ensure originality and authenticity.

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This Episode is Sponsored by our friends at Element451: 

Element451 is an advanced student engagement CRM, providing higher ed institutions with a competitive admissions advantage from recruitment to enrollment through the use of AI, student behavior data, and modern marketing automation.

About the Enrollify Podcast Network: 

The Application is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network.  If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Our podcast network is growing by the month and we’ve got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional. Our shows feature a selection of the industry’s best as your hosts. Learn from Jeremy Tiers, Zach Busekrus, Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Jamie Gleason and many more. 

Learn more about The Enrollify Podcast Network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours!