About the Episode
About The Episode: What if your institution had a program that helped faculty promote themselves? What would that possibly mean for your employer brand? Maya Demishkevich has been working on such a program to boost both the value of faculty and the value of the institution.
On this episode of “I Wanna Work There!” Maya will share three things:
- A description of academic branding
- How to determine the best channels to communicate faculty members’ brands
- How HR teams and/or marketing and communications teams can measure the success of these efforts
Key Takeaways:
- The Power of Academic Branding: Encouraging faculty to build their personal brands enhances the university’s visibility and helps attract partnerships and talent.
- LinkedIn as a Starting Point: LinkedIn is a key platform for faculty to engage professionally, share research, and build their academic presence.
- Institutional Benefits: Faculty branding improves employer branding, boosts media visibility, and helps cultivate partnerships.
Episode Summary
What is academic branding, and why should universities care?
Maya defines academic branding as a variation of personal branding tailored for the academic world. Faculty members, already prolific in publishing and research, can leverage their expertise to enhance their own visibility while amplifying their institution’s reach. This helps establish faculty as thought leaders in their field, which in turn reflects positively on the university. Maya first became interested in this while pursuing her doctoral studies, where she realized the potential of building a personal brand to open up opportunities in academia.
How can institutions encourage faculty to engage in academic branding?
Maya shares that many faculty members feel hesitant to promote themselves, often questioning their value or assuming their work isn’t "interesting enough." However, by shifting the focus from self-promotion to simply sharing their expertise and experiences, faculty members can become more comfortable engaging on platforms like LinkedIn. Maya’s program at Carroll Community College focuses on helping faculty identify their core content pillars—topics they are passionate about—before training them on how to create content and engage consistently.
What are the benefits of faculty branding for institutions?
Academic branding benefits both the faculty and the institution. For institutions, it amplifies visibility by tapping into the personal networks of their employees, increasing trust and media presence. Faculty members can also build professional networks, collaborate on research, and attract funding opportunities. When done right, academic branding creates a win-win scenario where both the institution’s reputation and the faculty’s career opportunities grow in tandem.
How can institutions get started with academic branding programs?
At Carroll Community College, Maya launched an employee advocacy program that trained 20 faculty and staff on LinkedIn. The program helped participants align their personal values with those of the institution and identify their content pillars. Faculty were encouraged to post once a week and engage with other content regularly, with additional coaching provided to keep up momentum. The key, Maya says, is to take a gradual approach, allowing participants to build their presence without feeling overwhelmed.
How can institutions measure the success of an academic branding program?
Maya explains that while not all aspects of academic branding are easily measurable, institutions can track metrics such as LinkedIn impressions, follower growth, website traffic from social media, and anecdotal feedback about new partnerships or opportunities. By setting clear goals from the outset, institutions can develop specific metrics to track the impact of academic branding efforts.
About the Show: I Wanna Work There! takes a look at how colleges and universities can develop competitive, compelling employer brands. Join us for an honest and solutions-based look at the issues that surround institutions positioning themselves as employers of choice.
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: I Wanna Work There is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager and Talking Tactics.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.
Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.
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