About the Episode
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About the Episode:
In Episode #50 of Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager, host Jenny Li Fowler sits down with Eve Gaciarz, Assistant Director of Communications at the Yale MacMillan Center, to discuss the transition from a social media-specific role to a broader communications position within the same institution. As a former Associate Director of Social Media at Yale School of Management, Eve shares how she’s leveraging her social media expertise in a new environment and rethinking communications strategy in a more global, academic context. This conversation is a must-listen for professionals considering a pivot or expansion in their higher ed marketing career.
Key Takeaways
- Transferrable Skills Matter: Social media management builds foundational skills—like storytelling, analytics, and audience engagement—that are highly applicable in broader communications roles.
- Audience Discovery Is Essential: Eve's transition required deep listening, stakeholder interviews, and competitor benchmarking to truly understand a new, interdisciplinary and international audience.
- Benchmarking Done Right: Don’t compare niche department accounts to flagship channels—effective benchmarking starts with internal context and aligns with your specific goals and scale.
- Innovation Requires Confidence: Eve emphasizes that fresh eyes and bold ideas can lead to necessary shifts in strategy, even if it means discontinuing outdated practices.
- Internal Buy-In Starts with Education: A big part of Eve’s success has been helping colleagues understand the depth and value of social media strategy—not just the final posts.
- Aligning with the Flagship: Maintaining a cohesive tone, brand, and aesthetic with central university communications can amplify departmental efforts rather than compete with them.
Episode Summary: FAQs from the Conversation
How do you shift your marketing strategy when moving from a business school to a research center?
Eve emphasized the importance of reorienting her mindset and communication style. While her prior role at Yale School of Management focused on a relatively defined audience—business students and professionals—the MacMillan Center serves a diverse, global population. That meant reassessing everything from tone to content pillars to channel strategy. She conducted listening tours, attended campus tabling events, and analyzed how faculty and staff described the center’s brand in real-life conversations. This holistic approach helped her begin to tailor a more inclusive, interdisciplinary communications strategy.
What does effective benchmarking look like in higher education communications?
Instead of comparing metrics against Yale’s flagship accounts—which serve a completely different audience and purpose—Eve focused on benchmarking past performance within her department. She reviewed analytics, historical content trends, and gathered qualitative feedback from internal stakeholders. Eve also explored peer institutions’ content to find best practices from similar academic centers. Her key takeaway? Context is everything. Comparing niche accounts to university-wide platforms is not just unfair—it’s ineffective.
How can you identify what to stop doing in a new communications role?
Eve shared that taking a critical look at what isn’t working is just as important as building something new. In her new position, she asked program leaders and council chairs direct questions about what had and hadn’t worked in the past. That gave her permission to sunset low-impact tactics and invest in more strategic initiatives. She also made sure this openness to innovation was aligned with her supervisor’s expectations before accepting the role—highlighting the importance of clarity in job transitions.
How do you overcome imposter syndrome in higher ed marketing roles?
Both Eve and Jenny shared candid stories about imposter syndrome, especially when stepping into high-profile institutions like Yale or MIT. For Eve, a mentor reminded her that she is the expert in her field—even in rooms filled with academics. That shift in perspective allowed her to embrace her value and speak confidently in her role. Jenny added that sometimes "faking it until you believe it" is part of the process, especially when others already see you as the expert.
Why is alignment with flagship university channels important?
Even in a niche department, Eve stressed the importance of aligning with central Yale branding and tone. Doing so builds institutional trust and recognition, especially when tapping into cross-departmental or global audiences. Consistency in brand aesthetics and messaging helps your audience connect the dots—and reinforces the prestige that comes with the broader university name. As Jenny put it, sometimes “the MIT” or “the Yale” is the selling point.
Why should every center or department have a dedicated social media manager—or at least dedicated time?
Eve and Jenny both pushed back against the idea that social media is something you can “just throw up.” Eve gave insight into her highly detailed content calendars, strategy documents, and ideation boards—revealing just how much behind-the-scenes planning goes into one post. For departments that can’t afford a full-time social media hire, Eve suggests allocating at least a few dedicated hours per week to focus intentionally on content development. Strategy matters more than volume.
About the Show: Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager covers the do's, don'ts, and dynamics of the complex and challenging social media ecosystem. We analyze the successes and failures of those in the higher education social space — what went right, what went wrong, and what are the lessons learned. We’ll share actionable steps so you can push past the pitfalls others have faced. No matter if you're on a team of 20 or a team of one, we've got you covered. Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is hosted by Jenny Li Fowler and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.
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About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager 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 Higher Ed Pulse and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.
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