About the Episode
About the Episode:
In this episode, Mallory sits down with Kittie Payne, the Director of Graduate Admissions at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, live from the eduWeb Summit. They discuss Kittie's important summer project — rewriting her entire prospect campaign to be more engaging and effective. Kitty shares insights on adapting to audience needs, the importance of visual-first comms, and the role of listening in higher education marketing.
Key Takeaways
- Short and Visual Wins the Day: Today’s audiences prefer short, visually engaging content over lengthy, text-heavy communications.
- Listen to Your Audience: Adapting to audience behavior—such as skimming emails—can shape more effective campaigns and improve engagement.
- Do More With Less: Even with limited resources, integrating creative collaboration with MarCom and IT teams can help streamline large-scale projects.
- Experiment With Personalization: Incorporating tools like AI for personalization and campaign development can save time and enhance message relevance.
Why Rewriting a Prospect Campaign Matters
Kitty Payne’s decision to completely rewrite Kutztown University’s graduate prospect campaign wasn’t just about staying fresh—it was a response to changing audience behavior. After observing that her previous campaign, filled with detailed copy and hyperlinks, wasn’t engaging prospective students, Kitty knew it was time for a change.
Her new approach focuses on shorter, more digestible content paired with compelling visuals. By creating a campaign that delivers relevant information in a scannable format, Kitty aims to meet prospective students where they are: skimming, not reading. She also emphasizes timing, strategically scheduling messages to preemptively answer common questions and provide value at just the right moments.
Balancing Limited Resources
As a one-person communications team for graduate admissions, Kitty manages 40 programs, a wide range of student demographics, and the entire admissions funnel. With limited bandwidth, collaboration is key. She works closely with her campus’s MarCom team to source images and graphics and relies on IT for coding email templates and ensuring her CRM operates smoothly.
Despite these challenges, Kitty leverages her deep understanding of her audience to craft messaging that resonates. By staying attuned to prospective students’ needs, she ensures that even small adjustments—like using emojis in subject lines—can make a big difference.
Generational Diversity in Graduate Admissions
One of the unique challenges of graduate admissions is addressing a highly diverse audience that includes recent college graduates, working professionals, and retirees. Kitty notes that while these groups have different needs, her data shows they share one behavior in common: the preference for skimmable, visual content.
By focusing on what all her audiences have in common, Kitty is able to create campaigns that speak to everyone while minimizing complexity. She also incorporates tools like print mail to cut through digital noise and reach audiences in a tangible, memorable way.
AI: An Untapped Opportunity
While Kitty hasn’t yet experimented with AI for campaign creation, she acknowledges its potential for streamlining communications. For now, her focus is on getting the tone and content just right, but she’s intrigued by how AI could help personalize messaging and increase efficiency in future iterations.
Mallory highlights how tools like custom GPTs could be a game-changer for time-strapped professionals like Kitty, offering ways to maintain consistency while automating repetitive tasks.
Lessons for Higher Ed Professionals
Kitty Payne’s approach to refreshing her prospect campaign offers valuable lessons for higher ed marketers and admissions teams:
- Adapt to Audience Behavior: Pay close attention to how your audience engages (or doesn’t engage) with your content, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Collaborate for Success: Small teams can accomplish big projects by partnering with internal stakeholders like MarCom and IT.
- Leverage Simplicity: Don’t overcomplicate your communications—focus on clear, scannable content that delivers value quickly.
- Explore New Tools: Experimenting with technologies like AI can open up new possibilities for personalization and efficiency.
Connect With Kittie on LinkedIn
Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse 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 Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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