From Distracted To Engaged: Jon-Stephen Stansel’s Career-Making Tactic

In 2008, Jon-Stephen Stansel was teaching English and noticed his students would pay more attention to their phones than the lecture. He wanted to reach them where they were, so he started trying to find ways to make their phones and social media a productive part of their classes. The rest is history. Today we know Jon-Stephen as THE social media authority in higher education, and it all started with a simple tactic. Listen to this conversation to see how his ingenious idea 15 years ago led him to where he is today.

Key Takeaways

• Meet Students Where They Are: Recognize where your audience spends time and use that platform creatively, as JS did by leveraging Facebook to engage students more effectively.
• Embrace Consistency in Personal Branding: Develop your professional identity by sharing insights regularly. This consistency builds recognition and can lead to unexpected career opportunities.
• Pursue Professional Development Proactively: Attend conferences, engage in professional communities, and share your tactics; these actions amplify your skills and expand your network.

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Episode Summary

Embracing Social Media as a Classroom Tool

JS’s journey began in 2008 when, as an English instructor, he noticed that his students were more engaged with their phones than classroom content. Rather than resist, he embraced this shift, integrating social media tools to improve class engagement. JS set up Facebook groups for class discussions and encouraged students to use their phones as tools rather than distractions. The move marked a new approach to teaching, and as he expanded these tactics across other areas, he grew into a dedicated social media role at his university.

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The Big Idea: Using Facebook to Boost Student Engagement and Retention

In his first social media management role, JS led a game-changing project to use Facebook as a tool for student support and engagement, especially for international students. By creating course groups and sharing visual content, he saw increased attendance at events, better engagement on critical information, and even influenced students’ decisions to attend his institution. The tactic proved powerful enough that other departments soon adopted similar approaches for their outreach.

Through this work, JS became the go-to social media expert at his institution, ultimately transitioning from English instruction to full-time social media management—a role he had not initially planned but that became his career.

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Professional Growth Through Sharing Knowledge

As JS grew in expertise, he shared his experiences with the higher ed community through conferences and social media. He leveraged his own personal brand on platforms like Twitter, where he engaged with other professionals and shared his knowledge. His dedication to sharing valuable insights not only increased his profile but also expanded his network, leading him to unexpected career opportunities, including freelance work with Amazon Prime Video and other major brands. This trajectory showcases the value of proactive professional development and a consistent personal brand.

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This Episode is Sponsored by Pathify

Meet Pathify —  an innovative higher ed engagement hub that puts students at the center of their college journey. Pathify sits at the center of your school’s digital ecosystem, becoming the single, user experience interface tying together all systems, content, and communications. Their engagement hub elevates the information that matters most and pushes systems like the SIS behind the scenes where they belong, making it simpler for students to discover and engage with the opportunities your institution provides at every step of their higher ed journey, from prospect to alumni. What’s even better, Pathify has a mobile experience that provides 100% parity with the responsive web app, so your campus app is always in sync. Pathify is a platform that EVERY stakeholder on campus  — from marketing, to admissions, to student affairs, to IT, etc., — can get equally excited about. Learn more about how Pathify is uniting strategic units across campus and bettering the entire student experience by visiting Pathify.com

About the Enrollify Podcast Network: 

Talking Tactics 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!