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Talking Tactics

Talking Tactics devotes episodes to a single tactic that moved the needle on any enrollment, engagement, or fundraising metric. The catch? The tactic had to be done with limited resources: either by a single person, a small-but-mighty team, limited time, or without a big budget. You'll learn about single tactics from idea to results, so you can try them too.
Episode 30: Improving Visits By Putting Yourself In Their Shoes (Literally)

Episode 30: Improving Visits By Putting Yourself In Their Shoes (Literally)

About the Episode: Dr. Courtney Skiles, the Director of Enrollment Services at Trinity Valley Community College, shares an unexpected tactic her team uses to engage students and increase college applications: dressing down.

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July 23, 2024

Episode 29: Using GIFs To Lead Students Back To Your Website

Episode 29: Using GIFs To Lead Students Back To Your Website

About the Episode: In this engaging episode of Talking Tactics, Dayana Kibilds delves into a unique marketing tactic with Dave Tyler, highlighting RIT's innovative use of GIFs on Giphy to drive traffic to their admissions page.

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July 9, 2024

Episode 28: Tripling Leads and Doubling Engagement With First-Party Data

Episode 28: Tripling Leads and Doubling Engagement With First-Party Data

About the Episode: If you’re looking at your paid media campaign performance and have a feeling something’s not quite right… trust your gut. That’s Jeff Holeman’s advice, and the same instinct he followed for UF’s Warrington College of Business paid media efforts. After asking questions and working

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June 25, 2024

Episode 27: Filling Seats with Fast and Personal AI Responses

Episode 27: Filling Seats with Fast and Personal AI Responses

About the Episode: Cade was stumped. After doing all the traditional work to get applications in, he saw that applicants to the First Class Dental Assisting School of Nashville were not converting. After doing some research, he realized speed was key. When he tried an immediate and personalized conversation with one student, they became the new dental school’s very first enrollee. But how to do it at scale? In this episode Cade shares his ingenuity, connecting his CRM to ChatGPT via Zapier, training his GPT as an admission counselor for his school, and seeing the school’s incoming class go from zero to full.

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June 11, 2024

Episode 26: Winning Views and Awards by Adding Soul and Humor to Your Video

Episode 26: Winning Views and Awards by Adding Soul and Humor to Your Video

A new program has launched — how do we make people aware of it? We make a video, of course! But, not all videos are created equal. In this episode, Emanuel Díaz from IE University will share how a team at the university (shoutout to Sofía, Lucia, and Elena) created a video to boost enrollment in a marketing program that ended up being a finalist for the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards, used by TikTok and LinkedIn Corporate as a great example of content, and received 20% more views than other program videos. 

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May 28, 2024

Episode 25: Build relationships on social and double the benchmark engagement

Episode 25: Build relationships on social and double the benchmark engagement

Picture a world where the standard social media engagement rates for educational institutions are 3.26% on Instagram, 1.36% on Facebook, and 0.51% on TikTok, as outlined in Hubspot’s December 2023 report. Now, imagine Duquesne University smashing these benchmarks

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May 14, 2024

Episode 24: Skyrocketing RFI Conversions With Multi-Page Forms And Fun

Episode 24: Skyrocketing RFI Conversions With Multi-Page Forms And Fun

About the Episode: Imagine requesting information for a master’s program and being asked about your favorite movie… that’s what Lydia Fine did at the University of Iowa Tippie School of Business! As the Senior Marketing Technology Specialist, Lydia faced a challenge: form submissions were okay

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April 30, 2024

Bonus: Beyond the Buzz: Real Stories of DEI Impact in Higher Education

Bonus: Beyond the Buzz: Real Stories of DEI Impact in Higher Education

About the Episode: This special cross-over episode features clips from Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO, Talking Tactics, and The Application with Allison Turcio. These discussions highlight the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education marketing. Through these carefully

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April 17, 2024

Episode 23: Listening On Social For Over 10x More Engagement

Episode 23: Listening On Social For Over 10x More Engagement

About the Episode: Getting a mention on social media is only half the win. Real engagement happens when we respond. This was Sabreen’s philosophy going into this shift in mentality for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. As the sole social media manager for the university

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April 16, 2024

Episode 22: Making Your Subject Lines Fun for Better Open Rates

Episode 22: Making Your Subject Lines Fun for Better Open Rates

About the Episode: Email is a sea of sameness. Just ask any sophomore or junior in high school you know: they are getting bombarded with thousands of emails and they all sound the same. Katie Mills-Erickson wanted to break through the noise to share the University of Iowa story. But how?

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April 2, 2024

Episode 21: Scaling Down Events For Big Yield Wins

Episode 21: Scaling Down Events For Big Yield Wins

When yield is the focus, personalization is key. But, just how personalized could an event be? John and his team at Waukesha County Technical College had an idea to create an event where — no matter where you were in the post-app funnel — you would leave the event

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March 19, 2024

Episode 20: Using Micro-Content for Meaningful Engagement, Faster

Episode 20: Using Micro-Content for Meaningful Engagement, Faster

About the Episode: If the atomic unit of content is usually a story, what happens when we redefine it to be a snippet or a single quote? That’s what Mackenzie pondered, then implemented at UW-Eau Claire in preparation to launch their new website. In the process, she realized she had ready access

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March 5, 2024

Episode 19: A Professor-Focused Podcast for Academic Reputation and International Reach

Episode 19: A Professor-Focused Podcast for Academic Reputation and International Reach

The podcast Profcast at the University of Antwerp isn’t just thinking outside the box, it’s checking multiple boxes. Each episode features one professor, focusing on their research but also on the person behind the research. Building academic reputation?

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February 20, 2024

Episode 18: Using Generative AI to Write Search Engine Optimized Web Content

Episode 18: Using Generative AI to Write Search Engine Optimized Web Content

The task was monumental: Write career content for 70 different programs. In late 2022, before AI was top-of-mind for any of us, Patrick was thinking... How can I do this with AI? With the help of his student employees, Jasper.ai, a spreadsheet

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February 6, 2024

Episode 17: Walk the Walk on DEI and Amplify Reach with Raw Authentic Stories

Episode 17: Walk the Walk on DEI and Amplify Reach with Raw Authentic Stories

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion in content creation look like? To Mikki Collins, it was this: real, unfiltered stories told by more than one student in a format that could both go deep and was built to last. So, she built a podcast for the University of Chichester centered around

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January 23, 2024

Episode 16: Engaging New Audiences with Community-generated AI Images

Episode 16: Engaging New Audiences with Community-generated AI Images

How can we build audiences in our secondary social channels in a meaningful way? That’s what Andrew Cassel, Senior Social Strategist at Middlebury College sought out to answer. He engaged his community in submitting prompts which he then used to generate beautiful AI images. He posted the images

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January 9, 2024

Special Release #5: Answering The Real Questions: Mallory Willsea’s Career-Making Tactic

Special Release #5: Answering The Real Questions: Mallory Willsea’s Career-Making Tactic

As a campus tour guide back in 2005, Mallory Willsea noticed students would ask very different questions when they were alone vs. when they were with their parents or in a group. When she graduated, Mallory started working in the admissions office just when digital was starting to happen.

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November 28, 2023

Special Release #4: Taking the Campus Visit Online: Ashley Budd’s Career-Making Tactic

Special Release #4: Taking the Campus Visit Online: Ashley Budd’s Career-Making Tactic

Ashley’s first full-time role in higher ed was as an admissions counselor back in 2007. During the 2008 recession, her campus saw a drop in visits, yet knowing how important visits are for recruitment, she was determined to find a solution. With social media just starting to become important

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November 21, 2023

Special Release #3: Engaging Students One-on-One At Scale: Allison Turcio’s Career-Making Tactic

Special Release #3: Engaging Students One-on-One At Scale: Allison Turcio’s Career-Making Tactic

Allison’s start in higher ed was as a writer at her college. In her role, she quickly realized the communications were not student-centered enough, and sought to become an expert on her audience to deliver hyper-personalized opportunities for engagement via the new CRM. The most immediate result?

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November 14, 2023

Special Release #2: From Distracted To Engaged: Jon-Stephen Stansel’s Career-Making Tactic

Special Release #2: 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.

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November 7, 2023

Special Release: Crafting Media Coverage: Carrie Phillips’ Career-Making Tactic

Special Release: Crafting Media Coverage: Carrie Phillips’ Career-Making Tactic

Dive into a captivating chat with Carrie Phillips, the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at UA Little Rock. Back in 2008, starting as the Assistant Director of New Media at Arkansas Tech University, Carrie faced a media coverage challenge. When TV stations wouldn't visit their remote

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October 31, 2023

People in this episode

Interviewee

Ali Abel

Ali Abel is the senior manager of marketing and communications for the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, a role she’s held for the past ten years. Along with a part-time email coordinator, she’s responsible for web, social media, media relations, writing, video creation, event planning, e-marketing, you name it.

Alixandra Nozzolillo

Alixandra Nozzolillo has over twenty years of experience in communications, marketing, and research.

Allie Bear

Allie Bear is a seasoned marketing and communications strategist.

Interviewee

Andrew Cassel

Andrew Cassel has been creating and curating social media content for higher ed since 2011. Cassel speaks regularly about social media content including appearances at ContentEd 2021, HigherEd Experts 2018, 2019 and 2020, the American Geophysical Union 2022 annual fall meeting. Cassel was awarded a best in track Red Stapler at the 2017 High Ed Web annual conference and is a five-time winner of Aurora Awards of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America - Alaska including the 2018 Grand Award of Excellence.

Interviewee

Ashley Budd

Ashley is a senior marketing director at Cornell University.

Brenda Marie Turner

Brenda has over 16 years of experience as a nonprofit fundraising professional.

Brianna Brown

Brianna Brown is a Siena College graduate ('20).

Brooke Preston

Brooke Preston (OHIO B.S.S. ’02; MC ’23) is the Associate Director of Creative Strategy for Ohio University.

Interviewee

Carrie Chambers

Carrie Chambers is a data-driven marketing strategist.

Caty Allgood

Caty Allgood currently serves as the Executive Director of Annual Giving at Ohio University.

Interviewee

Celine Kuysters

Celine is a Marketing and Communication Strategist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. She started her career in higher education in 2019, with master’s degrees in both strategic communication and journalism. Besides being responsible for managing the faculty's international recruitment strategy, digital campaigns, content creation and social media, she is also committed to building its alumni community.

Cory Glover

Cory is responsible for supporting the strategic development and execution of email marketing initiatives for the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Dave Tyler

Dave has been working in higher education for 15 years.

The Host

Dayana Kibilds

Dayana is the Vice President of Strategy at Ologie and host of Talking Tactics.

Interviewee

Emanuel Díaz

Emanuel lives for a good story to weave, so he describes himself as a storytelling lover and aficionado. His passion for content started in the banking industry in his native Puerto Rico, where he was leading copy and digital marketing for the institution. The challenge of making a bank soulful caught him. A Fulbright grant took him to Madrid to study at IE, where he stayed as the Associate Director of Alumni Communications. He is now Head of Content Marketing where he brings to life his passion for creativity, emotional content, and weaving stories that showcase the beauty of working in the educational sector. He is also a proud collaborator in LGBTQ+ initiatives and does improv theater in his free time.

Gerod Harder

Gerod Harder is the Associate Director of Social Media at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Interviewee

Ian Hurley

Ian Hurley is the Director of Social Media at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. He has over 20 years of experience in the marketing and communications field, working for Northeastern University, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Organization and CQ Roll Call, among others. He holds a B.A. from West Virginia University and an M.A. from American University. At Duquesne, Ian works to align the social and brand strategy among campus partners and help to advance the Division of Marketing and Communications and University strategic goals.

Interviewee

Jackie Vetrano

Jackie Vetrano is the Assistant Director of MBA Prospect Management & Marketing at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She manages and implements the lead-nurture strategy using email as well as other important touchpoints to encourage prospective students to apply to the top-ranked MBA program.

Interviewee

Jacqueline Rowe

Jacqueline has worked in online marketing since her college graduation in 2007.

Jeff Holeman

Jeff Holeman leads marketing at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business

Interviewee

Jen Johnson

Jen Johnson is a brand and marketing professional with deep experience leading college enrollment. She has a passion for college access and inclusion, and a deep appreciation for the power of brand strategy. Jen is an executive director at Ologie where she partners with universities and organizations to tell their stories and leverage the power of their brands. Prior to Ologie, Jen spent a decade at Queens University of Charlotte leading all aspects of enrollment management & marketing, including communication, marketing, creative services, digital strategy, undergraduate admissions, financial aid and student accounts.

Jessica Creech

Jessica Creech is currently the Web Content Marketing Specialist at Purdue University Northwest.

Jessica Frazier

Jessica Frazier is the Assistant Director of Digital Media at the University of Notre Dame Enrollment Division for Strategy and Engagement.

Interviewee

John McGreal

John McGreal currently serves as the inaugural Dean of Enrollment Services.

Karen Sorrell

Karen Sorrell is a seasoned business operations leader.

Kristin Miller

Kristin Miller believes good communication brings people together.

Interviewee

Loren Bass

Loren Bass is a Strategist at Campus Sonar. With experience at a variety of institution types—HBCU, HSI, regional universities, and private institutions—Loren’s career spans student affairs and enrollment management. Loren holds a Bachelor of Communications degree with an emphasis in speech communications and public relations, and a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Valdosta State University.

Interviewee

Lucy Guest

Lucy Guest is the social media lead at the University of Warwick, responsible for a community of over 550,000 followers across nine platforms. She has spent the majority of her career working across the marketing and communications mix in the education sector, with a focus on creating engaging and accessible digital content. Her skills focus on organic community building, reputation management, and brand awareness.

Interviewee

Lydia Fine

Lydia is a 14-year higher education veteran with a focus in marketing technology, lead generation, web conversion tracking, CRM, integrations, data analytics, and all the ways that technology and marketing intersect. She’s currently the Senior Marketing Technology Specialist at the University of Iowa Tippie School of Business and she has a BBA in Marketing and an MBA, both from the University of Iowa. Lydia runs a photography business and chases her two kids around in her free time, and wishes that Reese's Eggs were on the shelves all year long.

Interviewee

Mackenzie Huber

Mackenzie Huber is the Content Strategist for the office of Integrated Marketing and Communications at UW-Eau Claire in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Before joining the team at UWEC, she was the Associate Director of Digital Communications at Lawrence University. She is happiest during a brainstorming session with teammates, making lists on colorful sticky notes, or when she has an excuse to mind map a new idea. Currently engaged in her second full website rebuild, Huber is tired. When she's not working, Huber enjoys playing sand volleyball, eating soup, and hoarding books she'll never have time to read.

Madelin Thompson

Madelin Thompson is a Communications Coordinator for Wilfrid Laurier University’s Recruitment & Admissions Team.

Meaghan Milliorn

Meaghan Milliorn has worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 15 years.

Melody Ferguson

Melody Ferguson has worked 23 years in Higher Education at 3 very different universities.

Interviewee

Mickey Baines

As a consultant and former practitioner in higher education, Mickey has over 25 years of experience.

Interviewee

Nicola Anderton

Nicola Anderton is the Director of Digital and Marketing at the University of Nottingham. She leads the teams responsible for student recruitment marketing, brand and reputation, market insight, web, digital content, design, and marketing of the University’s research portfolio. Nicola began her marketing career in publishing and moved to the Higher Education sector in 2004 and has since worked across Russell Group, post-92, Oxbridge, and private higher education providers.

Interviewee

Patrick Kelly

Patrick Kelly has 23+ years' experience in web marketing for higher education and health care organizations, including Rush University Medical Center, Swedish Hospital and Loyola University Chicago. He holds a master's degree in writing from DePaul University in Chicago. Patrick currently serves as web content manager at Harper College overseeing the college's website, harpercollege.edu.

Interviewee

Sabreen Alfadel

Sabreen Alfadel is the Digital Communications Specialist with the Division of Marketing and Brand Management at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, where she’s responsible for establishing and executing a strategy for the university’s social media channels.

Interviewee

Sarah Goldfarb

Sarah is the Managing Director of Social Media and Digital at RW Jones Agency.

Sean Whitten

Sean Whitten works as the inaugural Director of Strategic Partnerships for SMU in Dallas

Shannon Hess

Shannon is a seasoned marketing leader overseeing brand, content, and creative strategies.

Interviewee

Simon Fairbanks

Simon Fairbanks has 15 years of experience in the Higher Education sector. This includes student recruitment, marketing, and events roles on four different campuses in the UK: Nottingham, Birmingham, Warwick, and Coventry as well as 2 years at Pickle Jar Communications. Simon is a published author and engaging storyteller, an international speaker at conferences like ContentEd, Postgraduate Marketing Conference and HighEdWeb, and Chair of the Newcomers Track at CASE Europe.

Toni-Marie Critelli

Toni’s journey in digital marketing started with a simple passion for building meaningful communities.

Interviewee

shley Budd

Ashley Budd is a nonprofit consultant and full-time marketing director at Cornell University. She writes and speaks about marketing and leading teams. Ashley works at the forefront of digital innovation in the advancement sector and shares what she knows about connecting with people and raising money for good causes. Sign up for her popular newsletter, Ashley in your Inbox, at ashleybudd.com.

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