Higher Ed Storytelling University

My guest today is Kristin Nichols, a higher education marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience at top universities in the Northeast. In this episode, Kristin discusses how implementing project management tools like Trello helped unite her marketing teams, facilitated cross-pollination between departments, and enabled an efficient "internal agency" approach. Kristin shares how she successfully implemented Trello at UMass Lowell, creating dedicated workspaces for each college, enrollment marketing, editorial, and more. This centralized system allowed teams to see all active projects, easily identify content to repurpose across channels, and ensure brand consistency. Key Takeaways: Connect With Kristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholskristin/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nicholshighered/ Resources Mentioned: Connect With John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni https://unveild.tv https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is R. Ethan Braden, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Texas A&M University. In this episode, Ethan shares his vision for building a world-class marketing team and developing a national earned media strategy to amplify Texas A&M's brand. Ethan discusses the five priorities he's established for his team: building a world-class marketing team, establishing a comprehensive insight-based brand platform, providing brand assets for the campus to execute the vision, cultivating a united marketing community, and pursuing a national earned media strategy. Key Takeaways: Connect With Ethan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertethanbraden/https://www.tamu.edu/ Connect With John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni https://unveild.tv https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Joshua Charles, a senior marketing and communications leader at Rutgers Business School and board member for HighEdWeb, a professional development network for digital professionals in higher education. In this episode, we discuss Joshua's role at Rutgers, the structure and collaboration within his marketing team, their content strategy, use of marketing technology, and breaking down organizational silos. Joshua shares insights on the following topics. Key Takeaways: On The Future of Higher Ed Marketing: Joshua sees opportunities in continuing to learn from others in the higher ed community, carefully exploring AI applications while keeping the focus on the student experience, and positively influencing the narrative around the transformative value of higher education. Connect with Joshua: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuacharles/ Connect with HighEdWeb: Website: https://www.highedweb.org/ HighEdWeb 2024 Annual Conference: https://events.highedweb.org/heweb24 Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni Website: https://unveild.tv

In this episode, Host John Azoni shares many tips for successful relationships with external videographers and as well as building in-house teams. Key Takeaways: Join the newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/

On this episode, John Azoni was a guest on the Higher Ed Demand Gen podcast with Shiro Hatori. We talked about telling compelling student testimonials. Key Takeaways: Your audience sees your content far less than you think - don't be afraid to repurpose frequently LINKS: Check out the Higher Ed Demand Gen podcast: https://concept3d.com/higher-ed-demand-gen-podcast/ Check out Concept3D: https://concept3d.com

My guest today is Jess Cook, Head of Content and Communications at Island and co-host of the That's Marketing, Baby podcast. Jess comes from a background working with major B2C brands like McDonald's, Kellogg's, and others before transitioning to B2B marketing. In this episode, we dive deep into email marketing strategies and tactics that higher ed marketers can apply. Jess shares insights on choosing the right sender name, crafting subject lines, using emojis and memes effectively, and personalizing emails for different audiences. Key Takeaways: Connect With Jess: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesscook-contentmarketing/ Podcast - That's Marketing, Baby: https://www.thatsmarketingbaby.com/ Connect With John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni Website: https://unveild.tv Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Shiro Hatori, Director of DemandGen at Concept3D. In this episode, we discuss data from Concept3D's survey of 500 recently admitted college students that can inform your higher ed storytelling and content creation efforts. Shiro shares insights on the communication channels students prefer, the importance of virtual tours, addressing students' enrollment fears, and leveraging commencement to capture compelling student stories. If you want to make more data-informed decisions in your higher ed marketing, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: Connect with Shiro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiro-h-685a2885/https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLyDFcj1AiM5OyzrCNsJEhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/higher-ed-demand-gen-podcast/id1640562803 Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Robert Li, co-founder and owner of University FM, and podcast network manager of Professors.FM, a podcast network featuring top scholars. In this conversation, Robert shares insights on the current higher ed podcasting landscape and the potential of scholarly podcasts to elevate research and university brands. We discuss launching faculty-hosted shows, making academic research more accessible, and the benefits of joining Professors FM. Robert also offers advice for getting faculty involved in podcasting and overcoming common hesitations. If you're a higher ed marketer or faculty member interested in podcasting, tune in! Key Takeaways: Example Mentioned: Connect with Robert: https://university.fm/https://www.professors.fm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiganrobertli/ Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Sarah Whorton, Senior Strategic Communication Consultant at University of Missouri system. Sarah has a background in screenwriting and leverages storytelling principles in her higher education marketing work. In this episode, Sarah shares her insights on crafting compelling stories for higher education marketing. We discuss a four-point story structure she uses inspired by screenwriting, the power of vulnerability and struggle in stories, and how to get interviewees to open up beyond predictable, low-stakes answers. If you’re looking to improve your higher ed storytelling, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Key Takeaways: Example Video Mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OHBTodd3D0 Connect with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-whorton/ Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Nikki Sunstrum, Assistant VP of Strategic Communication at Indiana University and Instructor at University of Michigan School of Information. Nikki has built social media teams at both IU and Michigan. In this episode, Nikki shares her insights on building effective social media teams in higher education. We discuss sourcing talent, establishing niches, managing team well-being, and optimizing efforts based on resources. If you’re looking to improve your higher ed social media strategy and team, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Key Takeaways: Connect with Nikki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkisunstrum/https://nikkisunstrum.com/https://www.instagram.com/nikkisunstrum/ttps://www.tiktok.com/@nikkisun Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Kate Young, host, writer and producer of This Is Purdue, an award-winning podcast that highlights exciting stories of innovative Boilermakers and shares them with a global audience. In this episode, Kate provides an inside look at how This Is Purdue came to be, how it fits into Purdue's overall content strategy, and key lessons learned along the way. Key Takeaways: Connect with Kate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-young-podcast/https://twitter.com/katemyounghttps://www.purdue.edu/podcast Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Jeremy Tiers, Senior Director of Admissions Services for Tudor Collegiate Strategies. He has helped thousands of college and university admission and marketing professionals become better recruiters, communicators, writers, and leaders through training programs and mentoring over the past nine years. In this episode, Jeremy shares insights from data his team has collected on which social media platforms students use to research colleges, what type of content they want to see, and strategies for creating authentic and engaging social content. Key takeaways: LinkedIn post Jeremy & John is discussing on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeremytiers_hesm-higheredmarketing-highereducationmarketing-activity-7153081593245405184-UB7g Connect with Jeremy: jeremy@dantudor.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremytiers/https://admissions.dantudor.com/ Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is copywriting expert Jo Marshall, founder of All Things Words, a specialist copy and content agency focused on higher education clients. Jo has over 20 years of experience helping universities find their voice, shape their messaging, and tell compelling stories. In this episode, Jo and I discuss strategies to optimize university program pages to better attract and engage prospective students. We explore common pitfalls universities fall into and share examples of effective program pages that convert visitors. Key takeaways: Connect with Jo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-marshall-copywriter/https://allthingswords.co.uk/ Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

Today we are sharing with you an episode where host, John Azoni, was a guest on the Enrollify podcast. In this episode hosted by Zach Busekrus we talk about John's journey into storytelling through working with the unhoused population in Detroit, what higher ed gets wrong about storytelling, the Netflix show Love is Blind, and more.

0My guest today is Cade Scott, founder of Enroll Boost AI. Cade helps Tech and Trade Schools boost enrollment by building AI-powered chatbots to engage prospective students around the clock. In this episode we discuss how implementing automated yet personalized communication can drastically improve lead response times and enrollment rates. Cade shares how he leveraged conversational AI to respond to every lead within minutes, day or night. This “speed to lead” approach led to a huge boost in enrollments. Key Takeaways: Connect with Cade: https://enrollboostai.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cade-scott-1535362a2/ Read about the case study: https://enrollboostai.com/#section-J8B-PZCuXF Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/https://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Jaime Hunt, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Old Dominion University. Jaime is a seasoned higher ed marketer with expertise in areas like brand strategy, recruitment marketing, and digital innovation. In this episode we discuss the importance of telling authentic stories of college students with disabilities. We explore biases that still exist, and how humanizing storytelling can promote inclusion and accessibility. Key takeaways: Key insights for higher ed marketers when telling stories about students with disabilities: Some biases and misconceptions that still exist around people with disabilities include: Authentic storytelling that showcases people with disabilities as multifaceted individuals can help challenge these biases. It expands perspectives and highlights shared humanity and experiences. Telling the stories of real students in all their complexity combats harmful stereotypes. Connect with Jaime: https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/https://www.tiktok.com/@thehigheredcmoConnect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/https://unveild.tv https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Ardis Kadiu, CEO and co-founder of Element451, an AI-powered CRM platform for higher education institutions. Ardis is an entrepreneur and technologist passionate about leveraging AI to transform student engagement and admissions processes. In this episode we have an in-depth discussion on personalization in storytelling using AI. We explore how advanced natural language models allow for data-driven, personalized messaging at scale across multiple mediums like text, audio, and video. Key takeaways: Connect with Ardis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardis/Connect with Element451: https://www.element451.comConnect with John Azoni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/https://unveild.tvBonus Content: Sign up for the newsletter to get the full audio from Ardis on surprising results using their AI bot technology: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

In this solo episode, John talks about the power of using a "side door" approach when creating content that aims to draw audiences into your brand emotionally. Key takeaways: Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni Subscribe to the Higher Ed Storyteller’s Digest newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Nate Jorgensen, Senior Director of Academic Marketing and Communications at Miami University in Ohio. In this episode we discuss Miami's storytelling initiatives, including their Major Insight podcast, and strategies for centralizing university marketing. Key takeaways: Connect with Nate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgensennate/ Connect with Miami University: https://miamioh.edu/ Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Chris Rapozo, Marketing Specialist at Hannon Hill. As an adult learner himself, Chris shares his personal story and insights on marketing to non-traditional students. He offers a unique perspective on the motivations and challenges of the non-traditional learner demographic that higher ed marketers want to attract. Key Takeaways: Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherrapozo/https://twitter.com/RapozoChrischris.rapozo@hannonhill.com Connect with Hannon Hill: https://www.hannonhill.com/index.html Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazonihttps://unveild.tvhttps://unveild.tv/newsletter