Latest / Higher Ed Marketing Insider / Higher Ed Communication Trends Email, AI, and Texts - Higher Ed Marketing Blogs May 15, 20225

Transcript

Higher Ed Communication Trends Email, AI, and Texts - Higher Ed Marketing Blogs May 15, 20225 · Higher Ed Marketing Insider

• 0:00
  Jack: Welcome to this exploration, uh, specifically for higher education marketers.
• 0:04
  Jack: The landscape right now.
• 0:05
  Jack: Well, it presents some pretty significant opportunities, doesn't it?
• 0:09
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 0:09
  Jack: Especially as you're navigating enrollment challenges and trying to connect with, you know, today's students.
• 0:13
  Jill: Absolutely.
• 0:13
  Jill: It feels like we're really at a point where, um, just relying on the old ways isn't cutting it anymore.
• 0:19
  Jack: Exactly.
• 0:20
  Jill: The resources we've been looking at, offer some well.
• 0:22
  Jill: Really compelling strategies to help cut through all that noise and build actual connections.
• 0:27
  Jack: Right.
• 0:28
  Jack: So our goal today is really to get into the core principles behind, you know, effective engagement.
• 0:33
  Jack: Mm.
• 0:33
  Jack: Both with prospective students and the ones you already have.
• 0:36
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 0:36
  Jack: We'll be looking at, well, quite a range.
• 0:38
  Jack: Text messaging, content marketing trends, the role of your CMS.
• 0:42
  Jack: Which is huge email for retention and, uh, even how AI fits into the picture.
• 0:47
  Jack: Sounds
• 0:48
  Jill: good.
• 0:48
  Jack: Where
• 0:48
  Jill: should we start?
• 0:49
  Jack: Let's start with something immediate, often kind of underestimated.
• 0:52
  Jack: I think text messaging.
• 0:53
  Jill: Ah, yes.
• 0:54
  Jill: SMS it's, uh, it's fascinating just how powerful it can be for that direct line of communication in higher ed.
• 1:01
  Jack: It really is.
• 1:02
  Jill: One of the articles we saw mentioned UT Austin achieving a 98% engagement rate with texts,
• 1:07
  Jack: 98%.
• 1:08
  Jill: I know that kind of responsiveness.
• 1:10
  Jill: It just signals a massive opportunity, doesn't it?
• 1:13
  Jack: It absolutely does.
• 1:13
  Jill: And what's likely driving that?
• 1:15
  Jill: Well, they've clearly tapped into that immediacy, that convenience students just expect now from their phone.
• 1:20
  Jill: That's
• 1:20
  Jack: a great point.
• 1:21
  Jack: It's not just the tech, it's understanding the behavior and the materials Emphasize that to really make this work.
• 1:28
  Jack: There are some essential dos things you absolutely have to do.
• 1:32
  Jill: Okay.
• 1:33
  Jack: First, and this is critical, get explicit consent.
• 1:37
  Jill: Mm-hmm.
• 1:38
  Jill: Non-negotiable.
• 1:39
  Jack: Totally.
• 1:39
  Jack: It's not just, you know, good manners.
• 1:41
  Jack: It's legal TCPA for mobile stuff.
• 1:44
  Jack: Ferpa protecting student records.
• 1:46
  Jill: Right.
• 1:47
  Jill: Both.
• 1:47
  Jill: Really important here.
• 1:48
  Jack: So you need clear opt-in methods, online forms, event signups, student portals.
• 1:53
  Jack: That's key for compliance and honestly for building trust from the get go.
• 1:57
  Jill: Precisely that initial respect.
• 1:59
  Jill: Asking permission really sets the tone.
• 2:01
  Jack: Yeah.
• 2:01
  Jill: So building on that, the second do is about keeping it concise.
• 2:05
  Jill: Students are swimming in information, right?
• 2:07
  Jill: So texts need to be short, punchy.
• 2:09
  Jill: Under 160 characters is the guidance.
• 2:12
  Jack: Makes sense?
• 2:13
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 2:13
  Jack: I mean, think about it.
• 2:14
  Jack: What are you more likely to actually read and act on?
• 2:16
  Jill: Exactly.
• 2:17
  Jill: The resources gave a good example, didn't they?
• 2:19
  Jill: Instead of some long paragraph about a financial aid deadline,
• 2:22
  Jack: right?
• 2:22
  Jack: Something like reminder, financial aid app.
• 2:25
  Jack: Do fry 5:00 PM upload docs via portal, ASAP to avoid delays.
• 2:30
  Jill: Perfect.
• 2:31
  Jill: Get straight to the point.
• 2:32
  Jill: Urgency.
• 2:33
  Jill: Action.
• 2:34
  Jill: Location, done no fluff.
• 2:36
  Jack: And the third do takes it up a notch.
• 2:39
  Jack: Personalization.
• 2:40
  Jill: Yes.
• 2:40
  Jill: Generic blasts so easy to ignore
• 2:43
  Jack: totally.
• 2:43
  Jill: But when you use their name reference their specific program, suddenly it feels relevant.
• 2:49
  Jack: Like, hi Sarah Fall.
• 2:50
  Jack: Course Registration for Nursing Opens Monday.
• 2:52
  Jack: Secure your spot via the portal.
• 2:54
  Jack: Much better than a general announcement.
• 2:56
  Jill: So much better.
• 2:57
  Jill: It shows you're using the data you have to send the right message to the right student, and importantly, at the right time,
• 3:03
  Jack: which you know, leads peripherally into the fourth due.
• 3:06
  Jack: Strategic timing.
• 3:07
  Jill: Mm-hmm.
• 3:08
  Jill: Even the best message gets lost if it lands at 3:00 AM
• 3:10
  Jack: Right.
• 3:11
  Jack: So general guidelines suggest weekdays.
• 3:14
  Jack: Maybe 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM ish.
• 3:16
  Jill: That seems reasonable as a starting point, but you also have to consider urgency, right?
• 3:20
  Jill: A reminder for a club meeting in an hour is different than a heads up about a job fair next week.
• 3:25
  Jack: Good point.
• 3:26
  Jill: Yeah.
• 3:26
  Jack: And this is where automated scheduling tools really become invaluable.
• 3:30
  Jack: Hitting those key moments without someone having to manually press send every time.
• 3:34
  Jill: Absolutely essential for efficiency.
• 3:36
  Jill: And the final due equally important.
• 3:39
  Jill: Always, always provide a clear, easy, opt-out
• 3:42
  Jack: reply.
• 3:42
  Jack: SP to unsubscribe.
• 3:44
  Jack: Simple as that.
• 3:45
  Jill: Exactly.
• 3:46
  Jill: It's not just the law.
• 3:47
  Jill: It shows respect.
• 3:48
  Jill: Plus it helps keep your list clean, filled with people who actually wanna hear from you,
• 3:52
  Jack: builds trust, keeps the list engaged.
• 3:54
  Jack: Makes total sense.
• 3:55
  Jill: So those are the core dos, foundational stuff.
• 3:58
  Jack: Okay, so now let's flip it.
• 3:58
  Jack: Let's talk about the don'ts, the pitfalls you absolutely need to avoid.
• 4:02
  Jill: All right.
• 4:02
  Jill: The first don't is a big one.
• 4:04
  Jill: Don't overload them with information in one text.
• 4:07
  Jack: Right.
• 4:07
  Jack: It's not email.
• 4:08
  Jill: Exactly.
• 4:09
  Jill: It's quick.
• 4:10
  Jill: Direct, not the place for essays.
• 4:13
  Jill: The example contrasting a long tuition reminder versus a short one directing to the portal that nails it.
• 4:19
  Jill: Yeah.
• 4:19
  Jack: Give'em the essential nugget.
• 4:21
  Jack: Tell'em where to go for the details.
• 4:22
  Jack: Keep it focused
• 4:24
  Jill: precisely.
• 4:25
  Jill: Grab their attention, point them in the right direction.
• 4:27
  Jack: Okay, don't.
• 4:28
  Jack: Number two relates to language.
• 4:29
  Jill: Ah yes.
• 4:31
  Jill: Steer clear of excessive slang, jargon, abbreviations.
• 4:35
  Jack: You wanna be approachable?
• 4:37
  Jack: Sure, but you're still an institution.
• 4:40
  Jack: Professionalism matters.
• 4:42
  Jack: Clarity matters.
• 4:43
  Jill: Definitely.
• 4:43
  Jill: The example for the financial aid deadline showed that, didn't it?
• 4:46
  Jill: Clear, straightforward language always wins over trying too hard to be cool or using obscure acronyms.
• 4:52
  Jack: Totally agree.
• 4:52
  Jack: Okay, the third don't.
• 4:54
  Jack: This one's crucial for keeping texting effective long term.
• 4:57
  Jill: Let me guess.
• 4:58
  Jill: Don't send irrelevant messages.
• 5:00
  Jack: Spot on.
• 5:01
  Jack: Don't send unsolicited or irrelevant stuff.
• 5:03
  Jill: Yeah.
• 5:04
  Jack: If you bombard students with announcements that have nothing to do with them,
• 5:07
  Jill: we'll just start ignoring all your texts.
• 5:09
  Jill: Or worse opt out.
• 5:10
  Jack: Exactly.
• 5:11
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 5:11
  Jack: So segmentation is key.
• 5:12
  Jack: The example of tailoring a career fair alert for engineering students versus blasting everyone smart.
• 5:20
  Jack: Relevance drives engagement.
• 5:22
  Jill: Couldn't agree more.
• 5:24
  Jill: Okay, don't.
• 5:25
  Jill: Number four is a biggie for privacy.
• 5:27
  Jill: Oh,
• 5:28
  Jack: yeah.
• 5:28
  Jack: Non-negotiable.
• 5:29
  Jack: Never ever share sensitive personal information via text.
• 5:33
  Jill: PII.
• 5:34
  Jill: Student IDs, grades, none of it.
• 5:37
  Jack: Nope.
• 5:37
  Jack: Always direct them to secure platforms like their student portal.
• 5:41
  Jill: The grade availability example was perfect.
• 5:43
  Jill: Grades are available.
• 5:44
  Jill: Check the secure portal.
• 5:46
  Jill: Inform, but direct, securely.
• 5:48
  Jack: Exactly.
• 5:49
  Jack: And the final don't.
• 5:50
  Jack: It's about closing the loop,
• 5:52
  Jill: right?
• 5:52
  Jill: Don't send a message without a follow up plan.
• 5:54
  Jack: Yeah.
• 5:55
  Jack: Texting shouldn't just be a one way street, ideally, or at least provide clear next steps if they need help.
• 5:59
  Jill: So if you send that registration reminder,
• 6:01
  Jack: make sure you include contact info for advisors or support services.
• 6:05
  Jack: Turn in an announcement into supported action.
• 6:07
  Jill: Makes sense.
• 6:07
  Jill: Transforms it from just.
• 6:09
  Jill: Information pushed to actual help.
• 6:10
  Jack: And beyond these do's and don'ts, the resources also talked about leveraging scheduling and automation, right?
• 6:16
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 6:16
  Jill: Pre-scheduling messages, setting up automated replies for common questions, using workflows for triggered messages based on behavior,
• 6:24
  Jack: and integrating with your CRM, your main student interaction platform.
• 6:29
  Jack: That helps tie it all together.
• 6:30
  Jill: Hugely important for efficiency and personalization at scale.
• 6:34
  Jill: And finally, you have to measure your success,
• 6:36
  Jack: right?
• 6:37
  Jack: Track those metrics.
• 6:38
  Jack: Open rates are tricky with SMS, but response rates, if you allow replies,
• 6:43
  Jill: conversion rates, are they actually doing the thing you asked and crucially opt-out rates?
• 6:48
  Jack: Yeah.
• 6:48
  Jack: A high opt-out rate is a definite red flag.
• 6:51
  Jack: Tells you something's wrong with your strategy or content.
• 6:53
  Jill: Absolutely.
• 6:54
  Jill: Tracking lets you adjust and improve based on real data.
• 6:57
  Jack: Okay.
• 6:57
  Jack: Great overview of texting.
• 6:59
  Jack: Let's, uh, shift gears now to a broader strategy, content marketing.
• 7:03
  Jack: The whole landscape here feels like it's really changing and the materials we looked at highlight some, well, pretty pivotal trends for you marketers out there.
• 7:11
  Jill: Yeah.
• 7:11
  Jill: What's really striking is the evidence showing that the old way heavily relying on, you know.
• 7:16
  Jill: Purchase lead funnels.
• 7:18
  Jill: Hmm.
• 7:18
  Jill: It's just not working like it used to.
• 7:20
  Jack: Seems less and less effective.
• 7:21
  Jill: One source pointing to a, what was it?
• 7:23
  Jill: A 67% drop in conversion rates from purchased contacts just between 2019 and 2023.
• 7:29
  Jack: Wow.
• 7:29
  Jack: 67%.
• 7:30
  Jack: That's huge.
• 7:31
  Jill: It is.
• 7:32
  Jill: And you couple that with the enrollment cliff everyone's talking about, right.
• 7:34
  Jill: It's clear you need a shift towards building organic connections.
• 7:37
  Jack: Absolutely.
• 7:38
  Jack: The focus has to move towards attracting students with.
• 7:41
  Jack: Genuinely valuable content that speaks to them, connects with them, rather than just, you know, buying lists.
• 7:47
  Jill: Exactly.
• 7:48
  Jill: Fostering real connections.
• 7:49
  Jack: So what are some of the key content trends that are actually working in this new reality?
• 7:54
  Jill: Well, one big one is multi-channel storytelling, but, and this is important.
• 7:59
  Jill: It's not just about being everywhere, right?
• 8:01
  Jack: Not just spraying content across platforms
• 8:03
  Jill: precisely.
• 8:04
  Jill: It's about crafting cohesive stories that flow across different touch points.
• 8:08
  Jill: The message stays consistent, even if the format or tone changes a bit for each channel.
• 8:13
  Jack: Makes sense
• 8:13
  Jill: as one source.
• 8:14
  Jill: Put it the channel isn't the strategy.
• 8:16
  Jill: The story is how you adapt.
• 8:18
  Jill: It effectively matters.
• 8:20
  Jack: So maybe they see a fun TikTok about campus life,
• 8:23
  Jill: which leads them to a detailed program page on the website.
• 8:26
  Jill: Then maybe they get personalized emails with student testimonials for that program.
• 8:31
  Jill: It all connects.
• 8:31
  Jack: That makes perfect sense.
• 8:33
  Jack: Okay.
• 8:33
  Jack: What else?
• 8:33
  Jill: Student generated content.
• 8:35
  Jill: This is massive
• 8:36
  Jack: authenticity, right?
• 8:37
  Jack: Totally
• 8:37
  Jill: forget the super polished, maybe slightly sterile marketing pieces.
• 8:42
  Jill: Today's perspective, students crave seeing the real deal content from current students.
• 8:49
  Jill: It just resonates more strongly.
• 8:51
  Jack: Need some brand guidelines probably, but yeah.
• 8:53
  Jill: Oh, for sure.
• 8:53
  Jill: But the stats show most recruiters recognize how critical that peer-to-peer interaction is for decision making.
• 8:59
  Jack: And there was an interesting point about which student's content is most effective.
• 9:03
  Jill: Yes.
• 9:04
  Jill: Content from juniors and seniors often hits harder than from first years.
• 9:08
  Jack: Why is that, do you think?
• 9:09
  Jill: I.
• 9:09
  Jill: Probably because they can speak with more experience about the whole journey.
• 9:13
  Jill: You know, academics, social life, even career outcomes.
• 9:16
  Jill: They've seen more of it.
• 9:17
  Jack: That's a great nuance.
• 9:19
  Jack: Okay, next trend video.
• 9:21
  Jack: Always video.
• 9:22
  Jill: Always video, but it's evolving.
• 9:24
  Jill: Short form, obviously huge for attention spans on TikTok, Instagram.
• 9:28
  Jack: Yeah, I gotta grab'em quick.
• 9:29
  Jill: Longer form video still definitely has its place, especially for say, prospective grad students making bigger, more complex decisions,
• 9:38
  Jack: right?
• 9:38
  Jack: Fire stakes.
• 9:38
  Jill: So you align the length of the decision's, complexity, and where the student is in their journey.
• 9:43
  Jill: Quick tour, short form, deep dive into research or career stats might need longer.
• 9:49
  Jack: Makes sense.
• 9:50
  Jack: Match the format to the function and ai.
• 9:53
  Jack: It keeps coming up.
• 9:55
  Jill: It does AI and personalization, but not just, you know, mail merging a name into an email.
• 10:01
  Jack: Right.
• 10:01
  Jack: That's superficial.
• 10:02
  Jack: We're
• 10:02
  Jill: talking about using AI to deliver content based on actual behavior demonstrated interests.
• 10:07
  Jill: That's proving incredibly effective.
• 10:10
  Jack: There was a stat on that.
• 10:11
  Jill: Yeah.
• 10:11
  Jill: One source cited a 32% jump in application completions using behavioral triggers, delivering specific program content based on what prospects interacted with online.
• 10:21
  Jack: 32% increase.
• 10:23
  Jack: That's significant.
• 10:24
  Jack: Okay.
• 10:25
  Jack: And finally, good old SEO.
• 10:26
  Jill: Yep.
• 10:27
  Jill: Search engine optimization.
• 10:28
  Jill: Still fundamental, even if it sometimes gets overlooked,
• 10:31
  Jack: which is crazy because most students start their search online, right?
• 10:34
  Jill: The vast majority, like 69% start there.
• 10:37
  Jill: Yet something like half of higher ed marketing teams still don't have a formal SEO strategy.
• 10:42
  Jack: That's a huge gap.
• 10:43
  Jill: It is, and the key now is moving beyond just broad keywords.
• 10:48
  Jill: You need to target those high intent.
• 10:50
  Jill: Program specific questions students are actually typing in,
• 10:53
  Jack: like
• 10:53
  Jill: things like nursing program, clinical placement rates, or what's the ROI on a business degree or transfer credit policy for military experience.
• 11:02
  Jill: Really specific stuff.
• 11:04
  Jack: Got it.
• 11:05
  Jack: Okay.
• 11:05
  Jack: So those are the trends, but for the marketers listening, a big question is always.
• 11:09
  Jack: How do we actually do this?
• 11:11
  Jack: Especially with varying team sizes and resources,
• 11:14
  Jill: right?
• 11:14
  Jill: The resources offered some practical advice based on team size.
• 11:17
  Jack: So for a small team, maybe just one or two people,
• 11:20
  Jill: the focus should probably be on the foundation.
• 11:22
  Jill: Get those SEO optimized program pages, solid.
• 11:25
  Jill: Concentrate on maybe one or two key social platforms where your audience really lives.
• 11:29
  Jack: Makes sense.
• 11:29
  Jack: Don't spread yourself too thin.
• 11:30
  Jill: Exactly.
• 11:31
  Jill: And leverage student generated content maybe.
• 11:34
  Jill: Find a few enthusiastic ambassadors.
• 11:36
  Jill: Repurpose content across formats to maximize efficiency.
• 11:39
  Jack: Okay, what about mid-size teams?
• 11:41
  Jack: Say three to five marketers.
• 11:43
  Jill: They can expand a bit, maybe build out content hubs around key program areas.
• 11:48
  Jill: Formalize the student content program more.
• 11:50
  Jack: Resource allocation,
• 11:51
  Jill: maybe aim for like 60% evergreen content, stuff that stays relevant and 40% more timely trending content.
• 12:00
  Jill: Using templates and workflows can really help scale things up too.
• 12:03
  Jack: Good tips.
• 12:04
  Jack: And for the larger teams,
• 12:05
  Jill: they can get more sophisticated.
• 12:06
  Jill: Implement that.
• 12:08
  Jill: AI driven personalized content delivery.
• 12:10
  Jill: We talked about develop specific strategies for each channel, tailor content for different stages of the enrollment funnel, and
• 12:17
  Jack: really focus on tracking, measuring the impact on actual enrollment outcomes.
• 12:21
  Jill: Exactly.
• 12:22
  Jill: Connecting the dots from content engagement to enrollment
• 12:25
  Jack: now implementing this stuff.
• 12:26
  Jack: Mm-hmm.
• 12:27
  Jack: It often hits roadblocks, doesn't it?
• 12:29
  Jack: Resistance within the institution?
• 12:30
  Jill: Oh, absolutely.
• 12:31
  Jill: It's a common challenge, but the sources had some good strategies for navigating that.
• 12:35
  Jack: Like dealing with leadership resistance.
• 12:37
  Jill: Yeah, maybe start with the pilot program.
• 12:40
  Jill: Clear goals, measurable results.
• 12:41
  Jill: Show them data from competitors who are doing it well highlight the risks of not adapting.
• 12:46
  Jack: Makes sense.
• 12:47
  Jack: What about faculty?
• 12:48
  Jack: They can sometimes be hesitant.
• 12:49
  Jill: Forming a content advisory group with faculty can build buy-in.
• 12:53
  Jill: Show them how great content elevates their work and attracts top students.
• 12:57
  Jill: Frame it as a benefit to them.
• 12:58
  Jack: Good approach and the perennial problem.
• 13:01
  Jack: Budget constraints.
• 13:02
  Jill: Yeah.
• 13:03
  Jill: Look for zero budget wins.
• 13:05
  Jill: First.
• 13:05
  Jill: Optimizing existing content, encouraging student content, and frame content as a long-term efficiency play.
• 13:11
  Jill: It can reduce reliance on expensive paid ads over time.
• 13:15
  Jack: Smart.
• 13:15
  Jack: Okay.
• 13:15
  Jack: Looking ahead.
• 13:17
  Jack: Emerging trends, what's next?
• 13:19
  Jack: In content?
• 13:20
  Jill: We're seeing a move beyond static articles to more immersive experiences
• 13:24
  Jack: like VR tours, interactive program explorers.
• 13:27
  Jill: Exactly.
• 13:28
  Jill: Stuff that lets students really engage.
• 13:30
  Jill: AI personalization is getting even smarter, more tailored
• 13:33
  Jack: social search optimization.
• 13:34
  Jack: You mentioned that briefly.
• 13:35
  Jill: Yes.
• 13:36
  Jill: TikTok Instagram, they're becoming search engines for Gen Z, so optimizing captions, hashtags, even spoken words and videos for search is becoming crucial.
• 13:45
  Jill: Interesting content is also being seen more as a retention tool, supporting the whole student journey, not just recruitment
• 13:51
  Jack: and the overall theme.
• 13:52
  Jill: Value-driven content wins Stuff that genuinely helps, informs or inspires, outperforms purely promotional content every time.
• 14:00
  Jack: Makes sense.
• 14:01
  Jack: Provide value first.
• 14:03
  Jack: There was also a checklist mentioned.
• 14:05
  Jack: For a content audit.
• 14:06
  Jill: Yeah, a practical checklist in one source covers purpose planning, student involvement measurement, a really useful tool for you to self-assess where your strengths and weaknesses are.
• 14:16
  Jack: Good resource and timelines.
• 14:19
  Jack: People always wanna know how long this takes.
• 14:21
  Jill: The resources gave some realistic ranges.
• 14:24
  Jill: Engagement improvements.
• 14:25
  Jill: Yeah.
• 14:25
  Jill: Maybe one to three months.
• 14:27
  Jill: Lead gen three to six impact on applications.
• 14:31
  Jill: Six to 12 months.
• 14:32
  Jill: Full enrollment impact might take 12 to 18 months.
• 14:35
  Jill: That's a long
• 14:35
  Jack: game.
• 14:35
  Jill: It is.
• 14:36
  Jill: It requires sustained effort.
• 14:37
  Jill: Yeah.
• 14:37
  Jill: And strategic budget allocation.
• 14:39
  Jill: Investing in SEO tools, video student content support, distribution, maybe personalization tech and having the right staff expertise.
• 14:47
  Jack: Okay.
• 14:47
  Jack: Let's pivot now.
• 14:49
  Jack: To something absolutely foundational for all this digital work.
• 14:52
  Jack: Your content management system, your CMS
• 14:55
  Jill: Ah, the backbone.
• 14:56
  Jack: Exactly.
• 14:57
  Jack: Choosing the right CMS is such a pivotal decision, isn't it?
• 15:00
  Jack: It affects website functionality, team efficiency, everything.
• 15:04
  Jill: Absolutely.
• 15:04
  Jill: It's the central hub and the overview we saw breaks the market down pretty clearly.
• 15:10
  Jill: You've got open source.
• 15:12
  Jill: Mainly Drupal and WordPress,
• 15:13
  Jack: the big players,
• 15:14
  Jill: right?
• 15:15
  Jill: And then proprietary solutions like modern campus CMS Cascade, CMS Terminal four.
• 15:21
  Jack: The market share is interesting.
• 15:21
  Jack: Open source seems dominant, especially at the top universities, but WordPress has huge overall usage across all of higher ed.
• 15:29
  Jill: That's generally the picture.
• 15:30
  Jill: Yes.
• 15:31
  Jack: Okay.
• 15:31
  Jack: Let's talk about these platforms.
• 15:32
  Jack: Drupal first, the enterprise powerhouse.
• 15:35
  Jill: That's the reputation I.
• 15:36
  Jill: Used by a lot of top research universities.
• 15:38
  Jill: All the Ivys its strengths are scalability for huge sites, flexibility for customization, strong governance features, security, accessibility built in, great for multi-site and multi-language setups.
• 15:50
  Jack: Downsides,
• 15:50
  Jill: steeper learning curve for users, often needs developer expertise for big changes.
• 15:55
  Jill: Fewer off the shelf themes compared to WordPress.
• 15:58
  Jack: So best for large complex universities with tech resources
• 16:01
  Jill: generally.
• 16:02
  Jill: Yes.
• 16:02
  Jack: Okay, then WordPress known for being user friendly.
• 16:05
  Jill: Very much so.
• 16:06
  Jill: That's its big appeal, especially for smaller colleges.
• 16:10
  Jill: Easy interface, massive ecosystem of themes and plugins.
• 16:14
  Jill: Quick to deploy.
• 16:15
  Jill: Cost effective can handle multiple sites with its multi-site feature
• 16:19
  Jack: challenges.
• 16:19
  Jill: Security can be a concern if it's not managed well.
• 16:22
  Jill: It's a big target, relies heavily on plugins for advanced features.
• 16:25
  Jill: Maybe fewer built-in enterprise features than Drupal performance needs.
• 16:29
  Jill: Careful optimization for high traffic.
• 16:31
  Jack: So maybe a better fit for smaller to mid-size places.
• 16:34
  Jack: Limited it where marketing drives the content
• 16:36
  Jill: often.
• 16:37
  Jill: Yes.
• 16:37
  Jill: It empowers non-technical users really well.
• 16:40
  Jack: What about modern campus CMS, the one formerly known as Omni CMS designed for higher ed?
• 16:45
  Jill: Exactly.
• 16:46
  Jill: Purpose-built modules for things colleges need an intuitive editor for non-techies, strong on accessibility and governance.
• 16:54
  Jill: Good support focused on higher ed, scalable for many sites,
• 16:57
  Jack: potential drawbacks,
• 16:58
  Jill: licensing and hosting costs.
• 17:00
  Jill: Maybe less customization freedom than open source.
• 17:03
  Jill: Some find parts of the interface a bit dated, though that's subjective.
• 17:07
  Jack: So good for a turnkey solution.
• 17:09
  Jack: Less it overhead needed
• 17:10
  Jill: could be yes if those higher ed specific features are a priority.
• 17:15
  Jack: Okay.
• 17:15
  Jack: Cascade CMS focused on structured content and quality control.
• 17:20
  Jill: That's the angle.
• 17:21
  Jill: Higher ed templates built in accessibility and quality checks, strong permissions and versioning for workflows.
• 17:27
  Jill: Drag and drop interface, vendor handles, updates, does, can have significant license costs, maybe less flexible for deep customization, smaller developer community than say WordPress or Drupal.
• 17:38
  Jack: So good for places that really prioritize governance and quality control.
• 17:42
  Jill: Let's take a strong fit there.
• 17:43
  Jack: And finally, terminal four.
• 17:44
  Jack: Positioned as marketing focused,
• 17:46
  Jill: right strong on multi-site management, integrated personalization and digital marketing tools, multi-channel support.
• 17:53
  Jill: Built in marketing automation features aimed at recruitment
• 17:56
  Jack: challenges there.
• 17:57
  Jill: Proprietary cost and support model interface can seem complex to some smaller US presence than others.
• 18:04
  Jill: Maybe less scope for custom development.
• 18:07
  Jack: So best if you really want to integrate marketing automation tightly with your CMS and recruitment is the top priority,
• 18:13
  Jill: that seems to be its sweet spot.
• 18:15
  Jack: Okay.
• 18:15
  Jack: So when you're choosing,
• 18:17
  Jill: yeah.
• 18:17
  Jack: What are the key decision factors?
• 18:19
  Jack: SEO must be high on the list.
• 18:21
  Jill: Absolutely critical.
• 18:22
  Jill: All platforms can do SEO well if configured right.
• 18:25
  Jill: Drupal structure is inherently good for it.
• 18:28
  Jill: WordPress relies heavily on plugins like Yost.
• 18:31
  Jill: Proprietary ones often have built-in checks.
• 18:33
  Jack: Accessibility, compliance, huge deal in higher ed.
• 18:36
  Jill: Non-negotiable.
• 18:37
  Jill: Drupal's, a leader here built-in features.
• 18:39
  Jill: WordPress depends on themes, plugins, proprietary options often include automated checkers, which helps, but managing content creators across any platform is still a challenge.
• 18:47
  Jack: Multi-site management and scalability important for universities with lots of departments or campuses.
• 18:52
  Jill: Crucial.
• 18:53
  Jill: Drupal handles it well.
• 18:55
  Jill: WordPress has multi-site mode.
• 18:57
  Jill: The proprietary ones like Modern Campus Terminal four, cascade are often built.
• 19:01
  Jill: Specifically for this.
• 19:03
  Jill: Drupal might edge out for extremely high traffic, complex setups,
• 19:07
  Jack: security and compliance.
• 19:09
  Jack: Ferpa, GDPR.
• 19:10
  Jack: Gotta be safe.
• 19:11
  Jill: Top priority.
• 19:12
  Jill: Drupal has a strong security rep.
• 19:14
  Jill: WordPress is a bigger target due to popularity needs diligence.
• 19:17
  Jill: Proprietary vendors handle core updates, which can be a plus.
• 19:21
  Jill: All can be configured for compliance
• 19:23
  Jack: and just ease of use for both marketing folks and it.
• 19:27
  Jill: Big practical consideration.
• 19:28
  Jill: WordPress usually wins for user friendliness.
• 19:31
  Jill: Easy learning curve.
• 19:32
  Jill: Drupal is powerful but harder for new users.
• 19:35
  Jill: The higher ed specific CMSs really try to cater to non-technical marketers.
• 19:39
  Jack: Okay, that's a great breakdown of the CMS landscape.
• 19:42
  Jack: Let's shift again now to email marketing, but specifically through the lens of student retention.
• 19:47
  Jill: Ah.
• 19:47
  Jill: Really important, maybe sometimes overlooked use of email.
• 19:51
  Jack: Definitely.
• 19:51
  Jack: Especially when you look at dropout rates, particularly first year undergrads.
• 19:55
  Jill: Yeah.
• 19:55
  Jack: It's a significant issue financially and institutionally.
• 19:58
  Jill: Huge cost of attrition.
• 20:00
  Jill: And it's interesting how email may be seen as old school by some, can be such a powerful tool for fostering belonging and proactively tackling reasons students leave.
• 20:09
  Jack: So what is student retention fundamentally,
• 20:12
  Jill: it's really multifaceted, isn't it?
• 20:14
  Jill: It's about academic readiness, overall wellbeing, financial stability, feeling integrated socially, having clarity about their career path
• 20:23
  Jack: and the resources looked at why students day or leave, and how email can actually help.
• 20:28
  Jill: Exactly.
• 20:29
  Jill: If students are facing academic hurdles, proactive emails about expectations and support resources like that, Kony fall line technical college example with retention specialists and early alerts can make a real difference.
• 20:41
  Jack: Providing help before they feel lost
• 20:42
  Jill: precisely, or if they feel disconnected like they don't belong
• 20:46
  Jack: emails, inviting them to clubs events may celebrating student achievements like in that A A PS newsletter example.
• 20:52
  Jill: Exactly.
• 20:52
  Jill: Cultivating that sense of community financial stress is another big one.
• 20:56
  Jack: So.
• 20:56
  Jack: Timely reminders about aid deadlines, info on scholarships, financial counseling, like the City Cares program in London.
• 21:03
  Jill: Mm-hmm.
• 21:04
  Jill: And for students unsure about their career path.
• 21:07
  Jack: Emails, highlighting internships, alumni stories in their field, career development resources, offering guidance.
• 21:14
  Jill: Right.
• 21:14
  Jill: And maybe the toughest one.
• 21:16
  Jill: Personal or mental health struggles,
• 21:17
  Jack: compassionate emails from student services outlining wellness resources, support networks, normalizing seeking help like the DCC content mentioned.
• 21:26
  Jill: Providing those lifelines is crucial.
• 21:29
  Jill: And email plays a role across the entire journey, doesn't it?
• 21:31
  Jack: Yeah.
• 21:31
  Jack: The resources mapped it out nicely year one.
• 21:34
  Jack: Onboarding early support.
• 21:37
  Jack: Welcome series, resource info surveys, event invites like John Katt University's approach,
• 21:42
  Jill: keeping them connected right from the start.
• 21:45
  Jill: Then sophomore, junior years, maintaining momentum, providing direction,
• 21:49
  Jack: academic milestones, career development, personal growth.
• 21:52
  Jack: Wellness campaigns like SMU don't Ghost.
• 21:55
  Jack: SMU Idea,
• 21:56
  Jill: keeping them engaged and on track.
• 21:58
  Jill: Yeah.
• 21:58
  Jill: And then senior year, focusing on graduation and what comes next?
• 22:01
  Jack: Graduation guys.
• 22:02
  Jack: Career prep, alumni stories.
• 22:04
  Jack: Congratulations.
• 22:05
  Jack: Similar to what New Asia offers,
• 22:06
  Jill: supporting them right through to the finish line and beyond.
• 22:08
  Jack: So what are the best practices for making these retention emails?
• 22:11
  Jack: Actually work.
• 22:12
  Jill: Segmentation is key.
• 22:14
  Jill: Tailoring messages by class year.
• 22:16
  Jill: Major demographics makes them much more relevant.
• 22:20
  Jack: Not one size fits all.
• 22:21
  Jill: Definitely not using automation thoughtfully triggered by behavior or milestones, but keeping it personal and valuable.
• 22:28
  Jack: Focus on value, right?
• 22:30
  Jack: Helpful tips, tightly reminders, inspiring stories
• 22:33
  Jill: like those transparent digital bulletins for parents from ENSR, providing real value and of course, monitor your data.
• 22:41
  Jill: Track engagement, see what's working, what's not,
• 22:43
  Jack: and collaborate across departments.
• 22:45
  Jill: Yes.
• 22:45
  Jill: Aligning messaging from different services.
• 22:47
  Jill: Advising career center student life makes a huge difference.
• 22:51
  Jill: Presents a unified support system.
• 22:53
  Jack: Okay, let's talk about something that's weaving its way into all of this artificial intelligence.
• 22:58
  Jack: Ai.
• 22:59
  Jill: Mm-hmm.
• 22:59
  Jill: A topic that sparks a lot of discussion and sometimes maybe a little fear.
• 23:03
  Jack: Yeah.
• 23:03
  Jack: The whole robots taking over thing, but the resources we looked at framed it differently, especially for higher ed.
• 23:09
  Jack: More about enhancing the human touch.
• 23:11
  Jill: Exactly.
• 23:12
  Jill: That's the critical insight.
• 23:14
  Jill: AI isn't about replacing people, it's about empowering institutions to connect better, more efficiently,
• 23:20
  Jack: freeing up teams from routine tasks,
• 23:22
  Jill: precisely automating the repetitive stuff.
• 23:25
  Jill: Providing data-driven insights so staff can focus on building those deeper meaningful relationships, more time for personalized support.
• 23:34
  Jack: So for enrollment teams, AI can help identify students who are not just qualified, but likely to actually thrive at your specific institution.
• 23:43
  Jill: Yes.
• 23:43
  Jill: Looking beyond just grades and scores to find that better fit based on a wider range of data points.
• 23:49
  Jack: And for current students, AI can flag those who might be struggling.
• 23:52
  Jack: Academically, financially, personally.
• 23:54
  Jill: Mm-hmm.
• 23:55
  Jill: That proactive identification allows for timely interventions, offering support before a student hits a crisis point or considers dropping out.
• 24:03
  Jack: It can also help tailor teaching.
• 24:05
  Jack: And measure program effectiveness.
• 24:06
  Jill: Yeah.
• 24:07
  Jill: Providing insights into student performance and engagement that can help instructors adapt their methods and giving institutions data on how well programs are meeting student needs.
• 24:16
  Jack: So the ultimate goal isn't automation for its own sake?
• 24:19
  Jill: Not at all.
• 24:20
  Jill: It's about creating a more personalized, effective, and ideally, a more compassionate learning environment for every single student using tech to boost human connection and support.
• 24:31
  Jack: What are some concrete examples we're seeing?
• 24:33
  Jill: Well, AI chatbots for instant answers to common questions are pretty widespread now.
• 24:37
  Jill: Free up staff for complex issues,
• 24:39
  Jack: AR and VR for virtual tours.
• 24:41
  Jill: Definitely often using AI to personalize the tour content based on expressed interests and AI algorithms delivering personalized content suggestions on websites or portals based on browsing behavior.
• 24:54
  Jill: Makes sense.
• 24:55
  Jack: Okay.
• 24:55
  Jack: Just a couple more areas.
• 24:56
  Jack: Conversion driven design.
• 24:58
  Jack: Why is this so important?
• 24:59
  Jill: Because it's critical for actually turning website visitors into applicants or getting current students to take necessary actions online.
• 25:07
  Jill: It directly impacts enrollment and engagement,
• 25:09
  Jack: but there are barriers, right?
• 25:11
  Jack: Why do institutions sometimes struggle with this?
• 25:13
  Jill: Often it's lack of collaboration, marketing, IT, design, working in silos, resistance to data-driven decisions, not measuring website performance properly.
• 25:22
  Jill: Sometimes prioritizing just aesthetics over actual user experiencing goals.
• 25:27
  Jill: Or just not understanding the audience's online behavior well enough.
• 25:31
  Jack: But breakthroughs are happening,
• 25:32
  Jill: thankfully.
• 25:33
  Jill: Yes.
• 25:33
  Jill: More cross-functional teams focusing on optimization, a bigger emphasis on data and analytics, prioritizing UX using personalization and committing to continuous testing, AB testing, user testing to constantly improve performance.
• 25:47
  Jack: Good to hear.
• 25:48
  Jack: And finally, let's touch on brand research.
• 25:51
  Jack: Why is that so fundamental?
• 25:53
  Jill: Because choosing a college is a deeply emotional decision, isn't
• 25:56
  Jack: it?
• 25:56
  Jack: Absolutely huge life decision,
• 25:58
  Jill: and your brand is how you tell your story, how you connect emotionally.
• 26:01
  Jill: It impacts student interests, parent support, counsel recommendations, everything.
• 26:06
  Jack: So you need a consistent way to understand your brand.
• 26:09
  Jack: Like using archetypes
• 26:10
  Jill: frameworks like archetypes can really help define that core personality and values.
• 26:14
  Jill: Then you need to measure how that brand is actually expressed and perceived
• 26:18
  Jack: internally and externally.
• 26:20
  Jill: Both.
• 26:21
  Jill: How do you, your faculty, staff, current students see the brand?
• 26:25
  Jill: Workshops, surveys, focus groups can help there and externally.
• 26:30
  Jill: Market surveys, talking to prospective students in the community, social listening, analyzing competitor brands,
• 26:36
  Jack: and you need to connect that brand research to your audience.
• 26:38
  Jack: Research.
• 26:39
  Jill: Critically important, developing personas may be based on those archetypes that represent your ideal students.
• 26:45
  Jack: The goal being
• 26:46
  Jill: to make your institution schema, you know, the mental map people have of you, not just known, but really individualize, emotionally resonant, and clearly different from your competitors.
• 26:55
  Jill: Stand out for the right reasons.
• 26:57
  Jack: Okay?
• 26:57
  Jack: Wow.
• 26:58
  Jack: We've covered a lot of ground texting content, CMS, email, AI design brand.
• 27:04
  Jill: As we wrap up, what are the absolute key takeaways for higher education marketers listening to this?
• 27:09
  Jack: I think the biggest theme really is the absolute need for personalized, meaningful communication across every channel you use.
• 27:16
  Jill: Tailor the message
• 27:17
  Jack: exactly whether it's a quick text, a nurturing email, or a strategic content, and underpinning all that.
• 27:22
  Jack: You have to leverage data and analytics.
• 27:25
  Jack: Make informed decisions, measure what you're doing, choose the right tech foundation.
• 27:29
  Jack: Like your CMS
• 27:30
  Jill: crucial and embrace ai, not as a replacement for people, but as a tool to enhance that human connection and finally invest in building that strong, authentic brand story based on solid research.
• 27:43
  Jack: That's a fantastic summary, and for you, our listener, maybe a final thought to chew on, how can you take all these insights we've discussed, the power of concise texts, personalized emails, strategic content, the right tech, smart ai, a strong brand.
• 27:57
  Jack: And weave them together.
• 27:59
  Jack: How can you use them to forge those deeper, more effective connections with both your perspective and your current students?
• 28:04
  Jack: Ultimately driving enrollment, yes, but also fostering their long-term success and connection to your institution.
• 28:10
  Jill: Lots to think about there.
• 28:12
  Jack: Definitely.
• 28:12
  Jill: Yeah.
• 28:13
  Jack: We hope this exploration gives you some concrete ideas to adapt and implement within your own unique context.