Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager

Jenny welcomes back Maree Jones, the Director of social media strategy at University of Alabama Birmingham, to dive into the intersection of parenting and social media management. They discuss guiding teenagers through digital literacy, the evolving habits of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and how social channels influence college search decisions. Maree also shares insights on Meta's legal settlement regarding addictive features and confesses to presenting a safety slideshow to her son before letting him join social media.Related Link: https://lnkd.in/p/e6F-Ykfq Guest Name: Maree Jones, the Director of social media strategy at University of Alabama Birmingham Guest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Maree Jones wears many hats: social media strategist, digital content writer and thought leader, sought-after speaker and emcee, and more. With more than 15 years of experience in the ever-evolving world of digital communication, she now serves as the Director of Social Media Strategy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the largest employer in the state of Alabama and a powerhouse research institution. Her guiding mantra, “Digital relationships are real relationships,” is the foundation of her work and leadership.Throughout her career, Maree has shaped the online presence of national and global brands across industries, including higher education and technology, healthcare, and consumer products. It’s safe to say you’ve seen her award-winning work online without even realizing it.When she’s not leading UAB’s social media ecosystem or speaking to audiences about digital culture, this Birmingham, Alabama native is a wife, mom, pet mom, and nonprofit advocate. Learn more at mareejones.com. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenny talks with Isabella “Isa” Timiraos, Social Media Specialist at the University of Miami. Isa shares how organic collaborations and proactive community management on Instagram and TikTok drive immense brand growth, and they discuss the power of relationship-building, staying authentic, and experimenting with Gen Z trends. Guest Name: Isabella “Isa” Timiraos, Social Media Specialist at the University of Miami Guest Socials: LinkedIn - Isabella Timiraos - https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-timiraos/ Instagram - @isatimiraos - https://www.instagram.com/isatimiraos/ Website - www.isatimiraos.com Guest Bio: Isabella “Isa” Timiraos serves as a Social Media Specialist at the University of Miami, where she manages the university’s flagship Instagram and TikTok accounts, leads content creation and community management, and informs creative and social strategy. Her work has driven substantial audience growth, millions of impressions and engagements, and a thriving network of higher education partnerships earning recognition for innovative collaboration strategies and authentic digital storytelling. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenny Li Fowler chats with Joel Renner, VP of Partnerships at MeetYourClass. Joel shares how higher education communicators can establish a campus storytelling network—a human infrastructure made up of champions, connectors, and contributors. They also discuss treating storytelling as an ongoing relationship network rather than a contact list, leveraging authentic organic social media over polished marketing, and how human trust, rather than software, breaks down institutional silos. Guest Name: Joel Renner, Vice President of Partnerships, MeetYourClass Guest Socials:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelrenner/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/joelrrenner/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@joelrrenner Guest Bio: Joel Renner is the Vice President of Partnerships at MeetYourClass, where he works with colleges and universities to better understand how students actually make enrollment decisions and how institutions can influence those decisions earlier in the process. MeetYourClass helps enrollment leaders gain visibility into student intent before deposit, improving yield, reducing melt, and strengthening the transition from admission to arrival. Joel brings nearly two decades of experience across higher education strategy, enrollment, and digital engagement. His career has focused on helping institutions connect insight to action, whether through strategic planning, graduate and undergraduate enrollment growth, student success initiatives, or marketing and community-building efforts.  Prior to MeetYourClass, Joel served as a Strategic Leader at EAB, where he partnered with presidents, provosts, and enrollment leaders at institutions across the country. His work centered on enrollment strategy, market-responsive program development, and building scalable frameworks to improve student outcomes. He also played a key role internally in advancing thought leadership and social selling, helping leaders strengthen their voice and influence in the market. Joel spent more than a decade at The George Washington University, where he led digital strategy and career systems initiatives that significantly expanded the student community connection and employer connectivity. During that time, he also became a recognized voice in higher education marketing and community-building, serving as co-chair of the eduWeb Digital Summit, faculty for CASE’s Social Media and Community programming, and a frequent speaker on how digital behavior shapes the student journey. Across his work, Joel has consistently focused on one idea: student decisions don’t happen in systems, they happen online and with their community. Today, he brings that perspective to MeetYourClass, helping institutions rethink how they engage students before they ever step on campus and follow their journey till they are experienced alumni. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Joel lives with his wife and three kids. Outside of work, he can usually be found coaching, cooking, or following soccer. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

HeyOrca Newsletter Jenny explores the evolving landscape of professional networking with Alyssa Pulford, a community strategist at HeyOrca. Alyssa details her multifaceted role, which includes managing a daily newsletter and cultivating a highly engaged Slack community of power users who provide direct feedback to product teams. Guest Name: Alyssa Pulford, Community Strategist, HeyOrca Guest Socials: Alyssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssapulford/ HeyOrca: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heyorca/ Guest Bio: Alyssa Pulford is a Community Strategist at HeyOrca who has grown the company's newsletter to 40,000+ subscribers, the HeyOrca Community Facebook Group to 20.000+ members, and has created a private customer community called The HeyOrca Stans. She loves connecting with customers and providing them with the resources that will help them excel in their careers.  - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenny Li Fowler welcomes Jessica VanderKolk, a Public Communications Specialist at East Carolina University. The conversation centers on ECU’s innovative communications department structure, which utilizes a liaison model. Rather than being siloed in a central office, communicators are embedded directly within the colleges they cover. Jessica explains how this geographical proximity fosters deep collaboration, allowing for stronger relationships with faculty and staff and creating an environment where teams share resources rather than acting territorially. Guest Name:Jessica VanderKolk, public communications specialist at East Carolina University Guest Social: LinkedIn Guest Bio: Jessica VanderKolk is an award-winning communicator with over two decades of experience spanning newspaper journalism, local government, and higher education. As a public communications specialist at East Carolina University, she crafts compelling stories, manages social media strategy, and drives daily communications for the ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and is currently pursuing her master’s in strategic communication at ECU. Actively involved in the professional community, she is a member of or volunteers with several government and communications organizations, including the Government Social Media Association. She is a fierce advocate for communication accessibility, transparency, and the non-negotiable use of the Oxford comma. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys life with her spouse, her super-cool teenage son, and their pittie mix. Her favorite ways to unwind include reading, running, enjoying great food, watching “Taskmaster,” and relaxing with a color-by-numbers app. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Jenny Li Fowlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/https://twitter.com/TheJennyLiAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.