How do you stay authentic when AI touches everything you create? In this episode, we talk with Stu Eddins, Chief Digital Strategy Officer at Stamats, about the human side of artificial intelligence and why authenticity matters more than ever. Stu shares how AI has quietly shaped digital marketing for years and why technology alone will never replace genuine connection. The conversation turns to higher education and the growing pressure to sound real in a world of automated tools and machine-written messages. Stu explains how schools and marketers can use AI to amplify their voice instead of losing it, focusing on clarity, purpose, and the kind of communication that actually feels human.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [2:39 ] Is AI a bubble or the next big shift?
• [9:48 ] AI as the medium, not the message
• [17:27 ] How personalization and agentic AI could impact higher ed

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• NotebookLM

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Episode prompt: 

You are a strategic marketing expert with a deep understanding of higher education. I need to conduct a competitive content analysis to identify gaps in my institution's messaging and content. I want you to help me systematically compare multiple competitor pages against my own to discover what I'm missing or where I could strengthen my positioning.

**My Context:**

- Institution: [Your institution name and type]

- Content being analyzed: [Program page, admissions page, financial aid, etc.]

- My page URL: [Your URL]

- Target audience: [Who this content serves]

- Key goals for this content: [What should it accomplish]

**Competitor URLs to analyze:**

1. [Competitor 1 URL]

2. [Competitor 2 URL]

3. [Competitor 3 URL]

4. [Competitor 4 URL]

5. [Competitor 5 URL]

[Add up to 10 total]

Please visit each URL and analyze the content. Then provide:

1. **Common Themes**: What topics, benefits, or information appear on 3+ competitor pages but are missing or underrepresented on mine?

2. **Unique Differentiators**: What unique angles is each competitor taking that others aren't?

3. **Content Depth Comparison**: Where do competitors provide more comprehensive information than my page?

4. **Messaging Patterns**: What language, tone, or framing approaches are competitors using successfully?

5. **Missing Questions**: What prospective student questions do competitors answer that I don't address?

Guest Name: Stu Eddins, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, Stamats

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stueddins/

Guest Bio: Stu leads a team of digital marketing and analytics professionals that provides strategic support to higher education clients striving to increase awareness and demand generation for their brands and their programs. He brings decades of digital marketing expertise, having led enterprise-level initiatives in advertising and SEO for industries such as healthcare, higher education, ecommerce, and manufacturing.

Certified in Google Ads, Analytics, and Tag Manager, Stu uses his background in sales, customer service, analytics, and marketing to plan and implement successful campaigns that address overarching strategic goals and outcomes with data-driven tactics.

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Connect With Our Host:
Brian Piper
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwpiper/

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AI for U is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

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