Higher Ed Storytelling University

John Azoni is the founder of the Higher Ed Storytelling Podcast and Unveild, a video branding agency that helps colleges and universities tell compelling institutional stories. In this solo episode, John discusses effective content creation strategies for higher education institutions. He covers several key points:The Podcast Format Change John announces the podcast is moving to an every-other-week release schedule to allow more time to promote each episode. He encourages a "quality over quantity" mindset for content.Upcoming Webinar with Rob Clark of "That Tall Family" John previews an upcoming webinar on June 27th with Rob Clark, the creator behind the popular "That Tall Family" accounts, on mastering short-form video content for higher ed.Who is Your Content For? John emphasizes the importance of creating content that provides widespread benefit beyond just your existing students/alumni. Successful content resonates with and gets spread by a broader audience you want to attract.Treat Your Platform Like a Business For platforms you want to prioritize, treat it like a business by studying what resonates with your audience, iterating, and delivering more of that content. Don't just use it as a hosting shelf.Organic Reach Insights From researching higher ed video content, John found self-promotional "commercials" don't gain much organic traction. More successful are videos that entertain, inform, or cater to niche interests.The "Who is This For?" Mindset Consistently ask yourself who you're creating a piece of content for. Is it genuinely exciting/beneficial for your target audience, or just for existing supporters like alumni?Balance Promotion with Value While some straightforward promotional content is okay, the bulk should provide real value and interest for your desired audience. Experiment to find the right mix.Key Takeaways:Focus content on benefiting your target audience, not just talking about yourselfStudy what content resonates organically and iterate to provide more of thatFind the right balance of entertainment/information and self-promotionConsistently ask "who is this for?" when creating contentRegister for the Live Webinar:Mastering Tiktok, Reels, and Shorts: A Guide for Higher Ed Marketers - https://www.crowdcast.io/c/shortformvideoConnect With John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

My guest today is Joel Goodman, founder of Bravery Media. Joel helps colleges and universities increase their web conversion rates using hospitable design practices. In this episode, we discuss insights from the Simpson Scarborough CMO study and how it relates to budget constraints, staffing, and curating the best marketing communications team with the resources available.Joel shares his background, including working in web marketing roles at two universities before starting Bravery Media in 2012. He advocates for a "hospitable design" approach that focuses on caring for the user's journey and reducing friction.Key Takeaways:The study reveals significant variability in marketing budgets and staffing across institution sizes, directly impacting strategies and job satisfaction.Despite budget declines, website experience remains a priority with a focus on quality content for prospective students.Effective web governance, strategic digital investment, using analytics, and adapting to AI are crucial for meeting younger audiences' expectations.Salary levels for web roles are often too low to attract top talent, leading to subpar user experiences compared to other industries.Having an in-house video team can make sense for large institutions, but most lack the budget for a complete product team (producer, UX designers, developers).Hiring external partners can be more cost-effective and provide better quality for web design, video production, and content creation.AI tools should enhance research and data analysis, not replace authentic creative work that connects with prospective students.Connect with Joel:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelgoodman/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelgoodman/Connect with Bravery Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braverymedia/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravery-media/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@braverymediaWebsite: https://bravery.co/Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter

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:Don't get bogged down as an order-taker. Position your marketing team as strategic brand stewards using an "internal agency" model.Establish a streamlined project request and approval process, limiting feedback rounds to 3 max to drive efficiency.Create content templates and approved vendor lists to empower distributed teams while protecting brand standards.Surface storylines and assets from across campus to repurpose content and create consistent thematic campaigns.Buy-in from leadership and practitioners is crucial. Forcing new processes without buy-in leads to failure.Use project management tools to showcase your team's work, justify budgets, and pull insightful analytics.Mental health storylines resonate; look for authentic examples showcasing how your university supports students holistically.Connect With Kristin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholskristin/Nichols Higher Education: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nicholshighered/Resources Mentioned:Trello - Project management tool used at UMass Lowell Basecamp.Loom - Another popular project management platform. A screen recording tool for documenting processes.Connect With John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: 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:Building a world-class marketing team involves hiring emotive storytellers, content strategists, and earned media experts who can "enchant" audiences with Texas A&M's stories.Having a distinct, insight-based brand platform allows everyone to "get in character" and consistently express the brand's essence across touchpoints.Providing a centralized library of high-quality branded assets (photos, videos, guidelines) enables campus partners to localize and execute marketing plans efficiently.Cultivating a united "marketing community" across campus fosters synergies, best practices, and a harmonious brand voice.Pursuing a national earned media strategy ensures Texas A&M is part of relevant national conversations, beyond just a regional reputation.Focus content creation on owning key subject matter spaces (e.g. Texas A&M's meat sciences department owning BBQ/smoking content on YouTube).Connect With Ethan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertethanbraden/Texas A&M University: https://www.tamu.edu/Connect With John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: 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:Keeping the web and marketing teams integrated rather than separating web under IT to maintain a cohesive vision and workflowThe importance of clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and processes for team collaboration and moraleTheir approach to the marketing tech stack spanning web hosting, CMS, CRM, marketing automation, advertising platforms and moreAligning content strategy by talking directly with students to understand their needs and journeysManaging changes and budget considerations when incorporating new marketing technology platformsBuilding relationships and lines of communication across student-facing departments to break down silosOn 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/heweb24Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: 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: Hire good editors who can create a compelling story and vibe that draws viewers in. Editing is where a video can fall apart, so prioritize finding videographers who are skilled editors.Look for videographers who are collaborative partners, both creatively and logistically. They should take scheduling and coordination off your plate.Request that the videographer provide all the B-roll footage at no extra cost. This is a good sign they want to be a true partner.For lower budgets, look for generalist solo videographers used to doing a lot themselves. For bigger budgets and commercials, hire studios with specialized on-set roles.When hiring in-house videographers, manage expectations and clearly define priorities. One person can't do it all. Consider outside help for marketing storytelling.For small in-house video teams, an efficient duo is a producer/director/camera operator paired with a dedicated editor.Join the newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletterConnect 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:Higher ed provides ample opportunity for meaningful, transformational stories that don't exist in the same way in other contextsStrong student testimonials have an arc - an "old normal," a turning point, and a "new normal"Getting specific in student stories, especially around the turning point, allows prospects to relate on an emotional levelAuthentically communicating student mental health struggles and support services can be powerful storytellingStudents crave specific content around day-to-day experience, dorm life, food, "day in the life" videosConsider leveraging student-generated content for relatability, not just official marketing videosVideo length is less important than providing value and "resolving something in the viewer's brain"Hook the audience by conveying what they'll learn or how they'll relate vs. just introducing the subjectRepurposing video content into shorter clips, stills, ads etc. can fuel years of content vs. one-off approachYour audience sees your content far less than you think - don't be afraid to repurpose frequentlyLINKS: 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:The "from" line is more important than the subject line for driving opens. Send emails from a real person's name rather than a generic sender.Craft subject lines that pique curiosity and create a sense of urgency to open. Use odd numbers which feel more realistic.Test sending emails from different people at your institution that audiences will find trustworthy and relatable.Repurpose existing blog, video and social content in your emails rather than always creating new content.Include a strong postscript (P.S.) as a call-to-action - people are conditioned to read it.Use memes sparingly but strategically to show you understand your audience's pain points and experiences.For personalization across majors/colleges, focus on just 2-3 top programs first before trying to personalize for everyone.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/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: 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:Students prefer email communication (45%) more than schools expect. Consider increasing use of SMS/text messaging, which students find helpful but schools underutilize.52% of students said virtual tours were very important in their enrollment journey. Virtual tours help students remotely experience your campus before visiting.Students' biggest fear is making the wrong choice about where to enroll. Create content to boost their confidence in choosing your school.Capture video content and student stories during commencement week to highlight outcomes and plug into your summer melt campaigns.Create interactive campus maps to help students and families navigate your campus easily, especially on commencement day. Highlight key locations like parking.Connect with Shiro:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiro-h-685a2885/Higher Ed Demand Gen Podcast:(Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLyDFcj1AiM5OyzrCNsJE(Apple) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/higher-ed-demand-gen-podcast/id1640562803Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:While many universities launched podcasts during COVID, Robert sees opportunities for higher quality, vision-driven scholarly podcasts.Scholarly podcasts allow professors to communicate key research insights engagingly, making academia more publicly accessible.Long-form podcasts (2-4 hours) succeed when the host makes dense content conversational and actionable for lay audiences.For faculty, the benefits of podcasting include bolstering the institution's brand, expanding research impact, and inspiring public discourse.Robert recommends universities identify star faculty as consistent hosts, or start with a "podcast guesting" strategy before launching their own show.Joining a network like Professors FM aids audience growth through cross-promotion and provides a peer community for scholarly podcasters.Example Mentioned:The Huberman Lab Podcast by Andrew Huberman (Stanford)Connect with Robert:Websites:https://university.fm/https://www.professors.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiganrobertli/Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Good stories start with listening first to identify the audience's needs, hopes, fears, and struggles. Craft the story to speak to those insights.A simple four-point story structure for higher ed: 1) Acknowledge the prospective student's need 2) Present the degree/program as the solution 3) Acknowledge the struggles students may face 4) Share how the school helped the student overcome struggles to succeedAsk questions that reveal conflict and get more authentic, vulnerable responses vs. predictable, low-stakes answers. Set proper expectations upfront.Share relatable stories of overcoming struggles, not just glossy success stories. This builds deeper connections with prospective students.Stakes create hooks to invest the audience in story outcomes. Establish stakes when introducing student needs.Compelling stories can be longer if the content merits it. Don't shy away from 2-3 mins if needed.Example Video Mentioned:“Catch Up” - a story from University of Colorado Continuing Educationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OHBTodd3D0Connect with Sarah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-whorton/Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Look beyond just communications backgrounds when hiring. Other majors like psychology and organizational behavior provide valuable perspectives.Establish niche roles like animator, illustrator, vertical video specialist rather than just generalists.Tend to team well-being through being an advocate and buffer from leadership.Set realistic expectations for leadership based on bandwidth. Not all platforms deserve equal focus.Help team members showcase transferable skills gained from social media roles when pursuing new opportunities.Connect with Nikki:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkisunstrum/Website: https://nikkisunstrum.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkisunstrum/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkisunConnect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Starting a podcast as a hobby can give you valuable experience and open unexpected doors, like Kate's role hosting This Is Purdue.Consistency and social promotion are key to building awareness and audiences for a new podcast. Start small if needed, like monthly vs. weekly episodes.Feedback and impact stories, though rare, are powerful reminders of how podcasts can uniquely reach and resonate with listeners.Repurposing podcast audio and video into short-form social content expands reach and gives new entry points into the full episodes.Experiment with trends like memes and popular formats as inspiration for companion social content beyond repurposed clips.Research-focused episodes can showcase fascinating work happening at universities in an accessible way to various audiences.Connect with Kate:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-young-podcast/Twitter: @KateMYoung https://twitter.com/katemyoungPodcast: https://www.purdue.edu/podcastConnect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Instagram is the #1 platform students go to learn about colleges they're interested in, with YouTube and Facebook often second and third.Around 25% of students say they didn't look at any college social media pages during their search process.Students want authentic, user-generated content showing what daily student life is really like, not overly polished marketing material.Top content types students want to see: day in the life videos, dorm life, campus events, popular off-campus spots, classes/clubs, student challenges.Comments and engagement metrics matter more than vanity metrics like likes or follows.A reality TV style mini-series following different individual students could be highly engaging.Try student-created content on the university's channels and their own personal channels - test what resonates.LinkedIn post Jeremy & John is discussing on the show:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeremytiers_hesm-higheredmarketing-highereducationmarketing-activity-7153081593245405184-UB7gConnect with Jeremy:Email: jeremy@dantudor.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremytiers/Website: https://admissions.dantudor.com/Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniWebsite: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Program pages should clearly answer the main questions prospective students have - should I study this, and should I study it here? Keep the focus on their perspective.Avoid too much "navel-gazing" or talking about yourself as the university. Stay focused on the student's needs.Get specific - use tangible examples and stories to bring the program to life, not vague claims or platitudes.Do more showing than telling - give evidence for claims rather than just stating them. Invite students into the experience.Break up info into scannable sections and mix formats (text, images, video). Create a clear journey that "slides" readers down the page.Have a strong value proposition and call to action prominent at the top. Don't bury key info.Consider "try before you buy" options like free masterclasses or taster sessions. This builds trust and engagement.Connect with Jo:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-marshall-copywriter/Website: https://allthingswords.co.uk/Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniUNVEILD: https://unveild.tvNewsletter: https://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:Implement the “speed to lead” method - respond to inquiries within 10 minutes. Data shows this drastically increases enrollment rates.Chatbots allow you to start personalized conversations with leads instantly, even while you sleep.Refine chatbot prompts over time. Mistakes will happen, but the tech improves through optimization.Nurture leads through ongoing personalized communication. Speed is just the start.Bring prospective students to the next step, like a campus tour, through conversational AI.Connect with Cade:Enroll Boost AI: https://enrollboostai.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cade-scott-1535362a2/Read about the case study:https://enrollboostai.com/#section-J8B-PZCuXFConnect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/Learn more about Unveild: https://unveild.tvJoin the newsletter: https://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: 25% of college students report having a disability, yet they are often invisible in higher ed marketing content. Telling their stories helps promote inclusion. Students with disabilities look for information on accessibility and accommodations when researching colleges. This should be easy to find. Mental health struggles are common. Students want to know schools offer resources to support their care. Casting authentically includes students with visible and invisible disabilities. They have compelling stories beyond just their disability.Get feedback from disability services and students as you learn to tell stories inclusively. Avoid tokenization or inspiration porn. Key insights for higher ed marketers when telling stories about students with disabilities: Focus on authentic stories that showcase the full person, not just their disability. Highlight their interests, goals, and achievements. Include students with both visible and invisible disabilities. This represents the diversity on campus. Get feedback from the disability services office and students as you learn to tell inclusive stories. Avoid harmful tropes. Make information on accommodations and accessibility easy to find. This is crucial for prospective students. Address mental health struggles that are common. Showcase resources schools offer to support students' care. What types of biases or misconceptions still exist around people with disabilities? How can authentic storytelling help challenge those? Some biases and misconceptions that still exist around people with disabilities include: Assuming their disability defines them or is their sole identity. In reality, it's one aspect of who they are. Believing they are inspirational just for living with a disability. This "inspiration porn" objectifies them. Thinking certain disabilities are too stigmatized to discuss openly. This discourages people from sharing their stories. Assuming they don't have goals, interests, and achievements unrelated to their disability.Viewing them as tokens when included in marketing content. 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: Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehigheredcmoConnect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/ Learn more about Unveild: https://unveild.tv Join the newsletter: 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:Personalization builds trust by showing you know your audience. Using details like someone's name makes content more resonant.AI generative models allow for personalized content at scale by generating text, images, audio and video tailored to each user.Tell stories that fit into the "hero's journey" framework with the student as hero and your school as guide. Appeal to their goals and motivations.Video tools like RunwayML, DALL-E, and Pica allow for mass video personalization by generating assets tailored to each user. See the Carvana example.Let AI video embrace its generated aesthetic rather than forcing realism. Authenticity matters more than high production value.Consider ethics in using personal data and representations. Don't misrepresent.Connect with Ardis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardis/Connect with Element451:Website: https://www.element451.comConnect with John Azoni:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni/Learn more about UNVEILD: 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:Front door content directly states brand values and goals, while side door content focuses more on storytelling.Side door content takes audiences on a journey that immerses them in the emotions of a brand.Great examples are Land Rover's video on a remote Nepali village dependent on classic Land Rovers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNXU1IR2LR8), P&G's "Thank You Mom" Olympic campaign focused on parental support (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQoJqDi8490), and Dove's recent anti-beauty filter initiative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILCgNkv8hM).Higher ed can also leverage cultural conversations and real-world problems to create content unrelated to recruitment, as seen in Purdue University's widely-viewed "What Can You Imagine?" video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuF2WKjUNbc) or the viral story of communication technology developed at UC San Francisco (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTZ2N-HJbwA).The litmus test: Could your content still stand without mentioning your brand? If so, you may have compelling side door content.Connect with John:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoniSubscribe to the Higher Ed Storyteller’s Digest newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter