#65 - Higher ed, this is why you’re not growing on social media

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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?
7. 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 yourself
• Study what content resonates organically and iterate to provide more of that
• Find the right balance of entertainment/information and self-promotion
• Consistently ask "who is this for?" when creating content

Register for the Live Webinar:

• Mastering Tiktok, Reels, and Shorts: A Guide for Higher Ed Marketers - https://www.crowdcast.io/c/shortformvideo

Connect With John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
• Website: https://unveild.tv
• Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter