Know Your Audience

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  • Know Your Audience

    Know Your Audience

    Marketers in higher education are pretty good at identifying a target audience: 18-24, both genders, high school grads, within 100 miles of the college.  

    But a market isn’t a monolith; it’s created from a great number of segments defined by interest, affinity, concerns, and intent. These segments are audiences, and if we take the time to define and understand them, they tell us how we should be targeting our ads and what the ad’s messages should be. 

    Right Message, Right Person, Right Moment 

    We’ve been hearing this advice for years, to the point where most of us can repeat it on demand. Many advertisers believe that they have used this advice in their own campaigns. Certainly, some marketers have while for many more it’s been a near miss. 

    Here’s a term I learned decades ago from clothing retail: Osfa (oh-ss-fah). Meaning One-Size-Fits-All. The term applies to generic, shapeless garments that could be worn by anyone. The problem is, wearing something and looking good in it are two very different things.  

    Now, look at your current ads. Clever as they are, could they be characterized as Osfa? Generic and shapeless enough that they cover everyone yet designed for nobody in particular? 

    Personalize, Even When You Think You Can’t 

    The most common way we use audiences is to target ads at people. The primary goal has been to promote cost savings, which makes sense. Why would we serve ads to unqualified consumers? However, this usage only addresses one part of the equation. 

    Part A – The Ads

    Ads need to be personalized for each audience segment, and Meta gives us a good example of why this is important. A simple audience breakdown for a freshman recruitment campaign could be a parent audience (often 40-60 years old) and a student audience (aged 18-24). Meta allows advertisers to create a single ad and serve it to Facebook, Instagram, or both. Most of the time the “both” box is ticked, and one ad is used across the two platforms.  

    Take a moment and try to imagine one ad message that would work well for both the parent and the student audiences. Any ideas? By the time you narrow down common interests between the two groups, you’re likely to be left with a mostly generic brand message.  

    One ad on both Instagram and Facebook is a missed opportunity to deploy two more effective, audience-specific messages. Messages that motivate action and inform decisions. The Parent and Student audiences have similar needs but different perspectives on most topics: “Parents, our campus is safe!”  “Students, you’ll love campus life!” 

    Part B – The Landing Page

    “My hands are tied; my website CMS doesn’t support personalization.” That may be true of your CMS, but thankfully your hands are not tied. Time and again, it’s been shown that prospects prefer a solution offered in a personalized manner. Our best chance to offer a personalized experience is on our website.  

    A marketing department can use third-party landing page hosts like Unbounce or invest in a sitewide personalization and testing tool like Optimizely. The objective is to offer page content that offers answers to the questions each audience is likely to ask, with a strong call to action. 

    A longer lasting solution is the development of audience-based site content that does double duty for paid and non-paid traffic. In many ways, content development makes the most sense. The audiences for your programs or services remain the same regardless of a paid or non-paid visit.  

    Summary

    Take a moment and assess how you identify the audiences in your target market. Are you using audience characteristics to personalize ad messages, tactics, and site experiences?  

    Yes, deploying content and ad personalization has cost and requires time and effort, but the payback can be substantive and very real. That payback can come from increased application counts from better qualified leads (less time and effort from the admissions team!) Improved brand affinity and authority because you are seen as a reliable and helpful resource. And internally the team can be seen as more efficient and effective at earning new students. 

    Kick one-size-fits-all campaigns to the curb. It’s time to refine your advertising and content using audience-based strategies. Start small with one service or program but be thorough. Knit together content and ads that address a target market and two or three audiences across different tactics. It will take practice and testing to get it right, so document your steps along the way. If you use Google Analytics you already have the data you need to create audiences, all you have to do is start. 

    Ready to make your audiences work for you? Email me to discuss strategies for your institution. 

  • When Lean Management Turns Mean

    When Lean Management Turns Mean

    Colleges have a long history of ransacking the latest management bestsellers in a hunt for new ideas to help survive challenging times.

    Of the myriad ideas in play, one in particular has me uneasy: lean management.

    I don’t think lean management is a bad idea. I’m concerned that it’s being used to justify some bad behaviors.

    Do More With Less

    First, I sense that lean management has become a euphemism for saying, “do more with less.” There are two fundamental problems with a “do more with less” approach. First, “doing more” is seldom strategic and should never be construed as a measurement of effectiveness. It is, at best, a measure of busyness and reduces strategy to frenzy.

    John Kotter notes that there is a debilitating difference between frenzy and urgency. Frenzy, he says, is false urgency. The hallmark of false urgency is lots of people doing lots of things, but no larger vision of how these things fit together or where the organization is trying to go. “Get busy” is the battle cry of the frenzied manager. “Get strategic” is the battle cry of the urgent leader.

    Burn Out

    Second, a “do more with less” approach burns out the people whose performance you most need. Talented people are not alchemists. They cannot create something from nothing. They need to be supported with real resources.1

    The first element of lean management has become distorted in today’s difficult climate. The second element—protecting key people—is simply overlooked. Let me offer three observations.

    Disenfranchisement

    First, consider what happens when key people, saddled with smaller budgets and reduced staff, are routinely asked to deliver the same, or even better, results. This sends a signal that their superiors have little real understanding of the enormity and complexity of the task and that there is no understanding of what it will take to be successful. The net result is gradual but certain disenfranchisement.

    Measuring Performance

    The second failure occurs when some people and departments are consistently put under the gun while others are not. There is a powerful temptation in higher education to hold those people whose performance can be easily measured to a higher standard than those people whose performance cannot. We see that most clearly in staff positions.

    Performance in admissions and advancement, for example, are easy to measure. Performance among library staff and student services are not. Please note that I am not picking on library staff and student services. What I am suggesting, in the larger sense, is that everyone who works at a college or university should understand how their performance will be measured and then held accountable for that performance.

    Mean Management

    When lean management becomes mean management, two things—both of them bad—occur. First, it becomes punitive. Your best people—your A-team—are overburdened. Because they are the most talented and the most conscientious, they assume, or are given, a disproportionate share of the burden. Shouldering this burden can exact a terrible toll. Of course, there is nothing wrong with working hard. There is something very wrong, however, with continually being asked to perform at the sacrificial level.

    Second, your most talented people—the people you absolutely need—will tire of the crucible and get enticed away. Regardless of whatever hiring freeze might be in place, a well-led college or university is always looking for truly talented people, and when it spots those people, it will pounce. Interestingly, and sadly, when your best people get hired away you will be left, in the end, with those people who have no option but to stay in place.

    Everyone agrees that times are tough. Correspondingly, higher education should always be on the lookout for the tools that will help it become more effective and efficient. Lean management, properly defined and executed, is one such tool. Poorly defined and haphazardly applied, however, lean management will sacrifice the people that colleges and universities need most. At that point, it is no longer lean, but mean.

    Interested in increasing the success of your marketing plan or developing a high performance marketing team? Contact us to discuss! Thank you!

    1Political support, budgetary support, staff support, time, and a clear sense of direction.

  • Options for Measuring Brand Equity

    Options for Measuring Brand Equity

    One of the biggest challenges facing today’s college marketers is the need to continually measure how their brand strategies are impacting their overall brand equity.

    This measurement is important for two reasons. First, it allows you to finetune your brand strategy. Second, measurement helps legitimize your brand marketing efforts to institutional leadership and stakeholders.

    At its most basic, brand equity is the value ascribed to your brand. This value is both monetary and non-monetary.

    Using a brand value and price elasticity study, for example, we can determine the dollar value of your brand. We can also make a determinant of the monetary value of your brand by repeating baseline research that may have been conducted to establish the initial (or refreshed) brand strategy.

    There are, additionally, other ways to measure brand equity. While these measurements may be less precise because they don’t rely on quantitative measurement, they can still offer powerful insights into what’s working…and perhaps what’s not. These measurements are especially valuable when taken en toto rather than individually.

    To help you more completely understand these measures, I have “broken” them into three categories.

    Student Recruiting/Retention

    • Are you closing your class earlier?
    • Did the cost of recruiting a student go down?
    • Has net tuition increased?
    • Has your discount rate gone down?
    • Have you enhanced your ability to shape your class on factors such as academic quality, academic program interest, ethnicity, geographic diversity, or other variables?
    • Has the quality of your competitor set (overlap schools) increased?
    • Is your yield against these competitors going up?
    • Has your retention rate gone up?
    • Do current students recommend you?

    Advancement:

    • Did the cost of raising a dollar go down?
    • Has alumni giving gone up?
    • Has the average alumni gift increased?
    • Are more donors seeking you out?
    • Are more foundations seeking you out?
    • Do alumni recommend you?
    • Would your alumni choose you again?

    Institutional:

    • Has the quality of faculty and staff job applicants increased?
    • Are you retaining your best faculty and staff?
    • Are faculty and staff supporting your annual funds and capital campaigns?
    • Is your overall social media sentiment positive or negative?

    As you can see, there are numerous opportunities to measure brand equity. While some of these measures are quantitative and will require some investment, a substantial number of these measures can be utilized using data you regularly collect and already have on hand.

    Want to learn more? Schedule a free consultation today.

  • Why Research, Why Now, & Three Studies You Should Undertake Immediately

    Why Research, Why Now, & Three Studies You Should Undertake Immediately

    Too often, research is relegated to the categories of “when we have time”, or “when we have the money.”

    Today’s dynamic and uncertain marketplace, however, suggests that this is an ideal time to conduct research and that your research dollars will return great and immediate benefit.

    First, let me give you five reasons why I believe research is so critical, and then let me suggest three studies that you should undertake right now.

    5 Reasons Research is Critical

    1. Solid strategy rests on a foundation of solid, defendable research.

    It is not an overstatement to say that any plan that does not include research at its base is almost surely flawed. It either will fail outright, deliver less than anticipated, or will take more time and money to execute.

    With so many competing and ill-formed opinions, research provides certainty during these uncertain times.

    Data on student interests, or even their predisposition to return to campus this fall, is a strong bulwark against a tide of opinions.

    2. Research establishes credibility not only for you, but for your planning efforts.

    Without solid research, it is likely that your conclusions will be challenged and confidence in your plan and activities undermined. This can negatively impact your leadership during this crisis and in the years that follow.

    3. Research helps you make better choices. 

    Rather than being stymied, a West Coast client wanted to know which of two potential academic programs would attract the most students. A survey of prospective students in the region, an analysis of competing colleges and their offerings, and an evaluation of short- and long-term job and employment trends provided the necessary data to help them decide.

    4. Research helps you set priorities.

    In today’s marketing, fund-raising, and recruiting environments, the problem is generally not a lack of options, but determining which option is most likely to succeed or provide the greatest return.

    If you have $100,000 for a social media campaign aimed at nontraditional students, you can use research to pinpoint the messages and channels to which they will most likely respond.

    5. Research lets you test competing ideas.

    You can use research to determine preference for different social media campaigns, publications, and even alumni magazine covers. Using research in this way can often prevent you from making expensive and very public mistakes before you launch.

    This type of study, called an A-B split, is especially useful when testing different creative concepts or campaigns.

    Three Studies

    During the introduction I mentioned that I would suggest three studies you should undertake. Here they are:

    1. Study determining the intentions of your current students.

    Not only do you want to know if they plan to re-enroll, but under what conditions. For example, do they plan on returning to campus or do they plan to study online. Presently, the media is awash with colleges announcing their plans to reopen. What seems to be missing from the conversation, however, is how students and parents view this idea.

    This information is critical for budgeting, staffing, and facilities planning and should be done immediately.

    2. Nonmatriculant study.

    Nonmatriculants, you will remember, are those students who applied, were accepted, and then chose not to enroll. Because of all the dollars and time you spent on these students, it is important to know why they opted out at the last minute.

    Of course, Covid-19 may have influenced their decision. But there is every likelihood that other factors may be in play. Identifying those factors that you can change will have an immediate and positive impact on enrollment.

    This study should be done in June-July.

    3. Study directed at donors.

    Recognizing that declining enrollment will lead to financial shortfalls, it stands to reason that many colleges will turn to donors to help cover their financial needs. Today’s donors, however, want to have a say in how their dollars will be used and under what circumstances. Making sure you are aware of their interests and concerns ahead of time can mean the difference between a campaign that succeeds and one that fails. 

    This study should be done immediately.

    Today’s dynamic and uncertain marketplace suggest that this is an ideal time to conduct research. Solid strategy rests on a foundation of solid, defendable research. Schedule a free consultation today.

  • A Century of Evolution: Stamats Expands Digital Leadership with Four New Marketing All-Stars 

    A Century of Evolution: Stamats Expands Digital Leadership with Four New Marketing All-Stars 

    For more than 100 years, Stamats has been helping its clients meet their marketing and communications goals. From the beginnings in print to more modern digital projects, Stamats is always evolving to meet the needs of the marketplace. The agency began an exciting new chapter recently, welcoming four veteran digital marketers to leadership roles.

    “Growth is always exciting, and part of that is being able to bring in new leadership that continues to push us and expand our expertise and innovation,” said Sandra Fancher, Stamats’ Chief Innovation Officer. “Our strength is our people and Stamats is known for our commitment to our clients and relationships. We are all in for our clients and for making Stamats be the best it can. It’s been exciting to see right away how these new colleagues are bringing value and insight for our clients.”

    The new team members bring diverse backgrounds and deep expertise in leadership, digital marketing strategy, and user experience. They will work with Stamats’ renowned experts to help clients in higher education, healthcare, and beyond achieve their brand and business objectives.

    Evan Baltz: Senior Director of Accounts

    Evan Baltz has worked in digital development and strategy execution for more than 20 years. He has worked with multiple Inc 500 companies, a Fortune 400 company, and several startups, recently serving as Senior Director of Marketing Web Development for National University.

    “At Stamats, the people are what make it a truly exceptional place. As a Cedar Rapids native who grew up in Iowa, I know firsthand the caliber of individuals I’m privileged to work with on a daily basis,” Evan said. “Combined with Stamats’ dedication to higher education clients, this opportunity is not just a job—it’s a meaningful homecoming.”

    Evan has experience in system architecture, database design, graphic design, web design, web application development, and more. He brings this unique perspective to the creation and management of web-related projects, and insight into how teams can work together to achieve their goals using methods like Agile/SCRUM.

    He is the host of “The Manager’s Desk” podcast and the author of several books, including “The Art of Leadership without Losing Your Soul: Managing Teams with Humanity and Grace” and other titles.

    He joins Stamats as Senior Director of Accounts, where he will lead a team of experts focused on helping clients achieve their digital marketing goals.

    Related reading: The Joe Rogan Effect: Why Niche Content Is Key to SEO Success

    Pavithra Counsell: Vice President for Digital Experience

    Pavithra Counsell is an experienced leader, designer, and content strategist. Her background in building and coaching award-winning teams enables her to design data-driven, customer-centric solutions at the intersection of business goals and customer needs.

    “I’m thrilled to join Stamats and lead their digital experience team during such a dynamic time in the industry. Stamats’ history of creating meaningful connections between organizations and their audiences through thoughtful, strategic digital experiences is truly inspiring, and I’m honored to be part of that legacy,” said Pavithra. “I feel fortunate to join such a kind and talented team, and I look forward to partnering with them to push the boundaries of what’s possible in digital engagement and help our clients tell their stories in compelling new ways.”

    An Illumi Award winner for Digital Impact, her career has included stops as Director of Digital Experience for SharkNinja, Director of UX for Panera Bread, and Principal Designer and Content Strategist for Cantina.

    She has worked with iconic brands such as Merrell, Keds, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. But Pavithra’s career is even more varied than that: She’s a trained opera singer and got her start designing user interfaces for NASA—yes, that NASA.

    A veteran digital leader, Pavithra joins Stamats as Vice President for Digital Experience. She leads the Stamats digital experience team, creating websites and CX/UX to engage and inspire a wide variety of audiences.

    Related reading: Search Is Changing: Shift Your Strategy & Tactics to Adapt

    Chris Rapozo: Assistant Vice President for Marketing Strategy

    Chris Rapozo has built a career helping higher education marketers communicate with clarity. A strategic marketing and communications leader, Chris brings deep experience driving brand visibility, demand generation, and event-based campaigns across industries.

    Most recently a Marketer at Hannon Hill, Chris led high impact marketing campaigns, orchestrated industry conferences and webinars, and drove brand alignment across digital channels to grow audience reach and expand the sales pipeline.

    He is the host of the “Education Marketing Leader” podcast, which he founded to help elevate the voices and ideas shaping the future of higher-ed marketing. The podcast has grown to include a book club dedicated to professional learning, bringing together cutting-edge higher education marketing experts for lively discussions on current topics.

    “I believe in the impact of higher education,” Chris said. “I’ve worked with Stamats before, as a vendor partner with my prior company, and respected Stamats’ results-driven approach. Joining the team felt like a fantastic opportunity.”

    He joins Stamats in the role of Associate Vice President for Marketing Strategy, where he will work to build connections that help clients elevate their work and leverage the latest techniques to grow their audience and achieve their marketing objectives.

    Related reading: How to Build Trust in Content Marketing with Your Leadership Team

    Joshua Schneiderman: Director of Strategy and Performance

    For more than 20 years, Joshua Schneiderman has been helping organizations reach their best prospective customers with inbound strategies, content, design, and imagery. An experienced digital marketing strategist, he has helped international businesses and world-renowned brands grow sales.

    His experience in inbound strategies underlines the importance of authentically helpful communication to effective marketing. This authenticity comes from robust data collection and honest content that understands the audience and their needs.

    “It’s clear that the Digital Marketing Strategy team at Stamats is always looking for ways to get better. It has been a lot of fun to jump into that environment,” said Joshua. “The energy this team is putting toward serving higher ed clients is infectious.”

    Joshua recently served as Lead Digital Strategist for Ruffalo Noel Levitz (Stamats’ neighbor, also headquartered here in Cedar Rapids, IA), Director of Marketing for VGM Forbin, and Digital Marketing Strategist for Mudd Advertising. With experience in journalism, graphic design, social media, search engine marketing, and more, Joshua brings a diverse background to his work.

    At Stamats, he will serve as Director of Strategy and Performance, playing an integral role helping clients leverage the latest data-driven technologies to tell their authentic story and convert prospective customers to brand advocates.

    Related reading: Using AI & Analytics

    Stamats: Always evolving to meet client needs

    It’s been more than a century since Stamats first started helping clients meet their marketing needs. The addition of these respected industry veterans adds to Stamats’ team of client-first experts, continuing the agency’s ongoing evolution at the forefront of digital marketing.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Let’s discuss your strategy and goals.

    Email Us
  • Niche Content Rules Right Now: 3 Lessons from Mariah’s Appearance on The Education Marketing Leader Podcast 

    Niche Content Rules Right Now: 3 Lessons from Mariah’s Appearance on The Education Marketing Leader Podcast 

    Following a well-received webinar titled “The Joe Rogan Effect,” Mariah appeared on The Education Marketing Leader, a popular podcast hosted by Chris Rapozo, Stamats’ new AVP of Marketing Strategy.

    “We’re living in a time when anybody with a microphone and an opinion can spread it around,” she said. “Higher education institutions and academic centers have an opportunity, maybe even a responsibility, to counter misinformation with real, evidence-based facts that give people a chance to make good decisions.”

    At its core, niche content marketing means creating content that speaks to your expertise in a targeted way to appeal to a smaller segment of your total audience. By demonstrating your brand’s deep knowledge of a particular subject matter, you can engage audiences by answering their specific questions, sometimes even before they’ve thought about asking.

    For example, a community college with a well-regarded program in automotive repair could consider creating content that speaks the language of students seeking education in the field.

    Articles, videos, and other content that demonstrates the value of the program and how it fits into students’ busy lives could drive up applications for this strong program, expanding revenue for the college.

    Consider the just a few benefits of building your content marketing strategy around your brand’s specific expertise:

    • Focusing on a niche audience allows you to create content that is more relevant to their interests, driving up engagement.
    • Niche marketing can help you stand out among larger competitors. You might not be the biggest, but niche content helps your best-qualified audience learn you know your stuff.
    • Leveraging social medial communities where consumer groups interact is a snap with niche content. These pieces are easily shared by engaged consumers, expanding the reach of your expertise.

    In a wide-ranging interview, Mariah and Chris discussed how institutions like colleges, universities, and academic medical centers can harness the power of niche content to deepen brand engagement and nail their marketing goals. Here are a few actionable highlights from their conversation.

    Listen to the full episode: Mariah Tang on The Education Marketing Leader

    1. Go Longer.

    As clickless search takes hold across platforms like Google, Bing, and AI-based GPTs, the brands that rise to the top will be those that can leverage long-form content to speak to a niche audience.

    “We’re going to see fewer broad searches and a lot more specific questions and specific conversation-based searched,” Mariah said. “I strongly believe this is why long form content—whether that’s video, blogs, or transcripts—will continue to have a place.”

    Rather than trying to answer every question an audience member might have, brands can build knowledge centers that include several pieces of content to answer the most burning questions. In higher education, that might mean a range of queries, from “do you have my major?” to “how does your institution help me get the next step after my degree?”

    “That really increases the chance your brand will surface in AI and Google searches, and whatever the next iteration is, too,” Mariah said. “It shows you’re in touch with your audience, you know what they’re looking for, and you have solutions at every stage.”

    Related reading: The Joe Rogan Effect: Why Niche Content is Key to SEO Success

    2. Go Deeper.

    So how do institutions get all the expertise of their faculty into a niche content format that can engage audiences?

    “It really starts with those experts,” Mariah explained. “Take their excitement, their enthusiasm, and their comfort level as your starting point.”

    For academic institutions, the faculty are at the core of the student experience, and students want to know they’re learning from teachers who have experience and compassion. Lean into the personalities of these champions and build flexible content based on other sources like student testimonials. These first-person insights deliver trustworthy content that gets results.

    As an example, Mariah cited Stamats’ work with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, an academic medical center an Albuquerque, NM. They approached Stamats seeking to attract high-quality trainees to their neuroscience intensive care unit.

    While interviewing UNM HSC’s in-house expert, Stamats’ team discovered an opportunity to target a niche with specific content rather than broad strokes. We asked the expert, what are trainees most worried about in a program like this? When they answered “work-life balance,” we knew we’d found a story to speak to the niche.

    Stamats created a “day in the life” concept that included the program basics, as well as images, and details like “this is when you’ll sneak in a snack break.” It made the challenging program more digestible, and ensured prospective students understood the university is in their corner.

    “They ended up winning a Digital Health Award for the story, and it continues to rank highly in search. That’s because it touches on both the facts and the emotional pull,” Mariah explained. “They continue to outrank institutions [in search results] that generally pull top candidates because they tapped into that emotional brand voice.”

    Related reading: Search Is Changing: Shift Your Strategy & Tactics to Adapt

    3. Go AI.

    When you’re building a niche content empire, it’s important to think outside of your comfort zone. Many marketers are comfortable rolling out stats like student-to-faculty ratio and average class size. It can be difficult to remember those numbers don’t mean much to high school students choosing a college—or another path.

    “There are a lot of alternatives to college,” Mariah said. “There’s a lot of different pathways to approach education. So, if you’re just going with hard facts or what people 10 years ago told you was important, you’re going to miss a lot of that.”

    Answering the questions today’s students are asking is the key to building effective niche content. So how do you know what they need to know when even young alumni and current students can be out of date?

    “Using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can really help you collate what a lot of people are searching for in the moment, or at least in recent history,” Mariah advised.

    Prompting an AI assistant to help you build prospective student personas can help dial in the specific questions your niche is asking.

    “You can ask [AI] about their dreams, their concerns, their hopes—things that maybe people wouldn’t think to ask about or respond with if you were talking face to face,” Mariah explained.

    The answers to those questions can lead to topics. These carefully crafted long-form content pieces on your website can inform the audience at any point in their decision-making process, helping them engage with your brand and understand how what you offer can help them achieve their goals.

    These insightful tips are just the beginning of the wide-ranging conversation between Mariah and Chris on The Education Marketing Leader. For more, check out the full episode, and consider subscribing to the podcast for even more actionable advice.

    If you’re ready to start building your institution’s niche content empire, Stamats can help.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Need help finding your niche? Let’s talk!

    Contact us today
  • How to Build Trust in Content Marketing with Your Leadership Team 

    How to Build Trust in Content Marketing with Your Leadership Team 

    We know this struggle and salute your efforts.

    Brand storytelling—blog articles, infographics, videos, podcasts, social content, and more—is essential for modern marketing. Consider these statistics about the importance of content:

    • 97% of marketers say content marketing is an essential part of their strategy
    • 76% of marketers surveyed said content marketing helped them generate both demand and leads in the last 12 months
    • 70% of marketers would rate leads generated through content marketing as “high quality”

    It is easier than ever to demonstrate real return on investment (ROI) for content marketing, with tools such as Moz, HubSpot, and LookerStudio organic search query dashboards. You can use these tools to deliver real data to help C-suite executives embrace the short- and long-term value of content marketing.

    But before you can build strategies that align audience needs with your business objectives, you need to get your leadership and marketing teams on the same page. Here are some tips that have helped our clients launch successful content marketing partnerships with their institutional leaders.

    Speak Their Language

    You wouldn’t launch any campaign without a deep understanding of your audience, and the C-suite has personas and goals like any other.

    When you’re making the case for content, connect it to your organization’s broader goals:

    • Enrollment/customer acquisition: Organizations that use content marketing see lead growth 165% above and conversion rates nearly six times higher than those that don’t.
    • Brand management: 62% of marketers surveyed said content helps nurture audiences, and 52% find it helps grow loyalty with existing customers.
    • Advancement and philanthropy: Deepen brand loyalty and add engaging CTAs to drive donations. Alumni emails that include engaging video content, for example, can see 65% higher click-through rates than those that don’t.

    Identify the KPIs that resonate with your leaders. Some are focused on increasing website visits, while others are driven by lead generation or conversion rates.

    Related reading: 3 Ways Stamats Specialists Leverage Personal Higher Ed Marketing Experience for Clients

    Leverage Data and Case Studies

    Telling stories of success can move mountains, especially when they’re backed up by the data leadership needs. There are plenty of concrete, data-backed examples out there of how content marketing can advance organizational objectives.

    Consider how Stamats client University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Department of Neurology leveraged content marketing to drive trainee enrollment:

    • Stamats crafted career storytelling articles such as “6 Learnings on My Journey from Medical Student to Epilepsy Attending” and “A Day in the Life of a Neuro ICU Resident”
    • The articles shot to the top of organic Google search results, outranking competitors and national organizations
    • These stories appear in AI Overview search content, driving student enrollment and media placements

    We recommend creating trackable events in your analytics product when you build these stories in your website. That way you can present real data that communicates a blend of quick wins that are driving action and long-term value alongside other marketing tactics.

    Related reading: ‘Do You Do SEO?’ We Do, and You Should Too

    Propose a Phased Approach

    Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your leadership will likely be leery of going “all-in” on content marketing no matter how convincing your pitch. At first, it may be more effective to focus on a single department or service to pilot your content marketing program.

    Frame your storytelling as an ongoing strategic initiative and start small while building on successes. Prepare a plan that includes:

    • Realistic timelines for deliverables
    • Appropriate resource allocations
    • Regular reporting and analytics to demonstrate ROI

    For example, you could start with a series of articles on alumni outcomes to boost adult student enrollment or a hub of short videos featuring cardiologists to drive appointments. Aim for discrete targets with outcomes that can be measured and reported.

    Related reading: Storytelling & Connections Lift the Patient Experience

    Set Up Stakeholders as Thought Leaders

    Savvy brands are collaborating with organizational leaders to produce original content that positions their executives and stakeholders as industry thought leaders. This way, leaders get a hands-on role in content marketing and can see the first-hand benefits of how storytelling advances the brand.

    If you need a hand making the pitch or launching your brand storytelling initiatives, Stamats’ experts can help. We have decades of experience in content marketing strategies. We help clients navigate important conversations and implement successful campaigns that drive results.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Reach out to us to talk about your strategy and goals.

    Email Us
  • HMPS 2025 Recap: Storytelling & Connections Lift the Patient Experience

    HMPS 2025 Recap: Storytelling & Connections Lift the Patient Experience

    Another year, another crisis, am I right? From the pandemic to the rippling effects of the current social situation, the patient experience can easily get lost in the shuffle.

    But as always, healthcare leaders are launching initiatives and planning for the next wave of change, which is coming faster than ever before.

    Nearly 1,000 healthcare executives and marketing/communications professionals gathered in Orlando for Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS) 2025. Here are three of the buzzworthy patient experience topics that resonated with us at the conference.

    Data Storytelling Beats Siloed Metrics

    Every health system collects a million points of data. But disparate data points do not automatically illustrate the effectiveness of your strategies. That takes solid data storytelling skills—and curiosity to reach beyond vanity metrics.

    Jackie Effenson, Director of Digital Marketing, and Jeff Duncan, Digital Marketing Manager, of Houston Methodist discussed how every data point they collect flows through their customer data platform (CDP) before entering a series of digital dashboards that are available to their teams and stakeholders 24/7. The dashboards display real-time information and integrated benchmarks that show whether campaign outcomes are good, great, or meh.

    Pairing these first-party data displays with market research and brand perception data, Houston Methodist marketing teams are empowered to report information beyond likes, clicks, and impressions.

    The CDP feeds the dashboard with HIPAA-compliant, first-party data insights into what people are doing on the website, how they’re engaging with content, and how specific marketing efforts influence conversion actions. Using these data, Houston Methodist can build holistic data stories that:

    • Are more helpful and compelling than metrics from a siloed emails or articles
    • Highlight trends in what patients care about and need more of
    • Provide an easy visual for stakeholders to digest what is and isn’t working

    Related reading: Avoid these pitfalls in data storytelling

    Do You Really Need that Form?

    Obvious statement: A visitor’s experience, in person and online, can make or break their perception of your brand. Devil’s advocate: To provide a personalized experience, you need a certain amount of the visitor’s data to inform what content they get served and when.

    But there’s a line where personal meets private. And when you cross it, you risk breaching the patient’s trust.

    So, Christine Skiffington, AVP, Corporate Marketing & Communications of Inspira Health, wrings out answers to serious questions about patient privacy before considering any new or different marketing tactics. Here are a few questions she asks of internal teams and vendors in the planning stages:

    • Is that digital form necessary?
    • If yes, do you need all those fields?
    • What visitor data are you pulling from those tools?
    • How are the data stored?
    • How do you intend to use the data, online and offline?

    If there is no answer or the response is insufficient, the tool won’t fly. Protecting patient data privacy is paramount to appropriate care, ethical marketing, and creating a positive visitor experience.

    Does your website meet the 2026 accessibility standards? Contact us to schedule a complete site audit today.

    Invest in Content Marketing to Beat ‘Brand Blurring’

    Source: Slide 12, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, HMPS 2025

    Post-pandemic, patients are experiencing what Skip Hidlay, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, calls “brand blurring.” When every institution was saying the same thing—wash your hands, social distance, get vaccinated—the brands faded into the messaging.

    All health centers should be sharing the latest evidence-based message. But we owe prospective patients the chance to explore what makes our brand great, beyond the expectation of “good medicine.”

    Hidlay’s team accomplishes this feat with strategic brand storytelling (content marketing). In a tough time where some institutions are scaling back marketing efforts, Hidlay challenges his team to expand in an omnichannel approach.

    Here’s an example. A single interview with a patient or provider can turn into:

    • Long- or short-form video stories
    • High-level and niche blog articles for a series
    • Soundbites for social media (video and sliders)
    • Email content
    • Cornerstone website content for service line campaigns

    Brand storytelling gives patients the autonomy to choose. When you showcase your niche services, specialty care, and amazing research across multiple channels, you give them something to believe in and the details to make informed healthcare decisions.

    Related reading: How PR and Content Marketing Can Partner to Achieve Business Goals

    As the speakers noted, none of these ideas are new. But all of them take work, and all require a team that commits to optimizing the patient experience. Whether your team handles this work in-house or collaborates with an experienced partner like Stamats, making these investments now will lift your brand and empower patients to choose you when they need care.

    Ready to Scale Your SEO and Storytelling Efforts?

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  • The Joe Rogan Effect: Why Niche Content Is Key to SEO Success

    The Joe Rogan Effect: Why Niche Content Is Key to SEO Success

    Love him or hate him, Joe Rogan is a master of owned media. His controversial podcast continues to dominate because, in part, people love controversy. But more than that:

    But more than that:

    • He identified a niche audience
    • He built a library of content that speaks to their questions and desires

    That’s the Joe Rogan Effect: Leveraging niche topics to drive conversion-driven engagement.

    In a sea of flat, AI-generated content, creating structured and unique content on owned media—the platforms you manage—is crucial for SEO and AI search optimization.

    Unlike social media, which can change algorithms or revoke access at any time, owned media gives you complete autonomy over how, when, and what you publish. Owned media refers to the platforms you fully control:

    • Website
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Email newsletters
    • Print publications

    During a recent webinar, I discussed a six-step strategy for launching an effective owned media strategy for your institution or brand. First, let’s do a quick run-through of what Owned Media entails.

    6 Steps to Niche Content Success

    Want to build your own version of the Joe Rogan empire (minus the controversy)? Here’s our six-step content strategy that works across industries—from higher ed to healthcare and beyond.

    1. Identify Your Content Approach

    Before you choose your platform, you need to determine your role:

    Whichever role you choose, consistency is key. Steer to your strengths and tailor the format to your team’s bandwidth and audience’s expectations.

    When you interview SMEs, preparation is vital for guiding the conversation. Do thorough research ahead of time and ask insightful questions that will resonate with your audience. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the script—following up with spontaneous questions can be a great way to uncover the real story.

    Related reading: Want to Get Found in AI Search? Start With Really Good SEO

    2. Choose Your Niche

    One of the biggest pitfalls in content marketing? Trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, ask:

    • What specific questions can only we answer?
    • What stories are uniquely ours to tell?

    Begin with one standout service or program and partner with a passionate SME. Their credibility—and enthusiasm—can transform your niche into a trusted authority.

    Take inspiration from Cleveland Clinic. Their Health Essentials blog started in 2012 with broad health content. It’s evolved into a treasure trove of niche medical insights.

    3. Pinpoint Your Ideal Audience

    You can’t create niche content if you don’t know who you’re talking to. Take a step back to the old-school marketing technique of developing personas. The data you need is already part of your SEO toolbox:

    • Enrollment or appointment records
    • Website analytics
    • Free AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT (but avoid uploading personal or protected information!)

    A good persona goes beyond demographics. To earn that emotional investment, your content needs to connect with your audience’s hopes, fears, personal triggers, and decision-making criteria. Ask AI to build tables that visualize this data, then use it to brainstorm hyper-specific content topics.

    Related reading: 3 Ways Career-Focused Storytelling Wins in Higher Ed—and How to Get Started

    4. Create Content on Owned Media

    Begin with a broad idea and refine it by asking “then what?” or “so what?” until you arrive at a niche topic. Prioritize answering niche, low-volume questions that your subject matter experts are uniquely qualified to address. When done right, those seemingly out-of-the-blue topics can bring in high-intent traffic and help your site dominate SEO and AI overview snippets.

    Start with the big idea, then refine it:

    1. Keep asking “then what?” or “so what?”
    2. Until you can’t anymore.
    3. That’s your niche topic.

    Here are examples of effective niche content formats:

    Related reading: Storytelling: Its Enduring Power in the Age of AI

    5. Share Where Your Audience Is

    Content creation is only half the battle. Distribution is where the magic happens.

    • Start broad, then go deep: Turn one blog post into a podcast, a video short, a newsletter mention, and social media snippets.
    • Think omnichannel: Use every outlet—YouTube, email, social, newsletters, and search—to maximize reach and return traffic to your owned media.
    • Interlink the whole shebang: From blog to video to podcast, guide users through a seamless experience.

    One great example is New Mexico’s health insurance marketplace, BeWell. Their team turned one story idea into a blog, an explainer video for website and social, and a YouTube Short video to upcycle the content across formats and platforms.

    Related reading: What Social Channels Should I Be on in Higher Ed Marketing?

    6. Measure & Optimize (Relentlessly!)

    If you’re not measuring it, you’re guessing. Dig deep into the key performance indicators (KPIs) for owned media:

    • Volume of stories: Are you publishing enough?
    • Reach and impressions: Is your content being seen?
    • Conversions: Are people booking appointments, subscribing, or taking the next step?
    • Relevant site traffic: Are the right people visiting your site?
    • Brand sentiment: Are you building trust and recognition?

    Here’s another standout example: Harper College’s blog article on Lyft passes outranked major regional colleges such as Penn State and The University of Chicago for a highly niche query. Why? Because it answered a very specific question—better than anyone else.

    Related reading: Using AI & Analytics

    Niche Content Isn’t New, But It’s More Important Than Ever

    None of the tactics in this strategic approach are groundbreaking. What can be revolutionary is consistently executing these six steps with discipline and focus.

    Human-driven, niche stories are your differentiator. Whether you’re in higher education, healthcare, or another field, now is the time to focus on content marketing as a strategic investment. Master the Joe Rogan Effect. Own your media. Find your niche. Your audience will thank you for it.

    Ready to get started?

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  • Search Is Changing: Shift Your Strategy & Tactics to Adapt 

    Search Is Changing: Shift Your Strategy & Tactics to Adapt 

    Today I came across this statement regarding recent and future changes to digital marketing: “Advertisers who rely  only on high-intent targeting will struggle as competition drives CPCs higher. The brands that win will be those that nurture leads across multiple touchpoints.”

    “High-intent marketing” means search ads and other conversion-driven marketing tactics. We are at the beginning of a shift in how successful digital marketing works.

    We can continue to apply tactics to the same strategies, but it will get more expensive and less effective over the next year or two.  Strategy and tactics need to be ready to change with the times.

    Google Has Already Been Preparing

    We have seen Google preparing for the change in search and privacy-first marketing over the last several years.

    Keyword match types have changed significantly to focus on intention and not specific words or word groupings (exact-ish match and loss of broad match modifier).

    Campaign types are now designed to work within the broader scope of intent-based targeting. With P-Max, there are no true keyword targets. We add examples of what we believe to be relevant terms used by our target audience, literally called “hints” by Google.

    Landing page content, not keywords, has the greatest influence on targeting ads to people and searches. In this light, audiences, demographics, interests, and geography are limiting factors, not positive targeting factors.

    Demand Gen videos and responsive display ads now use PMax targeting and bidding AI. This results in a big push for site owners to collect and apply their own first-party data.

    Related reading: Yesterday’s Logic: A Warning to Change with the Times

    Change Your KPIs to Measure What Matters

    Another signal that digital marketing is changing is encouragement from generally respected SMEs who suggest that the KPIs we rely on will need to change over time.

    This is from Rand Fishkin, who formerly owned MOZ and now co-owns SparkToro. Rand points out that his company considers web traffic a “vanity metric.” His reasons for this include:

    • Today’s websites get less traffic due to “clickless search” where the user’s query is answered in the results page, so there’s no reason to go to the website.
    • AI Overviews in Google search results will reduce site traffic even more.
    • As AI search and answer engines proliferate, there will be even more reduction in non-paid website traffic.

    If web traffic is falling and there isn’t much chance of its recovery, it’s time to start measuring what matters.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Let’s discuss your measurement benchmarks.

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