Higher Ed Marketing Insider
Higher Ed Marketing Insider is your go-to podcast for actionable strategies, expert insights, and real-world analysis tailored for today's higher education marketers. Whether you're managing digital campaigns for a university, leading enrollment marketing at a college, or supporting higher ed institutions through an agency, this show helps you stay ahead of the curve.
Hosted by virtual experienced education marketers and featuring guests from across the industry, each episode dives into topics like:
- SEO & content strategy for higher ed
- Paid media and enrollment marketing
- Brand storytelling in competitive markets
- Analytics, automation, and marketing tech
- Trends shaping the future of higher education
If you want to drive results, justify your budget, and build a smarter marketing strategy in the rapidly evolving world of higher ed, Higher Ed Marketing Insider is your edge.
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Higher Ed Marketing Insider
AI Search Changes Visibility as Under-16 Social Bans Spread
This week on Higher Ed Marketing Insider: discovery is changing fast, and the schools that win are the ones showing up in AI answers, not just search results.
What we cover:
- AI search and zero-click answers — why being the cited source matters more than ranking #1
- Australia's under-16 social media ban and the shift to guardian-first, website-first recruitment
- Where demand is concentrating — community colleges, dual enrollment, and job-aligned credentials
- Marketing team retention — why compensation and flexibility are strategic priorities
Key takeaways:
- Clean site structure, Q&A-style copy, and structured data help you become the sourced answer
- If social access tightens, recruitment can't depend on teen social feeds
- Four-year schools need stronger transfer pipelines and specific value messaging
Learn more about the Higher Education Marketing Institute:
- Website: https://highereducationmarketinginstitute.com/
- X: https://x.com/HEMInstitute
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-education-marketing-institute/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEducationMarketing
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Welcome to the Higher Ed Marketing Insider, the show where we break down the week's most important moves in higher ed marketing and enrollment.
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This week's theme is pretty clear: discovery is changing fast, and the schools that win are the ones who show up in the places people actually decide.
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And yeah, that's increasingly inside AI answers, not search results.
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Alright, first update: AI search and zero-click answers.
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Students and families are asking ChatGPT-style tools questions like, "What's the best program for X?"
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And they're getting a neat, summarized answer right away.
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So the new goal isn't just ranking number one. It's being the cited source in that synthesized response.
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What helps?
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Clean site structure, really clear program pages, concise Q-and-A style copy, and structured data that tells platforms what's on the page.
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And credibility matters a lot—think accurate outcomes, transparent costs, and reputable third-party mentions.
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Second update: Australia's under-16 social media ban.
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This is a big signal flare for everyone.
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If social access tightens—whether by law or enforcement—recruitment can't depend on teen social feeds.
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So the pivot is guardian-centric and website-first.
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Strong SEO, great virtual tours, compliant chat, and clean tracking so you know what's working without getting sketchy on attribution.
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And, you know, age gating and verification pilots may become normal operations.
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Third update: where demand is concentrating.
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Community colleges are growing while a lot of the sector is flat.
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Dual enrollment is a major engine, and job-aligned credentials plus affordability are a powerful combo.
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For four-year schools, that's a nudge to build stronger transfer pipelines and value messaging that's truly specific—not generic.
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One more that matters internally: marketing team retention.
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A lot of higher ed marketers are thinking about leaving, and compensation is the biggest reason.
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Flexible work helps, but it's not a "nice-to-have."
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If institutions want consistent brand and enrollment performance, they have to keep experienced people in the building.
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So here's my question for you:
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If rankings mattered less tomorrow, what would you change first—your website content, your data and measurement, or your channel mix?
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Send your thoughts, and if this episode helped, share it with a colleague.
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Next week, we'll dig deeper into what "measurement" should look like in an AI-first funnel—especially when clicks disappear.
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Until then, thanks for listening.