About the Episode
About the Episode:
Marketing is an investment, not an expense. But too many universities don’t treat it as such. Instead, marketers find themselves with a budget that is not adequate for accomplishing goals and expectations. In this episode, Jaime sits down with Kristin Nichols, a seasoned higher education leader and consultant, to discuss this challenge – and what marketing leaders can do to solve it.
Takeaways from this episode include:
- Insight into the long-term consequences of an inadequately funded marketing office
- Effective ways marketing leaders can advocate for larger budgets
- Tips for creatively stretching existing dollars
- Ideas around building a culture that supports marketing as an investment and not an expense
Episode Summary
The Challenge of Underfunding in Higher Education Marketing
In this episode, Jaime Hunt dives into a common problem faced by higher ed marketers: balancing unrealistic goals with insufficient budgets. Guest Kristin Nichols, who brings over 20 years of higher ed marketing experience, shares her insights on the importance of treating marketing as an investment rather than an expense. Nichols emphasizes that marketing requires a long-term strategy with consistent funding, comparing it to investing in a retirement account. Without proper funding, marketing efforts can lead to periods where institutions go "digitally silent," wasting resources and missing key enrollment opportunities.
The Pitfalls of Last-Minute Budget Increases
One of the major challenges higher ed marketers face is receiving last-minute budget increases, often at the end of the enrollment cycle. Nichols shares her experiences consulting with institutions that scramble to allocate extra funds for marketing in January or February—long after high-achieving students have applied. This reactive approach, she notes, leads to poor results and further entrenches the misconception that "marketing doesn’t work."
Jaime and Kristin also touch on the importance of a sustained marketing strategy. By committing to a long-term approach with modest, consistent funding, institutions can avoid the pitfalls of stop-and-start campaigns that fail to build the brand’s visibility and credibility over time.
Building a Case for More Marketing Dollars
Kristin outlines how CMOs can advocate for larger budgets by demonstrating marketing's impact. She advises building relationships with key institutional leaders like the CFO, provost, and president. By aligning marketing efforts with institutional goals and showing data-driven results, marketers can justify larger investments in future campaigns. Nichols shares a personal anecdote where persistent advocacy for increased digital ad spend eventually led to a larger, no-ask-needed budget due to proven results.
Jaime echoes this sentiment, adding that it’s crucial for marketing leaders to speak the CFO’s language by quantifying the return on investment (ROI) of marketing efforts. This allows marketing to be viewed as an integral part of the institution’s success rather than just an operational cost.
Stretching Limited Budgets
For institutions that cannot immediately secure additional funds, Kristin provides several strategies for maximizing the impact of limited budgets. These include:
- Targeting Key Segments: Focus on specific student groups most likely to convert.
- Geo-Fencing Ads: Using location-based ads during events to capture the attention of potential students.
- Leveraging Student Influencers: Tapping into the authentic voices of current students who already have an audience, as they can drive engagement at a minimal cost.
Both Jaime and Kristin agree that small budgets can lead to some of the most creative and impactful marketing strategies, as constraints often force marketers to think outside the box.
The Role of AI in Higher Ed Marketing
As part of the conversation, Jaime and Kristin explore how AI tools can be leveraged to save time and resources. From AI-powered copyediting to creating graphics and presentations, both agree that AI is an essential tool for maximizing efficiency in marketing. Kristin advises higher ed professionals to embrace AI rather than fear it, as it can greatly enhance productivity without eliminating the need for human creativity.
To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO in your favorite podcast player.
Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Talking Tactics and Higher Ed Pulse.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.
Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.
Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.
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