Education Marketing Leader with Chris Rapozo

Higher education is full of incredible stories. The challenge isn't finding them. It's telling them in a way that people actually care about. In this episode of the Education Marketing Leader, I sit down with my Stamats colleague, Christopher Lott, Senior Digital Writer, to explore the editorial strategy behind content that connects with students, alumni, faculty, and communities. Chris brings decades of experience in journalism and higher education, and throughout our conversation, he shares practical advice for marketers who are trying to do more with less while creating meaningful content that stands out in an increasingly noisy world. We discuss: ✔️ Why knowing your audience is still the foundation of great storytelling ✔️ How to translate complex academic and research topics into stories people understand ✔️ Lessons learned from interviewing faculty, researchers, and healthcare experts ✔️ Why AI can be a helpful tool, but should never replace human curiosity and editorial judgment ✔️ How higher ed marketers can improve quality without burning themselves out ✔️ Why gratitude and relationships are at the heart of meaningful work One of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: "Don't write for robots. Write for people." If you're responsible for content, communications, enrollment marketing, or storytelling in higher education, I think you'll find plenty of ideas you can put into practice right away. 🎙️ About Christopher Lott Christopher is Senior Digital Writer at Stamats, where he develops content strategies and creates stories for colleges, universities, and healthcare organizations. With a background in journalism and more than 15 years in higher education marketing, he helps institutions connect with audiences through authentic storytelling. 📩 Connect with Christopher: Christopher.Lott@stamats.com #HigherEdMarketing #ContentMarketing #Storytelling #EnrollmentMarketing #HigherEducation #EducationMarketingLeader #Stamats #ContentStrategy #MarketingLeadership

Short form video “best practices” are mostly fake rules. If you want what works in 2026, you need reps, speed, and real people. In the latest episode of Education Marketing Leader podcast, I sat down with Rob Clark, creator of That Tall Family, Founder of Tall Family Media, and author of Growing Your Influence, 4 Billion Views and Attention Gap, which we co-authored. Here are a few takeaways from the episode: 1) Quantity creates quality. More reps. More learning. More wins. 2) Speed matters. Stop scheduling 3 months out. Culture moves weekly. 3) Real beats polished. AI will make “perfect” content cheap. Human content will stand out. If you’re trying to drive awareness and enrollment with social media video, this episode will help you. Grab your copies of: Attention Gap: https://www.amazon.com/Attention-Gap-Great-Schools-Invisible-ebook/dp/B0GKZ8G72B?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1 4 Billion Views: https://www.amazon.com/Billion-Views-Built-Social-Scratch-ebook/dp/B0FVQFVD2V?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1 Growing Your Influence: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Your-Influence-Strategies-Generation-ebook/dp/B0DXN7M1LP?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1

Season 4 is here, and we’re kicking it off with a conversation that will reset how you think about urgency, identity, and starting over.In this episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, I’m joined by Erin Mark. TEDx speaker, storyteller, and Director of Partnerships at Merit.Erin was born with cystic fibrosis. She grew up hearing she wouldn’t live past 18. At five years old, she overheard her life expectancy on a phone call. At 35, she entered end-stage disease and was preparing to die. Then Trikafta was approved and it saved her life.What we talk about isn’t just survival. It’s what happens after. When the future you never planned for suddenly shows up and you have to figure out who you are again.Erin shares why real change rarely comes from dramatic overhauls. It comes from small pauses that create choice. One habit. One decision. One shift in direction.She leaves us with a reminder she once set as her iPhone alarm during her sickest season:"You woke up today."That’s the work. You don’t have to fix everything this year. You just have to keep moving forward.Follow Erin Mark on LinkedIn for clear, grounded perspective on leadership, identity, and momentum.Listen to the full episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, I talk with Lisa Starkey-Wood, VP of Enrollment Strategy at Stamats, about what breaks most prospect journeys—and what to fix first.We cover:RFI roadblocks: Why many teams can’t even find their own inquiry form and how to fix basic CTA and form placement so students don’t stall on step one.Day-zero done right: What a strong confirmation experience looks like (thank-you page, instant email, timely counselor outreach) and why waiting for “perfect” personalization is a mistake.Real personalization: Moving beyond “Hi, [First Name]” to program-specific, audience-specific content that actually reflects what students told you they care about.Yield and melt prevention: Simple, high-impact ways to keep accepted and deposited students engaged using faculty, current students, and multi-channel touchpoints.Extra curricular: Watch her 60-minute webinar on the art of effective prospect nurturing. Follow and subscribe to the Education Marketing Leader podcast for more practical conversations built for higher-ed marketers.

The college search process is broken, and two teenagers might be the ones to fix it. 👇When Evan Goldstein tagged along on college tours with his older brother, Jack Goldstein, something clicked:The tours showed buildings, history, and mascots — but not real life.What’s it actually like to live, study, and eat on campus?What’s the vibe on a Tuesday afternoon when no one’s performing for a brochure?That missing authenticity inspired Evan and Jack to build Quadzio, a platform connecting high schoolers with real college students for honest, unfiltered conversations.In this week’s episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast, Evan shares:🎯 How peer connections build trust faster than marketing ever could🎯 What “authentic” content really means to Gen Z and Gen Alpha🎯 Why vibe beats prestige for today’s studentsIt’s one of the most insightful interviews I’ve had, and a reminder that sometimes, the next big idea in higher ed doesn’t come from a boardroom, it comes from a high school classroom.🎧 Now live on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the link in the comments.#HigherEdMarketing #GenZ #CollegeSearch #StudentVoice #EducationMarketingLeaderPodcast

Are your stories driving outcomes—or just filling space?On the latest Education Marketing Leader Podcast, I sat down with Maria Kuntz, Director of Content Marketing Strategy and Communications (Advancement) at CU Boulder.We talked about how to move from “just stories” to content that directly drives advancement and institutional goals.Here are the key takeaways for higher ed marketers:🔹 Every story should connect to a business outcome—volunteer, mentor, attend, or give.🔹 Audience segmentation matters. CU Boulder found Tier 4 alumni engaged with “delight content” like recipes and guides, while Tier 5 clicked the logo first—making the homepage experience critical.🔹 Don’t skip CTAs, but vary them. Shifting from “donate/register” to “read/share/learn” reduces fatigue and builds trust.🔹 Cutting email volume raised more money. Protecting attention proved more effective than blasting more campaigns.🔹 Paid content can pay off. A Meta campaign delivered $5 raised for every $1 spent.🔹 AI is a tool, not a replacement. CU Boulder uses it for research and first drafts, but always layers in human voice and verification.🎧 Listen to the full conversation for practical insights on content strategy in advancement.👉 Follow the Education Marketing Leader Podcast for more conversations with higher ed marketing leaders.P.S. get your recipe for the vegan coconut bread here: https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2025/07/07/kale-yeah-cu-boulders-sustainable-dining#HigherEdMarketing #Advancement #ContentStrategy #Podcast #HigherEducation

On the latest Education Marketing Leader Podcast, I sat down with Ryan Trout, Director of Admissions at Northeastern Illinois University.We revisited his 2020 Stamats article, “Three Ways Relationship Building Helps Admissions Teams Excel,” and discussed how those lessons look different in 2025.Here are the key takeaways for higher ed marketers and enrollment leaders:🔹 Admissions is more competitive than ever.Test-optional is the norm, discount rates keep climbing, and students arrive less prepared for college-level work. Institutions that fail to adapt risk falling behind.🔹 Human connection wins.Virtual fairs and online-only touchpoints haven’t delivered. Preview Days and campus experiences that feel personal—meeting professors, eating in the cafeteria, real interactions—are driving yield and retention.🔹 Brand is about feelings, not features.At NEIU, students no longer choose the school just because it’s close or affordable. They now talk about how campus visits and staff made them feel. That shift is the result of intentional, relationship-first strategies.🔹 AI is a double-edged sword.Chatbots and predictive tools can help, but only when the data inputs are right and the tools are closely monitored. Costly AI recruiters are underwhelming; personalization and staff training still carry more weight.🔹 Relationships extend beyond prospects.Ryan shared how strengthening ties with high school counselors has fueled event attendance and trust. Monthly counselor updates through Slate are proving more effective than one-off outreach.🔹 Lean into your strengths.Don’t try to be the middle-of-the-pack institution. Be bold about what sets your campus apart—and back it up with student experiences that prove it.🎧 Listen to the full conversation for practical ideas on balancing tech with human touch in enrollment: [Podcast link]👉 Follow the Education Marketing Leader Podcast for more insights from the frontlines of higher ed marketing and admissions.

This special episode of the Education Marketing Leader Podcast brings you inside our August Book Club meeting, where we discussed Chasing Mission Fit with the author himself, Bart Caylor. 📖 Chasing Mission Fit tackles one of higher ed’s toughest challenges: finding and connecting with the students who are the right fit for your institution. In this episode, Bart and our book club community of higher ed marketers dive into: ✨ Why avoiding generic claims matters more than ever ✨ The “short-order cook vs. chef” mindset shift in campus marketing ✨ Smarter ways to use metrics and engagement data (beyond vanity numbers) ✨ Repurposing content and leveraging AI tools to maximize reach ✨ Competing with trade schools, alternative credentials, and changing student expectations You’ll hear insights from higher ed leaders across the country sharing what resonated most from the book—and how they’re applying these lessons at their institutions. 👀 Stick around to the end as we announce our next book club pick.