Truth #8: Build Bridges, Tear Down Silos
I can’t say I have a favorite higher education marketing truth, but I do think this one might just be the happiest of them all. Through collaboration between marketing departments and other areas of the institution, marketing leaders have the opportunity to be the Chief Silo Busters of higher education.
The best marketing departments know that only some of their work can be accomplished behind closed doors—so much more is accomplished by working closely with admissions, academic disciplines, student affairs, and alumni relations. The work to clarify your brand starts with our faculty and staff colleagues before we communicate with our external partners.
Studies show that when departments or data are siloed, organizations inevitably suffer. Three out of four companies face hindered internal collaboration due to data silos. Similar concerns ring true in higher education—research from UCLA and MIT Press found that universities are regularly hindered by decentralized data and constrained data sharing.
As perpetual students of their institution and those it serves, marketing leaders are uniquely positioned to tear down data silos and increase collaboration on college campuses. It all starts a new perspective on KPIs—Keep People Informed and Keep People Inspired—two separate but equally important endeavors.
Keep People Informed
Every higher education institution I have worked with has something in common: a gap in internal communication. While the gaps vary in depth and breadth, they inevitably exist, limiting the opportunity for marketers to share their vision and for their colleagues to join it. Marketing leaders can begin to fill these gaps by building a simple, systematic approach to sharing information.
Did the marketing department recently discover that their most engaged demographic on social media is rural high school seniors who are interested in farming? The agriculture department needs to know that.
Does the education department have a 99% placement rate for teachers upon graduation? The marketing department needs to know that.
Whether the system is a shared dashboard or, in the early days, a “you may want to know” email chain, a method for empowering all leaders to share the story of their school can fuel positive change and collaboration.
Keep People Inspired
The chair of the science department may be the most loyal fan of your college or university, but if she doesn’t have stories of the institution to share beyond her own experiences, her ability to be an ambassador will be limited. When marketers keep their colleagues inspired, they generate and perpetuate momentum that expands their institution’s reach.
From academics to athletics, there are inspiring accomplishments and adventures happening within your school on any given day. Creating a communication mechanism for capturing those bright spots so that they can be shared is a great place to start. Marketers might ask a few faculty members or admissions leaders for a story or two that made them smile in the past month. Perhaps there’s an opportunity for a 15-minute weekly meeting in which anyone with a positive anecdote from their department can show up and contribute.
Not sure what information or inspiration to share—or what information or inspiration to ask people to share? Consider starting with:
Statistics
Updated programs or courses
New online or abroad learning opportunities
Student or alumni achievements
Institutional partnerships
Test results and placement rates
Inform and Inspire
The bad news: Your college or university almost certainly has an internal communications gap.
The good news: Sharing information and inspiration can generate collaboration and strengthen marketing campaigns.
The great news: Marketing leaders are uniquely suited to become Chief Silo Busters.
Interested in bringing the Truths to your campus? Learn more.
Let’s make these truths part of your institution’s unique marketing strategies. Contact us to chat about how 5° Branding can partner with your team.
This is the eighth blog in our Higher Ed Marketing Truths series with 5° Senior Vice President Ryan Morabito, a veteran brand strategist who has worked with over 100 schools. These blogs are based on Ryan’s LinkedIn posts, which regularly inspire high engagement among education leaders and marketers. Connect with us here to receive each blog in the series by email or bookmark our blog to check for updates!
