The Hidden Gem

By: Maya Demishkevich
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  • Summary

  • The Hidden Gem is a podcast dedicated to empowering community college presidents, leaders, marcomms with the knowledge and insights they need to harness the full potential of strategic marketing and communication within their institutions. In today's fast-paced educational landscape, effective marketing and communication strategies are crucial for not only student recruitment but also for fostering a thriving and engaged community. This podcast aims to shed light on the often-overlooked aspects of marketing, emphasizing its vital role in shaping an institution's overall strategy and success. By showcasing real-world examples, case studies, and interviews with experienced community college leaders and higher ed consultants, the podcast will inspire its audience to view marketing and communication as integral components of their leadership toolkit. It aims to elevate the importance of these functions and empower leaders to make more informed and strategic decisions in their roles. The Hidden Gem is hosted by Maya Demishkevich and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.
    2024 Enrollify
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Economics
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Episodes
  • Live at AMA: Streamlining College Onboarding with AI

    Live at AMA: Streamlining College Onboarding with AI
    Nov 12 2024
    In this episode of The Hidden Gem Podcast, host Maya Demishkevich speaks with Brian Messer from Archer Education, live from the AMA conference in Las Vegas. They dive into the transformative role AI can play in improving the onboarding experience in community colleges, focusing on challenges like clarity in degree pathways, ease of enrollment, and completion timelines. Brian highlights how AI-driven tools can streamline processes, provide essential guidance, and create a more supportive onboarding experience, particularly for adult and first-generation students.Key TakeawaysCommunity colleges face challenges in guiding students through clear paths to graduation, smooth enrollment processes, and reasonable degree completion times.AI can support onboarding by simulating an advisory session, helping prospective students navigate essential decisions before applying.Tools like AI chatbots and pre-application experiences, used by institutions like Kansas City Kansas Community College, can provide critical support and boost applicant confidence.AI-driven onboarding frameworks that incorporate inspiration, guidance, and campus connection can enhance prospective students' journey, making them more likely to apply.Enhanced AI integration in admissions can free up advisors to have deeper, more impactful conversations with students.Episode SummaryWhat are the main challenges in community college onboarding?Community colleges often struggle with three main challenges in their onboarding process, especially for adult and first-generation students. First is the lack of a clear path to graduation—students often don’t understand what steps they need to take to achieve their degree. Second, the ease of enrollment is hindered by complex application processes, deterring students before they even apply. Lastly, degree completion timelines often lack flexibility, making it hard for students to plan their journey from enrollment to graduation within a reasonable timeframe. These obstacles can be intimidating and are a leading cause of prospective students abandoning their applications.How can AI help address these challenges?AI offers a promising solution to these challenges by enabling a more guided, conversational onboarding experience for prospective students. Brian describes the potential for AI to simulate a "professional college advisory session" that provides key information—like the differences between degree programs, expected timelines, and financial aid options—before students apply. This AI-driven session would act like a virtual advisor, answering commonly asked questions, offering reassurance, and providing insights that typically require in-person meetings. AI could also empower enrollment teams to focus on meaningful conversations, enhancing the quality of their support for students who need deeper guidance.Are there any current examples of AI helping in the community college admissions process?Yes, several community colleges have already started using AI to streamline their onboarding process. Athens Technical College and other schools use AI-powered chatbots that answer frequent inquiries, helping students navigate early stages. However, chatbots alone require students to know what questions to ask, which can be a barrier. Kansas City Kansas Community College and San Diego City College have implemented more interactive pre-application experiences, providing personalized, step-by-step guidance. These experiences engage students with questions and videos, building their confidence and helping them feel more connected to the college before applying.What does an AI-driven onboarding experience look like?The AI-driven onboarding experience, modeled on frameworks like the Community College Research Center’s onboarding recommendations, provides a structured journey. It begins with questions that help personalize the experience, continues with motivational videos to inspire and connect students, and includes a planning phase. Each element is designed to make students feel informed, supported, and confident in their decision to pursue education at the institution. As Brian explains, this pre-application experience is accessible through links on marketing ads and community college websites, creating an inviting pathway into the college environment. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Maya Demishkevichhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Hidden Gem: Marketing Community Colleges 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 Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO. Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage ...
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    15 mins
  • Ep. 20: How Program-Specific Marketing Can Drive Enrollment

    Ep. 20: How Program-Specific Marketing Can Drive Enrollment
    Nov 4 2024

    In this episode of The Hidden Gem, Maya Demishkevich welcomes Alana Villemez, CEO of Most Likely to Succeed, to discuss the growing importance of program-specific marketing for community colleges. With extensive experience working with over 100 colleges, Alana shares insights into why colleges should prioritize marketing specific programs over broad awareness campaigns and how to effectively allocate limited resources to those efforts.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Hear why program-specific marketing is becoming more important than ever, especially as students increasingly search for specific career pathways rather than general college options.
    • Learn about how student needs have shifted post-pandemic, with growing interest in certificates, micro-credentials, and career-oriented programs.
    • Discover how to prioritize marketing efforts by using a product lifecycle framework to determine which programs need the most attention based on their stage of development.
    • Find out how to package and market programs effectively, focusing on unique benefits like job placement rates, time to completion, and industry demand.
    • Get tips on how to balance program marketing with overall brand awareness, leveraging digital channels like pay-per-click advertising and video content to target prospective students.

    Product Lifecycle: https://theproductmanager.com/topics/product-life-cycle-management/

    Community College Mission Pillars: https://www.mltsucceed.com/insights/

    PESO Model: https://spinsucks.com/communication/pr-pros-must-embrace-the-peso-model/

    Guest Name: Alana Villemez, CEO, Most Likely to Succeed

    Guest Bio: Alana Villemez is the founder & CEO of Most Likely to Succeed, an advisory firm focused on community college enrollment marketing. With over a decade of experience, Alana has worked with more than 100 community colleges to drive enrollment through strategic marketing and communications.
    Alana created Most Likely to Succeed with the mission to make community colleges the number one choice for students across the nation. Most Likely to Succeed helps community colleges deliver on their promises by optimizing their enrollment strategies to better attract and support students, communities and local workforces.
    As the creator of the Community College PROMISE Framework, Alana employs tailored methodologies—developed from her extensive experience working with community colleges— to empower community college professionals to drive meaningful change and redefine success within their institutions.

    www.mltsucceed.com


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    Connect With Our Host:
    Maya Demishkevich
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/

    About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
    The Hidden Gem: Marketing Community Colleges 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 Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.

    Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

    Attend the 2025 Engage Summit!
    The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

    Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register
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    39 mins
  • Ep. 19: How to Bring Adults Back: Research-Driven Enrollment Strategies at WTCT

    Ep. 19: How to Bring Adults Back: Research-Driven Enrollment Strategies at WTCT
    Oct 21 2024

    In this episode of The Hidden Gem, Maya Demishkevich speaks with John McGreal, Dean of Enrollment Services at Waukesha County Technical College, about the college’s research-driven approach to improving adult student enrollment. John shares insights from a recent study funded by a grant, exploring the barriers adults face in returning to school and how targeted marketing and operational changes have led to a significant increase in enrollment. Learn how WCTC is helping adult learners succeed in their educational journeys.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Hear about the research WCTC conducted to better understand why adult learners were not enrolling, and how they used both quantitative and qualitative data to gain insights.
    • Learn how adult students want to go from application to enrollment in as little as 4-8 weeks, and how this insight reshaped WCTC's enrollment processes to accommodate this fast-paced decision-making.
    • Discover the impact of combining in-person focus groups with AI-driven qualitative analysis to identify key motivations for adult students, such as career pivots and second chances.
    • Find out how WCTC leveraged digital marketing, targeted messaging, and in-person experiences to better engage adult learners and increase enrollment by 7%.
    • Get practical advice on using grant funds to experiment with new approaches, offering flexible enrollment options, and tailoring marketing strategies to meet adult learners where they are.

    Guest Name: John McGreal, Dean of Enrollment Services, Waukesha County Technical College

    Guest Bio: John McGreal currently serves as the inaugural Dean of Enrollment Services at Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, WI. He received his Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama. Previously, John has worked for Rockford University, the University of Alabama, and Bellin College. He has also served as the President of the Wisconsin ACAC, chair of the WACAC government relations committee, and numerous other roles related to conference planning and professional development. John's passion is using data to make informed decisions, process improvement, and college access. He is also a husband and father, a runner and a book lover, and enjoys finding the best burger in every city.


    - - - -

    Connect With Our Host:
    Maya Demishkevich
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/

    About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
    The Hidden Gem: Marketing Community Colleges 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 Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.

    Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

    Attend the 2025 Engage Summit!
    The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

    Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins

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