Maximizing Email Communications-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The recorded session centered on strategic email communications and marketing in higher education, focusing on alumni-centric approaches. Hosted by Zach Thomas from the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business and featuring expert Day Kittles from Strategia Ology, the interactive discussion emphasized the importance of relevance, coordination, and personalization in alumni emails.<br /><br />Key points included defining alumni-centric communications as sharing news that connects alumni to current student experiences and institutional achievements, while also offering content relevant to alumni’s present lives such as career resources and lifestyle tips. The conversation highlighted the value of collaboration across institutional departments to reduce email volume, coordinate messaging, and align communications with broader goals like fundraising and lifelong engagement. Various tools such as Airtable, Smartsheets, and centralized calendars were discussed as means to manage email frequency and content scheduling.<br /><br />Segmentation emerged as a crucial strategy, balancing content for new versus established alumni and friends of the institution. While ideally differentiated messaging is beneficial, the panelists noted bandwidth constraints and advocated for newsletters containing diverse stories appealing to different alumni groups. Examples from institutions like Florida Atlantic demonstrated successful segmented fundraising campaigns.<br /><br />Best practices addressed challenges including avoiding redundant or irrelevant email solicitations, particularly during giving days, and prioritizing messages based on engagement data. The panel emphasized using clear, direct subject lines for higher open rates and advised thoughtful, relevant use of emoji and images to support, not clutter, messaging—always considering accessibility.<br /><br />Ultimately, the session fostered knowledge sharing among higher ed communicators, encouraging more unified, audience-centered email strategies that nurture meaningful alumni relationships while managing institutional resources effectively.

Keywords

strategic email communications

higher education marketing

alumni-centric approaches

personalization in alumni emails

cross-department collaboration

email segmentation

fundraising campaigns

email engagement strategies

email content scheduling tools

audience-centered email strategies