Ep. 91 - Mallory Willsea: Activity vs. Strategy—Why Higher Ed Marketing Measures the Wrong Things

After nearly 20 years watching colleges pour millions into sameness—the same viewbooks, the same home page videos, the same taglines—Mallory Willsea has a message for higher ed: stop mistaking activity for strategy. In this episode, Jeff Dillon sits down with Mallory, a strategist and consultant who has been shaping digital marketing in higher ed since the early days of social media. From her early experiments with YouTube recruitment videos at St. Michael's College to co-founding Higher Ed Icons and hosting the Higher Ed Pulse Podcast, Mallory brings a rare longitudinal view of what actually works—and what doesn't. Mallory argues that the real enemy isn't polish; it's sameness. When every institution claims to "develop the whole student" without showing what the chemistry department actually does at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, trust erodes. The fix? Specificity. Real people. Proof behind the claims. She also tackles the AI shift head-on, warning that SEO strategies from 2019 are no longer enough when students start their search in ChatGPT, Reddit, or AI overviews. She urges institutional leaders to audit where their audience is actually finding information—and to accept that they no longer control the front door. Packed with stories , practical advice on building executive visibility on LinkedIn, and a sharp critique of how higher ed confuses outputs with outcomes, this episode is a must-listen for any marketer, enrollment leader, or ed tech founder trying to cut through the noise. Key Takeaways Activity Is Not Strategy: Many colleges measure their teams on how busy they are (outputs) rather than whether they changed a prospective student's mind (outcomes). Confusing the two keeps institutions spinning their wheels. Sameness Is the Real Enemy, Not Polish: The problem with higher ed marketing isn't that it's too polished. It's that every viewbook, video, and campaign hits the same beats. Authenticity comes from specificity—real people, real proof, and a real point of view. The Featherstone University Lesson: When Colorado Mesa University launched "Featherstone University" as a parody admissions campaign, it made waves because it wasn't hitting the same beats as everyone else. It had a perspective. Stop Solving for the Institution: Too much institutional digital media is designed to make internal stakeholders comfortable, not to help a prospective student make a decision. Know which decision the student is making and at what stage—and show up accordingly. Give a Stage to the People No One Is Asking: Yes, student takeovers are common. But what about the faculty member doing interesting research? The facilities worker who flips the switch on the holiday lights? Their pride and stories humanize an institution in ways no drone video ever can. AI Search Has Changed the Front Door: The homepage is no longer the front door. Students start in AI overviews, ChatGPT, TikTok, Reddit, and Claude. SEO strategies from 2019 are insufficient. Audit where AI is pulling information about your institution (Reddit, YouTube transcripts, review platforms) and show up there. Not Showing Up Is Also a Choice—With Bigger Consequences: Institutional leaders who avoid LinkedIn or public platforms because it feels risky are making a choice with consequences. Start small: one post a week about something specific you're thinking about. Consistency builds findability and recognition. If No One Disagrees With You, You Probably Don't Have a Perspective: Conflict is a tenant of storytelling. Disagreement moves us forward faster. If no one is pushing back on your ideas, they're probably not that interesting. Brand Shortens the Trust Curve: Brand awareness isn't separate from conver... Chapters (00:00:00) - Brand and Digital Strategy in Higher Education(00:00:51) - Mallory Willsie on Higher Ed Pulse(00:01:54) - How St. Michael's College Changed Higher Ed Marketing Media(00:04:06) - What's the Biggest Gap Between Colleges and Digital Marketing?(00:06:10) - What's Authentic Digital Strategy in Higher Ed?(00:08:07) - Higher ed icons: A celebration(00:11:21) - Five Quick Wins for Your Digital Presence(00:17:34) - The Fight for Diversity(00:18:04) - The Need to Build a Personal Platform(00:20:11) - What's The Next Big Thing in Higher Ed?(00:24:06) - Brand Authority and Converting Students(00:26:11) - What's the Right Way to Approach AI in Higher Ed?(00:29:26) - Jeff Stoner on Higher Ed Live:(00:30:54) - The Signal: Higher Ed Tech Insights