Email and SMS are two of the most effective channels in higher education marketing. Used well, they keep prospective students informed, motivated, and moving forward. Used poorly, they create noise, confusion, and disengagement.  Right now, many institutions fall into one of two traps: they either overuse SMS without a clear strategy, or they underutilize automation, relying on one-off sends and manual workflows.  The issue isn’t the channels themselves. It’s how they’re orchestrated.  Email Still Does the Heavy Lifting  Despite constant predictions of its demise, email remains the backbone of higher-ed communication. It’s where institutions can:  Where things go wrong is volume and relevance. Too many campaigns […]

AI can speed up content production. It can’t replace your brand.  That’s where most teams get it wrong. They treat AI like a content engine instead of a support tool, and the result is generic messaging that could belong to anyone. Faster output doesn’t mean better communication, especially if your voice starts to drift.  The goal isn’t to hand content over to AI. It’s to use it intentionally, with guardrails that keep your brand intact.  1. Use AI to Start, Not Finish  AI is at its best when it removes friction at the beginning of the process.  It can help […]

AI is suddenly everywhere in marketing conversations.  It shows up in boardroom discussions, vendor demos, and strategy decks. Predictive insights. Smarter targeting. Faster decisions. Less manual work.  But beneath the excitement, many marketing teams are running into an uncomfortable truth: AI doesn’t magically make marketing smarter. It only works as well as the data it’s given.  And for a lot of teams, that data isn’t ready which is why AI changes the conversation so quickly.  AI Raises the Stakes, Not Just the Speed  AI doesn’t just promise efficiency. It raises expectations.  Leadership expects clearer insight into pipeline and performance. Sales expects better prioritization. […]

This month’s release leans into the details that slow teams down and clears them out. From faster landing page performance and more flexible survey integrations to added context in proof emails and expanded AI capabilities, these updates are all about removing friction from everyday work. Many of these changes come directly from user requests, along with a few foundational updates that set the stage for what’s coming next. Proof Email Notes AJ Asks: Can you add a notes box to the top of proof emails? Similar to approval emails, you […]

CRM data rarely breaks all at once.  It erodes slowly—fields go untouched, and information becomes outdated. While records look complete on the surface, they no longer reflect reality. As a result, marketing teams stop trusting the data they rely on every day.  Progressive capture addresses this problem at the source. Not by collecting more data, but by collecting the right data over time.  A Real-World Example  Imagine a first-time website visitor signing up for a newsletter or promotional offer. They’re asked for just the basics: name and email.  Later, they return to download a resource, enter a giveaway, or […]