Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager – Details, episodes & analysis

Megan Ellisor,  Director of Social Media at NC State, gives us a look into their innovative Social Media Hub at NC State, which fosters collaboration and enhances the university's digital presence as a whole. Jenny and Megan also discuss the importance of mission-driven work, the evolution of social media roles, and the benefits of a centralized yet flexible social media structure.

Guest Name: Megan Ellisor, Director of Social Media for NC State University

Guest Bios: Megan Ellisor is the Director of Social Media for NC State University, the largest public university in North Carolina. She leads the university's Social Media Strategy Hub, working with the social media specialists to hone their multimedia skills and develop effective content strategies to meet the needs of their college or unit. Megan also oversees the university’s enterprise social team and the Student Creator Program.

Guest Social: LinkedIn

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Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenny talks with Matt Griffin from the University of Pennsylvania and Melissa Lesica from Harvard University about the tumultuous and challenging landscape of higher education social media over the past academic year. They explore the impact of significant global events, bot attacks, and the increasing vitriol directed at higher ed institutions. They also delve into how their teams managed these crises and the lessons learned to prepare for future challenges.

Guest Names:
Matt Griffin, Dir. of New Media Communications at University Pennsylvania
Melissa Lesica, Senior Dir. of Content strategy at Harvard University

Guest Social Handles:
Matt: LinkedIn
Melissa: LinkedIn

Guest Bios: 
Matt Griffin is Director, New Media Communications, in the Office of University Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, with 20+ years of experience in digital marketing and communications for publishing companies, business journals and educational institutions. Matt joined Penn in 2012 as part of a then-new push to consolidate social media strategy at the University, and has since grown the University’s social footprint, expanded access to social media tools across Penn, and worked to build a cross-departmental collaborative working group of more than 300 communications professionals across campus.

Melissa Lesica is the Senior Director of Content Strategy at Harvard University. She manages a team that produces, manages and measures Harvard’s flagship digital properties, including Harvard.edu, the Harvard Gazette news website, the @Harvard social media channels and a variety of email newsletters. Melissa has worked in higher education for 17 years, advocating for digital transformation, innovation and accessibility.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Co-chair of the Symposium for the Marketing of Higher ed, Teresa Valerio Parrot has judged a lot of presentation proposals. She unlocks the secrets of what makes a proposal stand out in the crowded landscape of academic presentations. Teresa gives us insights on how to write a proposal, prepare for a presentation, and level-up to a featured or keynote spot. Teresa's insider tips will transform your next pitch from standard to standout. If you're itching to make your mark and lead the conversation at the next big conference, this episode is your golden ticket!

Guest Name: Teresa Valerio Parrot, Principal of TVP Communications

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Teresa Valerio Parrot often says that while her husband is her true love, her alma mater, the University of Colorado, was her first love. Higher education, however, is her home. She is known for honesty juxtaposed with optimism; the two combine to provide communications counsel focused on transparent leadership and relationship building. Teresa helps higher education executives truthfully share excellence and genuinely own mistakes through their communications and actions because she knows honesty is present in all sound proactive and crisis outreach. Previously, Teresa served as senior vice president for Widmeyer Communications and vice president for SimpsonScarborough. She counts almost 10 years of service with the University of Colorado, including an officer-level appointment as assistant secretary of the University. She is co-host of the “Trusted Voices Podcast,” co-editor of Call to Action for Inside Higher Ed, and has numerous bylines with national and higher education media. Teresa earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado Boulder, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, and a doctoral degree in higher education policy and leadership from Southern Methodist University. She holds an accreditation in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She lives in Longmont, Colorado, with her husband and dogs. Each year she threatens to become a runner and instead spends her time traveling with her family. Don’t get her started on how amazing her college-aged daughter is unless you have a spare hour or two. Or three. She serves on the boards of PRSA, the Colorado-based Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), and KUNC public radio and the Colorado Sound. She is a member of the Denver Ballet Guild.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this insightful episode, we chat with Sallie Poggi, the former director of social media at the University of California, Davis, who played a pivotal role in shaping the university's social presence. Sallie shares her career journey, highlighting her transition from social media to an executive role. Her story is not just about the evolution of her career but also about how the skills developed as a social media manager and director prepare people for higher-level positions beyond social media.

Guest Name: Executive Director and Chief of Staff, Strategic Communications at the University of California, Davis

Guest Bio: A proud Aggie alum, Sallie serves as executive director for Strategic Communications. She oversees operations and administrative functions and leads the executive communications unit. She guides the overall strategy for the office to creatively engage audiences, support executive communications strategy, and ensure the expanded awareness of UC Davis. 
Prior to her current role as executive director, Sallie served as the UC Davis social media director where she led strategy for how the University creates community and shares diverse stories on the flagship channels of UC Davis, executive social media channels, and Undergraduate Admissions channels. She was responsible for providing strategic guidance, governance, and policy to the University's network of more than 130 social media communicators.
For the decade before joining UC Davis in 2015, she worked at global PR firms, consulting with national and international brands. She helped large consumer brands and government agencies to embrace and transform their businesses by developing social-media strategy, content strategy, marketing plans, and engagement campaigns.
Sallie lives in Sacramento with her husband, two sons, and two crazy, little min-pin dachshund dogs.

Guest Social: LinkedIn

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Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We engage in an inspiring conversation with Matt Nazario-Miller, Communications Manager at Stanford University, and a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Matt shares his unique journey and sheds light on what real allyship looks like, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. From accidental beginnings in social media to championing inclusive narratives year-round, Matt talks about the important role of higher education professionals in fostering a more inclusive environment on our campuses. Tune in to discover how we can all be a better ally on university social media channels, not just during recognition months but every day. This episode is a must-listen for anyone committed inclusivity and allyship in their work in higher education. Don't miss out on these invaluable insights—subscribe to Enrollify now!

Guest Name: Matt Nazario-Miller, M.Ed., Communications Manager, Stanford

Guest Bio: With 10 years of marketing communications experience in the education space, Matt Nazario-Miller (he/they) currently serves as a Communications Manager with HR Communications at Stanford University, a strategic role focused on talent management as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for the staff community. Matt’s first full-time roles were in social media strategy, and his experience spans K-12 and higher education. 

A Bay Area local now living in NYC, Matt is a proudly bi+/queer Latine with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from USF and an educational master’s degree in Student Development Administration from Seattle University.

Guest Social: 
X
Instagram
Threads
LinkedIn

Additional resources:

“Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs” by John A. Mueller and Amy L. Reynolds

DEI strategist and author Lily Zheng and her book DEI Deconstructed

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Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we'll dive into the high-octane world of social media event coverage with Jenn Crimm, the mastermind behind Opry Entertainment Group's social media presence. Jenn shares her secrets for planning, capturing, and amplifying live moments on social media in real time. Discover her meticulous tactics, backstage insights, and the art of making every post count. Plus, learn how Jen turns live experiences into lasting social media content. Tune in for an exclusive peek behind the digital curtain!

You will learn:

• How to prepare for a live event.
• What to expect during the event.
• How to create a report following the event.

Guest Name:  Jenn Crim, Social media manager at Opry Entertainment Group

Guest Email: jcrim@opry.com

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Jenn Crim is an organic social media creative and strategist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s an entertainment social media manager in Music City working with country music brands The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman Auditorium, Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and Austin City Limits Live. Jenn focuses on growing social audiences, creating unique content and connecting artists and fans on social media and beyond.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This podcast is brought to you by Element451 — the leading AI-enabled CRM for Higher Ed.  Learn more about how Element451 can help you exceed your enrollment and marketing goals. 

Jon-Stephen Stansel is a freelance social media strategist, speaker, consultant, and a well-known voice across social media marketing. He spent many years in higher ed social media before pivoting into other industries and has first-hand experience of how social media is handled across different sectors. In this episode, Jon-Stephen shares five things he believes every higher ed supervisor or leadership team should know about being a social media manager for a university.

Guest Name: Jon-Stephen Stansel

Guest Social Links: 
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Instagram
TikTok
Website

Guest Bio: Jon-Stephen Stansel is an award-winning social media professional with over a decade of experience managing, building, and creating content for brand social media accounts. He has run social media accounts for Amazon Prime's Invincible animated series, Hyper RPG, Better Place Forests, the University of Central Arkansas, Texas State University, the Texas Department of Transportation, as well as consulting for many television series, films, and small businesses. As Director of Social Media for Chaotic Good Studios, Jon-Stephen worked on social media strategy and content for AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and Amazon Prime Video’s LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER among several other major entertainment franchises.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This podcast is brought to you by Element451 — the leading AI-enabled CRM for Higher Ed.  Learn more about how Element451 can help you exceed your enrollment and marketing goals. 

Nicole Tabak, freelance writer and content strategist, manages the Harvard Online social media accounts. In 2022, she wrote a thread on what was Twitter at the time about Taylor Swift albums as Harvard Online courses and it went viral. Nicole tells us that it pays to be true to who you are and experiment on the institution’s social media channels. We will discuss that viral moment, her inspiration, and how she made it happen.

Guest Name: Nicole Tabak. , 

Guest Social Handles: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok

Guest Bio: 
Nicole Tabak is a freelance content strategist, mental health advocate, and Founder of Social Media Detox. She has worked with clients on building holistic content strategies across industries with clients including Harvard University, The Creative Ladder, Time Magazine, and Passion Planner. You can find her and her weekly newsletter on mental health for marketing professionals at nicoletabak.com

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This podcast is brought to you by Element451 — the leading AI-enabled CRM for Higher Ed.  Learn more about how Element451 can help you exceed your enrollment and marketing goals. 

When Kellen Manning took his first social media job at Boston University, he was a one-person team and he got creative about finding content and creators. He used organic social listening and monitoring practices to find members of the community who were already creating great content and built a strategy around UGC. Now as a director, he continues this practice, building it into his team’s process, and they’ve extended it to searching for faculty creators.

Guest Name: Kellen Manning

Guest Social: Linkedin and Twitter

Guest Bio: Kellen currently works as the Director of Digital Public Relations for the Office of Strategic Communications at Penn State University where he oversees the long-term strategy of the flagship Penn State social media accounts and the social media team. In the past, he has worked at Boston University, MIT, and Harvard in digital and social media roles across alumni relations, student life, admissions, and undergraduate communications.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Manager is returning with new host Jenny Li Fowler!

Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager covers the do's, don'ts, and dynamics of the complex and challenging social media ecosystem. We analyze the successes and failures of those in the higher education social space — what went right, what went wrong, and what are the lessons learned. We’ll share actionable steps so you can push past the pitfalls others have faced. No matter if you're on a team of 20 or a team of one, we've got you covered.

Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Jenny Li Fowler
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler/
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.