#64 - In-house Marcom Staff vs. External Partners w/ Joel Goodman of Bravery Media

Higher Ed Storytelling University

My guest today is Joel Goodman, founder of Bravery Media. Joel helps colleges and universities increase their web conversion rates using hospitable design practices. In this episode, we discuss insights from the Simpson Scarborough CMO study and how it relates to budget constraints, staffing, and curating the best marketing communications team with the resources available.

Joel shares his background, including working in web marketing roles at two universities before starting Bravery Media in 2012. He advocates for a "hospitable design" approach that focuses on caring for the user's journey and reducing friction.

Key Takeaways:

• The study reveals significant variability in marketing budgets and staffing across institution sizes, directly impacting strategies and job satisfaction.
• Despite budget declines, website experience remains a priority with a focus on quality content for prospective students.
• Effective web governance, strategic digital investment, using analytics, and adapting to AI are crucial for meeting younger audiences' expectations.
• Salary levels for web roles are often too low to attract top talent, leading to subpar user experiences compared to other industries.
• Having an in-house video team can make sense for large institutions, but most lack the budget for a complete product team (producer, UX designers, developers).
• Hiring external partners can be more cost-effective and provide better quality for web design, video production, and content creation.
• AI tools should enhance research and data analysis, not replace authentic creative work that connects with prospective students.

Connect with Joel:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelgoodman/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelgoodman/

Connect with Bravery Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braverymedia/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravery-media/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@braverymedia
• Website: https://bravery.co/

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
• Website: https://unveild.tv
• Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter