Jadis Tillery has over 22 years of marketing experience specializing in social media. She has received industry awards, is an industry speaker, and has been asked by social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to lead global product beta tests. Check out our interview with her in anticipation of the upcoming Social Media Strategies Summit for Higher Ed.

Please briefly describe the structure of your team. How many people are on your team, and where does it sit within your agency?

I am a Consultant working with PE funds seeking to invest in businesses or directly with companies seeking to raise capital. A number of these businesses are in the Education, Higher Education, or EdTech sectors, but I work across various industries. I also sit on the board of a music education charity in the UK called The Voices Foundation, which is hugely rewarding. In our session, my former colleague Debbie and I will be talking about our time with Hult International Business School, where we created an Advocate network across six global campuses that brought in $ 1 million in revenue in 1 month with a budget of less than $10K.

What will you be speaking about at SMSsummit Higher Ed?

Our session will be a very practical one! Through our case study and simple-to-follow tips, we will show you how to build a network of Advocates to create real business impact regardless of budget size or how advanced your marketing strategies are. Leveraging your community of students or employees can be very powerful!

Give us an overview of your role and what it entails daily.

I advise people on transforming sales and marketing teams with a strong focus on digital. I love strategic thinking and bringing new ideas to the Education, Higher Education, and EdTech sector. Prospective students are incredibly savvy; they keep me on my toes with content, platforms, and tools. It’s about finding ways to help them find their best learning or academic journey.

What do you love about your job?

Every day is so different that it allows me to tap into my creativity and problem-solving skills. I also have a wide network of clients, suppliers, and partners, so it’s always great to bounce ideas and concepts with people willing and able to create change.

What’s the hardest thing about your job?

There is always some necessary education regarding digital marketing and social media specifically. Ironically, the Education sector needs the most education about social media compared to other industries. There’s a lot more work with stakeholders in getting buy-in for ideas and campaigns, but the results always speak for themselves.

Please describe one of your institution or organization’s social media campaigns that makes you proud.

At Hult International Business School, we created and upskilled a network of over 90 influencer students (and parents!) across six global campuses with varied social media experience and limited content creation knowledge. Over 12 months, they would go on to create over 4,000 pieces of content and host over 50 Instagram live sessions showcasing Hult at its very best through the perspective of its students.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a professional interested in starting a social media marketing career?

You must be active on the platforms to understand them. Never forget that at the center of any great campaign idea is a person you’re trying to connect with, so always speak authentically and connect with them on a human level.

What’s one other higher ed institution that inspires you on social media, and why?

Stanford was one of the first to center student stories in their social media activity and was an early adopter of social video. With a background in broadcast media and TV, their social activity helped me connect with the brand beyond its well-known name.

What are some of your favorite tools to do your job more effectively?

Social posting and reporting platforms make sharing and measuring content a streamlined process. Canva has opened up simplified design for social media to everyone (no excuses not to have engaging visual content!). Also, I cannot live without project management tools like Trello, so everyone knows who’s working on what, when it’s due, etc.

Looking forward to 2023 and beyond, what opportunities excite you most about higher ed social media?

I would love to see NFTs make their way into marketing campaigns and student applications. What better way to demonstrate critical thinking than engaging with or commenting on ephemeral Web3 content from the lens of the degree you want to study (arts, culture, humanities, business, design, engineering – the list goes on!).

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