ROI University: A Higher Ed Marketing Show

Rustam Irani
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

ROI University is the podcast for higher-ed marketers ready to lead meaningful change. Hosted by Rustam Irani, this solo series helps you unlock higher enrollment, deeper student connection, and the internal clarity to do your boldest work. It’s not just about tactics, it’s about becoming the kind of leader your institution needs. Get ready to raise outcomes across the board: for your students, your team, and yourself.

  1. Jul 28 ·  Video

    Trust Test

    In this episode, Rustam Irani shares a leadership lesson that fundamentally changed how he approaches trust, relationships, and marketing. Through a personal story of working first as a higher education marketing leader and later from the agency side, he explores what happens when relationships turn out to be transactional rather than genuine. Rustam breaks down five lessons he's learned about building authentic professional relationships, protecting generosity without becoming cynical, and why the same principles of trust apply directly to higher education marketing. Ultimately, he argues that lasting enrollment success begins with becoming the kind of person—and organization—that people genuinely want to trust. Timestamps 00:00 – A personal story about trust, leadership, and seeing both sides of the vendor-client relationship 03:18 – The tables turn: experiencing rejection after moving to the agency side 04:45 – Why genuine relationships reveal themselves over time 06:01 – Lesson 1 & 2: Recognizing transactional relationships while protecting your generosity 08:44 – Lesson 3: Doing due diligence before extending trust 09:20 – Lesson 4: Why deep relationships outperform large networks 11:06 – Lesson 5: Applying trust-building principles to higher education marketing 12:05 – Final recap: The five trust tests every leader should remember

    Trust Test

  2. Jul 7 ·  Video

    Beyond Enrollment

    Episode Overview In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with Will McDonald, Executive Vice President of Admissions at Academy of Art University, to explore what effective admissions leadership looks like in today's higher education landscape. Drawing on more than two decades of enrollment experience, Will shares why the strongest institutions treat marketing and admissions as one unified student recruitment team, how leaders can build high-performing admissions organizations, and why staying connected to the student experience is more important than any dashboard or technology. They also discuss where AI can genuinely improve admissions operations—and where the human element remains irreplaceable. Resources Mentioned LinkedIn — William McDonald (mentioned as the best place to connect with Will)Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Will McDonald and the importance of admissions and marketing alignment 01:58 – Will's leadership journey, football background, and lessons from Howard Schnellenberger 05:05 – How admissions has changed over the past 20 years and the growing complexity of student decision-making 08:45 – Building effective admissions processes while keeping the student—not the transaction—at the center 12:48 – Why marketing and admissions should function as one unified department with shared KPIs 17:02 – Building admissions teams, hiring for coachability, and staying connected to frontline staff 21:58 – The promise and limitations of AI in admissions, including automation and re-engagement strategies 27:24 – Leadership advice for new admissions directors and the importance of focusing on people, process, and performance 31:16 – Final takeaway: Stay plugged into the student experience by listening to students and frontline teams

    Beyond Enrollment

  3. Jun 18 ·  Video

    Not Lead Quality

    In this episode, Rustam Irani explores a growing challenge facing higher-ed enrollment teams: declining contact rates despite steady inquiry volume. Drawing from conversations with multiple institutions across different program types and regions, he unpacks why traditional explanations like lead quality and staffing may no longer tell the full story. Rustam examines how changing communication preferences, AI-driven outreach, caller screening technology, and increasing digital noise are reshaping student engagement—and what marketers can do to adapt. Timestamps 00:00 - 01:20 | The Contact Rate Problem Rustam introduces the growing trend of declining contact rates across multiple institutions and program types. 01:21 - 05:12 | Investigating the Root Causes Analysis of historical data, common assumptions about lead quality and staffing, and emerging external factors affecting outreach success. 05:13 - 06:52 | Why Context Matters More Than Ever The importance of multi-channel communication, setting expectations, and giving prospects context before outreach occurs. 06:53 - 08:50 | Speed-to-Lead and Operational Fundamentals Why rapid response times, proper caller ID setup, and communication sequencing can improve engagement. 08:51 - 10:51 | Personalized Follow-Up and Alternative Engagement Channels Tailoring messaging to student goals and exploring live chat experiences as an alternative to phone-based engagement. 10:52 - 13:29 | Understanding the Modern Student Reality Examining the noise, distractions, responsibilities, and emotional circumstances prospects face when they inquire. 13:30 - 15:58 | From Contact Rates to Meaningful Engagement Reframing the KPI conversation from answered phone calls to meaningful engagement and student intent, followed by practical action items for marketers.Key Takeaways Declining contact rates are increasingly influenced by external factors, not just lead quality or enrollment operations. Students are screening more calls and have more communication choices than ever before. Multi-channel communication (text, email, phone, chat) is becoming essential for creating context and trust. Speed-to-lead remains important, but relevance and consistency across touchpoints matter just as much. Higher-ed marketers should shift their focus from improving contact rates alone to creating meaningful engagement experiences that align with how students want to interact.

    Not Lead Quality

  4. May 29 ·  Video

    Weak Signal

    In this episode, Rustam Irani breaks down the concept of a university’s “brand signal zone” — the geographic radius where a school’s reputation, awareness, and trust actually influence enrollment behavior. Using years of campaign data and real-world examples, he explains why most institutions dramatically overestimate how far their brand reaches, and how enrollment marketers can use geographic insights to build smarter campaigns, lower acquisition costs, and uncover hidden opportunities for growth. He also explores how local trust, specialized programs, and strategic partnerships shape enrollment performance across different distance bands. Timestamps 00:00 – Why universities overestimate brand awarenessRustam introduces the idea that many institutions believe their reputation extends far beyond where the data actually shows influence. 01:13 – The “driving distance” enrollment realityDiscussion around the statistic that 67% of undergraduates enroll within driving distance of home and why proximity still matters. 02:20 – The Power Zone (0–25 miles)Exploration of the strongest geographic enrollment radius and how local events, alumni presence, and community partnerships reinforce trust. 04:16 – The Middle Ring (25–100 miles)How brand recognition begins to fade and why program-specific marketing becomes critical in this zone. 06:17 – University of Alaska case studyA breakdown of how unique regional strengths can successfully expand a school’s reach beyond its immediate market. 08:56 – The Outer Ring (100+ miles)Why enrollment conversion rates sharply decline at greater distances and what schools must offer to compete nationally. 09:54 – The “Harvard of our area” mindsetRustam shares a story about a university leader who struggled to accept that their institution lacked national brand recognition. 12:07 – Using enrollment and analytics data to map brand resonancePractical ways marketers can identify geographic performance zones using CRM, application, CPC, and enrollment data.

    Weak Signal

  5. May 19 ·  Video

    The AI Signals

    In this episode, Rustam Irani explores how AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are fundamentally changing how prospective students research colleges and programs. He breaks down why traditional website traffic may be declining while enrollment quality improves, and explains the four critical metrics institutions must track to understand their visibility in AI-generated search results. Rustam also shares the foundational SEO and authority-building principles that still matter in the age of LLMs, along with practical insight into how schools can improve their presence, sentiment, and share of voice in AI-driven discovery experiences.Resources Mentioned RGI AEO Dashboard - https://aeo.rgiconsulting.net/leadsquared/Timestamps 00:00 – 01:23 — How prospective students are using AI tools to research colleges and programs before ever visiting a school website 01:24 – 03:05 — The four core metrics schools must track in AI search: visibility, share of voice, citation rate, and sentiment 03:06 – 05:32 — Why some schools are seeing lower inquiry volume but higher application and enrollment quality 05:33 – 06:50 — The SEO and authority fundamentals that still matter in the LLM era 06:51 – 08:14 — The new kinds of nuanced student questions appearing inside AI search tools 08:15 – 10:22 — How AI visibility dashboards and citation analysis help schools identify content opportunities 10:23 – 11:56 — The importance of reputation, transparency, partnerships, and consistent messaging in AI-generated results 11:57 – 15:12 — Why schools don’t need massive budgets to compete in AI search—and what they actually need instead

    The AI Signals

  6. Apr 20 ·  Video

    SEO is Changing

    In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with SEO expert Julian Hooks to unpack the growing confusion around declining traffic, AI’s impact on search, and what higher-ed marketers should actually focus on right now. Together, they cut through the hype around AEO, GEO, and LLMs, revealing that while the discovery landscape is shifting, the fundamentals of SEO—and great marketing—are still the foundation. The conversation explores how user behavior is evolving, why attribution is getting harder, and how marketers can adapt without abandoning what already works. Resources Mentioned RGI AEO Dashboard - https://aeo.rgiconsulting.net/Timestamps 00:00 – The Problem: Traffic and conversions are declining despite doing “everything right” in SEO 01:00 – Meet Julian Hooks: 20 years in SEO and deep experience in higher ed marketing 04:00 – Is SEO Dead?: Why AI isn’t replacing SEO but reshaping how discovery works 08:00 – AEO vs GEO vs SEO: Breaking down the terminology and what actually matters 10:30 – The Attribution Problem: Why AI-driven traffic is hard to measure (but still impactful) 13:00 – New Signals to Watch: Direct traffic, branded search, and behavioral shifts 15:30 – AEO Measurement Framework: Visibility, share of voice, citation rate, and sentiment 22:00 – How to Prioritize Efforts: 80–85% fundamentals vs 15–20% AI-specific adjustments 25:00 – Content Strategy Shift: Don’t abandon long-form—just surface answers faster 28:00 – Why Traffic Is Down: LLMs are capturing top-of-funnel informational queries 31:00 – Higher Intent Users: Fewer visitors, but stronger conversion and engagement 32:00 – Final Advice: Think holistically, focus on fundamentals, and build a great product/experience

    SEO is Changing

  7. Apr 8 ·  Video

    Sent Back

    In this episode, Rustam Irani shares a pivotal early-career moment that reshaped how he presents data, and breaks down four essential rules for delivering clear, credible, and impactful insights that drive action.  Resources Mentioned ChatGPT — https://chat.openai.com/Google Gemini — https://gemini.google.com/ Timestamps00:00 – The CEO Meeting That Changed Everything: A high-stakes presentation goes wrong and reveals a critical gap in data storytelling.04:53 – Introduction to the 4 Rules of Presenting Data: Rustam frames the episode and the lessons learned over years of experience.05:44 – Rule #1: Clarity and Simplicity: Why overcomplicating data loses your audience and how to present at the right level.08:08 – Rule #2: Accuracy and Reliability: The importance of validating data, checking formulas, and spotting red flags.09:23 – Rule #3: Tell the Story Behind the Data: Focusing on what changed, why it changed, and what it means.10:33 – Rule #4: Use Effective Visuals: Leveraging charts, graphs, and modern tools to make insights instantly clear.12:00 – From Reporting to Responsibility: Shifting mindset from sharing numbers to owning the narrative and outcomes.

    Sent Back

  8. Mar 26 ·  Video

    Why They Win

    In this episode, Rustam Irani sits down with Chris Shepard to unpack what it really takes to build performance-driven marketing systems that create trust, align teams, and generate measurable results. Chris shares his path from early email marketing and agency ownership to leading digital strategy in higher education, along with the lessons he’s learned about vendor collaboration, data visibility, and the practical role AI can play in modern marketing. Resources Mentioned The Prompt — Chris Shepard’s weekly AI-focused newsletter for higher education marketers - https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-prompt-7432956494280683520/Timestamps 0:01 - 2:43 — Intro and Chris’s marketing backgroundRustam introduces Chris Shepard and previews a conversation on digital marketing, leadership, and AI. 2:44 - 8:10 — From record-label email marketing to building an agencyChris shares how he got started in digital marketing, taught himself website building and SEO, and grew an agency serving home-service businesses. 8:11 - 13:44 — Selling the agency and moving into higher educationChris reflects on selling WebRocket after COVID, what he learned from building trust at scale, and why Tricoci felt like the right next chapter. 13:45 - 20:07 — Why alignment and data matter more than marketing activityThe conversation shifts to silos in higher ed, why marketing is too often treated as a cost center, and how lead, enrollment, and start data drive smarter decisions. 20:08 - 29:12 — Breaking down vendor silos and building collaborative systemsChris explains how he manages multiple agency partners through weekly calls, biweekly strategy sessions, and annual summits that include leadership and admissions. 29:13 - 35:36 — AI dashboards, automation, and the purpose behind The PromptChris describes building his own live dashboard, using AI for summaries and forecasting, and launching a newsletter to help higher ed marketers keep up with AI change. 35:37 - 40:56 — Career advice for modern marketersChris closes with advice on growth: show up consistently, know your numbers, deeply understand your audience, and stay curious as the industry keeps evolving.

    Why They Win
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

ROI University is the podcast for higher-ed marketers ready to lead meaningful change. Hosted by Rustam Irani, this solo series helps you unlock higher enrollment, deeper student connection, and the internal clarity to do your boldest work. It’s not just about tactics, it’s about becoming the kind of leader your institution needs. Get ready to raise outcomes across the board: for your students, your team, and yourself.

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