Transform Your Enrollment Strategy with Story-Driven Video - A Conversation with Ryan Koral

This week on The Education Marketing Leader, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan Koral, founder of Tell Studios and Enroll Films.

Ryan is a video storyteller with a mission to reshape how higher education communicates.

If you care about authentic storytelling, student engagement, and video strategies that actually work, this episode is for you.

Here are 3 powerful takeaways:

📽 Embed Native Videos on University Sites

❌ Don’t funnel visitors to YouTube.

✅ Keep them on your homepage to control the experience and drive meaningful action.

Ryan explains that YouTube's "vortex" often sends visitors down unrelated rabbit holes—away from your enrollment funnel.

🫶 Story-Driven Video > Promo Video

❌ Forget flashy promos.

✅ The best video content captures transformation stories—like the one Ryan shared about his alma mater’s basketball coach, Garth.

These emotional narratives resonate with prospects, parents, and donors alike.

💸 Not Every Video Needs High Production Value

📹 Ryan believes there's a time for polished videos (like donor galas) and a time for authentic, raw content. 🤳

Sometimes, a well-timed, smartphone-recorded clip can engage Gen Z students better than a cinematic masterpiece.

Know your audience and plan accordingly.

Ryan also shared practical strategies for institutions with tight budgets:

♦ Use affordable tools like softbox lights, tripods, and mics.

♦ Build a dedicated content space on campus, ready to shoot at any time.

♦ Leverage tools like Descript for fast, efficient video editing without the steep learning curve.

Get Ryan’s Gear Guide & Strategy Checklist at enrollfilms.com/gear.

🤝 Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn here and learn more about how video storytelling can transform your institution.

🤔 What’s your current approach to video content?

Are you embedding videos on your site or still relying on YouTube?

Let’s talk about how higher ed can step up its video game.

Drop a comment below 👇

Until next time. ✌

#HigherEdMarketing #VideoStorytelling #EnrollmentMarketing