What happens when a university blog stops talking about itself and starts answering the real questions students are asking? In this episode, Allison sits down with Mary Flagg Lewis and Samantha McGill from the University of Pittsburgh to explore how Pitt’s blog evolved from a simple FAQ hub into a powerful, student-centered content strategy. You’ll hear how they use data, AI, and student personas to craft effective posts and why their most popular blog entry wasn’t what they expected.
What happens when a university blog stops talking about itself and starts answering the real questions students are asking? In this episode, Allison sits down with Mary Flagg Lewis and Samantha McGill from the University of Pittsburgh to explore how Pitt’s blog evolved from a simple FAQ hub into a powerful, student-centered content strategy. You’ll hear how they use data, AI, and student personas to craft effective posts and why their most popular blog entry wasn’t what they expected.
Join us as we discuss:
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Guest Names:
Mary Flagg Lewis, Office of Admissions & Financial Aid Digital Marketing Manager, University of Pittsburgh
Samantha McGill, Office of Admissions & Financial Aid Marketing Data Analyst, University of Pittsburgh
Guest Socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-flagg-lewis-6a0b8930/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamcgill/
Guest Bios:
Mary Flagg Lewis, University of Pittsburgh, Office of Admissions & Financial Aid Digital Marketing Manager
As the Digital Marketing Manager for the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid at the University of Pittsburgh, Mary creates and launches marketing campaigns to support undergraduate recruitment efforts. In her time with the university, she has crafted a structure in which data supports campaign decisions and leads content direction across multiple platforms including email and web.
Samantha McGill, University of Pittsburgh, Office of Admissions & Financial Aid Marketing Data Analyst. At the University of Pittsburgh, Samantha has created analytical reporting dashboards and campaign review templates that allow for campaign execution improvements to the undergraduate recruitment process. within the time of utilizing the new reporting structures, the Marketing Communications team has been able to implement campaign adjustments with improved results and cultivate a better understanding of what attracts the targeted audiences to the University and its communications.