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