ROI University: A Higher Ed Marketing Show
Claim This Podcastby Rustam Irani
Podcast Overview
<p>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.</p>
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Publishing Since
8/19/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 18, 2026
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.
May 29, 2026
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 awareness Rustam introduces the idea that many institutions believe their reputation extends far beyond where the data actually shows influence. * 01:13 – The "driving distance" enrollment reality Discussion 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 study A 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" mindset Rustam 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 resonance Practical ways marketers can identify geographic performance zones using CRM, application, CPC, and enrollment data.
May 19, 2026
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
17 total episodes available
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- What is ROI University: A Higher Ed Marketing Show?
<p>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.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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