Phillips Named Top 10 Higher Ed Marketer to Follow
If you want to know what’s going on in the world of higher education marketing, look no further than Dr. Carrie Phillips, chief communications and marketing officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Phillips has been recognized as one of the top 10 higher education marketers to follow by Social Media Strategies Summit. The list names higher ed thought leaders who regularly post about what’s happening in the industry and highlight key tools, events, and trends as well as high-performing tactics, channels, and platforms.
“I am still in awe of being recognized this way,” Phillips said. “So many of the people on this list are people I have looked up to in the professional industry. I am glad that people see my work as equal to the great caliber of work by these industry leaders.”
Some of the others who made the list include Liz Gross, founder and CEO of the higher ed-focused social listening agency Campus Sonar, Maya Wesby, a social media manager at Harvard University, Jenny Li Fowler, director of social media strategy at MIT, and Bart Caylor, co-host of Higher Ed Marketing Podcast.
Making her debut at No. 1 on the list, Phillips was noted for sharing best practices on topics like contest ideation and how to get the best out of marketing conferences.
“Her advice tends to be succinct and practical, which isn’t always the case on LinkedIn!” the article states. “And she also shares thought-provoking content on topics and trends beyond the immediate world of higher education, such as the marketing lessons you can learn from the Barbie movie launch.”
Her website is full of useful tips and advice on topics like how regional public universities can help mitigate the enrollment cliff (the subject of her dissertation), how communications and marketing teams can serve as change agents on college campuses, how to use artificial intelligence tools in your work, and successful strategies for working with agencies.
Phillips, who has 15 years of experience in higher education marketing, says she never set out to become an influencer. She started her blog as a way to continue her writing, which she came to love after finishing her dissertation in 2022.
“After finishing my dissertation, I was trying to figure out how to fill the void of writing. I came up with the idea of creating my own website and writing weekly posts about things I am passionate about – marketing, higher education, and leadership,” Phillips said. “Writing had become so much of my identity during my doctoral studies, and I wanted to find a way to share my writing with others.”
