It’s Monday, and that means it’s time for another edition of Higher Ed Story Talk. Today let’s hear from Jenny Petty, who became vice president of industry relations and advisory services at higher ed marketing agency SimpsonScarborough in January. She also is co-chair of the 2026 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.
Prior to SimpsonScarborough, Jenny was vice president for marketing communications, experience and engagement at the University of Montana. Her answer below is from her time in that role.
Q: What’s one storytelling format that’s worked surprisingly well for your team in the past year?
Student-generated content — and it wasn’t even close. In 2025, user-generated content was our top-performing social content for the entire year at the University of Montana. We invested in polished production, carefully crafted campaigns, professional photography — and a student with their phone still outperformed all of it.
Turns out when you get out of the way and let students tell their own story, the audience actually shows up.
And it reinforced something I feel strongly about — your institutional accounts don’t have to be sterile. Give them a personality. Let them have a little edge.
Audiences connect with brands that feel human, and higher ed is way too slow to embrace that. The schools winning on social right now aren’t the ones with the most polished content — they’re the ones with a point of view.
What I love about this answer:
Jenny’s observation here echoes what Bryce Hoffman from Worcester Polytechnic Institute shared a few weeks ago. Prospective students want to hear from other students. It’s easy to want to create a polished video filled with drone shots and fancy, artistic perspectives, but that’s not what your audience is wanting to see.
What I appreciate most about Jenny’s response is her point about institutional accounts having a personality. This is so much easier said than done — many schools like to play things safe.
But being safe doesn’t help you stand out. It just makes you sound like everyone else.
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PLUS … whenever you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you bring storytelling to life in your own work:
- Download my free higher ed guides
– 5 formats to make your alumni stories stand out
– 9 clever ways to create fresh content from your events
- Work with me on a writing project
I’ve supported schools across the country with website overhauls, prospect communications, and advancement content. Email me with “Storytelling” in the subject line to learn more.
- Collaborate on a custom content strategy project
I’ve developed custom strategies for programs specializing in everything from AI and biotech to informatics and journalism that maximize their content potential. Respond with “Content Strategy” in the subject line and I’ll get back to you with more details.
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