Blog
An open letter to university leaders: “now” is never the time to freeze training budgets
In times of financial crisis, cutting learning and development budgets appears to make sense. But for higher education, cutting those budgets disempowers the very values that we stand for.
But why? Re-enrolling ourselves when enrolment is all-consuming
Learn how to stay focused on your personal mission and your “why” when the pressure of the now and chasing enrolment numbers might feel all-consuming.
How to really motivate internal teams
Every education marketer that I have ever worked with truly wants to be able to create impactful campaigns. And yet few of those campaigns really ever rock the world. So, what is the disconnect that has it be this way? And how can we bridge it so that we can really pioneer cutting-edge marketing approaches in the education sector?
ContentEd Conference… what’s it all about?
Find out what ContentEd Conference is all about, and how to get tickets!
Hiring a consultant must mean that you’re bad at your job (and other myths about getting external help).
While many people see the power of a creative partnership with a consultancy, so people worry that using consultancy support must mean something bad about them. Here we explore the myths that get in the way of working with a consultancy.
Let’s chat frankly about those end of financial year projects
We’ve reached that time of year when we start to receive a flurry of project requests aligned to end of financial year spend. In this post we explore your options and offer advice on making the most of this time and those remaining pockets of budget.
Going beyond project management to guarantee project success
A brilliant project manager is worth their weight in gold. But how much do you also pay attention to how you’re getting in your own way in bringing a project to a successful resolution? Not just what you’re doing, but how you’re being about it?
Empowering “no” to choose “yes”
Often one of the biggest things that gets in the way of getting projects done is our inability to say no to other things that get in the way. In this post, Tracy Playle explores how we can empower ourselves to say no.
What’s it all for? Getting clear on your own purpose and vision
What drives you to get out of bed and start work every day? Our CEO encourages you to look into your own personal purpose and mission to delve into why you do the work that you do.
Five ways to still win with a reduced marketing budget
Budget cuts aren’t anything new to the education sector – but this pandemic may tighten the marketing budget even more. Our CEO shares five places to look to in order to still win with a reduced budget.
Community spirit: how #HESM teams are supporting each other in the coronavirus outbreak
As the impact of the coronavirus outbreak hits higher education, we’re seeing the #HESM community support and share their advice online. Our Head of Research visualises this in an influencer map of all Twitter conversations around the topic.
You need to appraise you. Yes, you.
An appraisal should serve you and your goals – and workshop activities can provide the space for you to explore that collaboratively. Our Research Analyst shares a few activities to help you reflect on your role whilst imagining your progression.
Tools and tricks for content strategists
What tools and resources can help you as a content strategist? The Pickle Jar Communications team suggest some of their favourites.
Getting a content strategy underway (Part 3): Content strategists assemble!
Who will help you develop a content strategy for your institution? What skills will you need in your team? Our CEO shares the key skills capabilities that you may need to assemble.
How to present with a bang!
Worried about presenting? Our Senior Content Strategist shares his tips for leaving an impact on the audience with your talk, with various fireworks references thrown in for good measure.
Public speaking: Trick or treat?
Public speaking can energise some people, but terrify others. Our Senior Content Strategist shares his top tips for overcoming those nerves and boosting your confidence before a talk.
How to support content creators in your institution
Our Head of Strategy shares three key areas to make sure your content creators are well motivated and highly skilled to do the best job they can.
10 ways to stay calm when you’re working through university clearing
Our CEO and Chief Content Strategist shares ten ways to make sure you’re looking after yourself and your mental wellbeing during Clearing.
Five non-content skills and qualities that all content strategy professionals should perfect
Our CEO and Chief Content Strategist highlights five non-content skills and qualities that you need to excel your content strategy expertise.
Places to look for inspiration for your next blog post
Our CEO and Chief Content Strategist, Tracy Playle, shares a few places of inspiration to help with writing your next blog post.