Tribe, Community, Belonging, Trust: Leveraging Peer-to-Peer Connection

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:06.200 Because today it's not any more about taglines or police marketing materials and impressions. 2 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:11.990 It's about human connections, and so peer to peer will become the platform where 3 00:00:12.109 --> 00:00:18.269 this can happen. You're listening to the Higher Ed Marketer, a podcast geared 4 00:00:18.309 --> 00:00:23.300 towards marketing professionals in higher education. This show will tackle all sorts of questions 5 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:27.980 related to student recruitment, don'tor relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so 6 00:00:28.140 --> 00:00:32.299 much more. If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is 7 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:41.609 going, this podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome 8 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:45.689 to the High Ed Marker podcast. My name is Troye singer and each week, 9 00:00:45.929 --> 00:00:49.649 with the help of Bart Taylor, we try to bring to the high 10 00:00:49.689 --> 00:00:55.240 rate community marketers that we admire or ideas that we think would be helpful to 11 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.200 the higher rate community. Today we're going to talk about peer to peer platforms 12 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.390 with Diego Fanara. He is the CO founder and CEO of Una Buddy, 13 00:01:04.709 --> 00:01:11.230 which is a company that is gaining momentum here in the states. Yeah, 14 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:15.629 try it's it's going to be a great conversation. I really like Diego. 15 00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:19.180 He's got some he's got some firsthand knowledge and I think that his story, 16 00:01:19.939 --> 00:01:23.459 being an international student, he's originally from and helped, he'll go into this, 17 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:29.180 originally from France and and then grew up in Switzerland but wanted to to 18 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:34.609 attend a UK or US school and kind of coming in as an international student, 19 00:01:34.689 --> 00:01:38.730 the idea of wanting to connect with his affinity group even in the admissions 20 00:01:38.810 --> 00:01:42.370 process and the enrollment process. And I don't think diegos alone, because obviously 21 00:01:42.129 --> 00:01:46.569 the platform that he has helped found and build and it's, you know, 22 00:01:46.689 --> 00:01:49.879 one of many that are out there. But you know, buddy allows schools 23 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:57.159 to be able to engage and provide a structure and scalable experience for peer to 24 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.359 peer networking so that, you know, a student who's coming in can connect 25 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.189 with other students that are similar to them, whether they're from this the same 26 00:02:05.230 --> 00:02:09.550 state, whether they're studying the same program whether maybe they're an international student who 27 00:02:09.629 --> 00:02:13.189 we always talk about. That in high red marketing is that, you know, 28 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:15.340 once we get somebody to apply, how in the funnel can we make 29 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:19.740 sure that they get connected to the right group? Sometimes that happens on the 30 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:23.780 campus tour, sometimes that happens with, you know, just student ambassadors can 31 00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:30.490 connections, but these peer to peer platforms have emerged that really provide structure and 32 00:02:30.569 --> 00:02:35.330 scalability that allows the US, as marketers, to be able to manage that 33 00:02:35.610 --> 00:02:38.650 and to kind of, you know, intentionally do that so that we can 34 00:02:38.689 --> 00:02:44.719 increase the yields throughout the funnel. Although Diego does represent a specific company, 35 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:50.000 I believe he does a great job of describing the advantages of the type of 36 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:54.719 platform that they represent overall. So I think there's a lot to glean from 37 00:02:54.759 --> 00:03:01.270 this and, without further ado, let's ring in Diego. We are honored 38 00:03:01.310 --> 00:03:07.229 to welcome Diego Fanera to the show. He is the cofounder and CEO of 39 00:03:07.389 --> 00:03:12.469 Una Buddy and he is also talking to us from another continent. Welcome to 40 00:03:12.590 --> 00:03:15.659 the show, Diego. Hi Try it's great to be here. Thank you, 41 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:19.460 if you would. For our listeners, if you could tell us a 42 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:24.340 little bit about you, your company and your role as CEO of Uni Buddy. 43 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:30.610 Sure so. I'm, as you say, from another continent right now. 44 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:35.810 I'm based in London. was actually born in France. They grew up 45 00:03:35.849 --> 00:03:40.439 in Switzerland and, as an international students, dreamed of studying finance in the 46 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:46.800 UK or in the US. And that's how the idea of Uni Buddy and 47 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:52.319 peer to peer and marriage while I was going through this transition of looking for 48 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:57.389 universities and being unsure of how to do this. And so the concept of 49 00:03:57.509 --> 00:04:04.310 UNIBODY is powering community, connecting perspective students with current students to share attending information 50 00:04:04.590 --> 00:04:12.500 so that prospective students can have the right information and autentic insights to know how 51 00:04:12.580 --> 00:04:17.019 it's like to be in the university. And so unibody cells software to admission 52 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:23.019 offices so that they can leverage the power of community to increase their yelled while 53 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:26.810 doing this connection happen. That's great. Thank you, Diego I. I've 54 00:04:26.889 --> 00:04:30.850 been following you a buddy for several months now and I've been impressed. I 55 00:04:30.930 --> 00:04:35.850 know that you're developing quite a presence here in the US with with several schools, 56 00:04:35.889 --> 00:04:39.720 and I'll just encourage the audience if they want to learn more about that, 57 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.519 they can go to the unibuddy website and see that. But I think 58 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.560 today we want to really kind of focus on, you know, this idea 59 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:50.720 of allowing perspective students kind of a glimpse into into the student life and to 60 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:54.589 what what you know, what everyday life is like. And you know, 61 00:04:54.750 --> 00:04:58.069 schools have tried to do that over the years with blogs and with even with 62 00:04:58.149 --> 00:05:00.629 some of their social media accounts. But I think there's something about the idea 63 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:05.589 and the advantage of these affinity groups in higher education enrollment, you know, 64 00:05:05.629 --> 00:05:11.420 kind of kind of with the idea of being able to identify the perspective student 65 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:15.420 and their affinity and then be able to match them up with, I guess, 66 00:05:15.420 --> 00:05:18.740 what you would call student ambassadors from the university. So tell us a 67 00:05:18.740 --> 00:05:20.810 little bit about that. I mean, I think a lot of times it's 68 00:05:20.810 --> 00:05:25.529 kind of like the idea of connecting students with their tribe, that they are, 69 00:05:25.889 --> 00:05:29.569 you know, naturally a part of. Yes, that that's so true, 70 00:05:29.610 --> 00:05:33.129 and that come back to the purpose of what drove into this. It's 71 00:05:33.250 --> 00:05:41.720 the importance of community and tribe. We believe that students consider an institution because 72 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:45.600 of their course, because of their location or a lot of parameters, but 73 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:51.069 they convert for the community and they stay at the institution because they feel that 74 00:05:51.269 --> 00:05:56.949 they'd belong. And so what they need these to be able to see what 75 00:05:57.110 --> 00:06:01.430 the community is like, to meet peers and appear someone of the same age, 76 00:06:01.629 --> 00:06:08.699 background or ability as another person. It could be someone who shares experiences 77 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:14.339 and similarities with yourself and in higher education. This is an incredibly powerful notion 78 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:17.930 because, all in all, it don't furs the more level playing field and 79 00:06:18.089 --> 00:06:24.329 uses the power of student diversity to connect people. So having those trusted voice 80 00:06:24.410 --> 00:06:29.449 for students who of who they can assimilate themselves, this is where you can 81 00:06:29.569 --> 00:06:34.720 rise above the those to meet someone who's currently experiencing this life and and aspires 82 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:40.759 for themself, and that's when that connection happened. It unleash students to have 83 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:45.399 clarity and confidence to make their leap and make the right decisions. I think 84 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:48.269 that's great and it reminds me of the classic statement that I hear from from 85 00:06:48.269 --> 00:06:53.430 enrollment officers and admissions professionals is that, boy, if we can get them 86 00:06:53.430 --> 00:06:57.189 on campus for that campus visit, we can usually. I mean statistics show 87 00:06:57.269 --> 00:07:00.189 like eighty ninety percent of students who do a campus visit will matriculate, and 88 00:07:00.269 --> 00:07:04.579 I think what's fascinating to me is that you've created a platform that kind of 89 00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:09.540 takes a lot of the aspects that happen in that campus visit, which are 90 00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:13.779 people kind of recognizing and identifying that I can fit in here, I can 91 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:16.610 see my tribe. Maybe they're engaging with tribes and a lot of schools like 92 00:07:16.689 --> 00:07:20.689 to kind of have a kind of immersive campus visit where they maybe spend the 93 00:07:20.730 --> 00:07:25.490 night in a dorm with some student hosts. Well, that's a chance again 94 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:29.370 to do that peer to peer connection and I think what's fascinating to me is 95 00:07:29.410 --> 00:07:32.120 that you're kind of taking some of those aspects that we would find traditionally in 96 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:38.439 a campus visit and especially in light of Covid in light of maybe international students 97 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:42.920 or even students who are, you know, not within a constant, centric, 98 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:47.670 real close location. You're taking this peer to peer platform and really turning 99 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:51.990 that into an advantage for the schools to really start creating some of the same 100 00:07:53.709 --> 00:07:57.310 emode of connections that they have on those traditional campus visits. Is that? 101 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:00.660 Is that kind of what you think? Yes, I mean definitely. This 102 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:07.699 is where we're trying to use digital and technology to make what universities were already 103 00:08:07.819 --> 00:08:13.250 doing, but at scale, and not that scale in a way so that 104 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:16.930 we just allowed them to spend less time and so we just use technology to 105 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:24.490 replace all human connection. It's actually to scale one to one intimacy, and 106 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:30.920 that's what students wamped. Students don't want scale, and that's why thousands of 107 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:37.559 perspective students email the admission team because they prefer this intimacy of a wantowin conversation, 108 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:43.590 either by email or by coming on campus. And so student to student 109 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:52.509 marketing as the role of allowing effectively scaling intimacy of those campus visit for students 110 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:56.899 that are not able to join the campus because they leave far away or out 111 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:01.940 of first states or internationally. And so when we think of building Uni Buddy 112 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:07.460 softwarees, either if it's our peer to peer chats or Uni Buddy events platform 113 00:09:07.580 --> 00:09:11.809 that we have, it's always with the mind of how can we scale intimacy, 114 00:09:11.490 --> 00:09:16.370 and the best way to date ever this it's to invite students to be 115 00:09:16.529 --> 00:09:20.929 marketers themselves and be able to position the institution. I love that idea, 116 00:09:22.370 --> 00:09:26.080 as the student be marketers. I mean so many times I think that even 117 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.840 thirty, forty years ago, when I was in college, I remember being 118 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:31.919 working in the admissions office as a student. I would go on the camp 119 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.639 teams or I would be there for student visits and I was, you know, 120 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.309 kind of a student ambassador, but I think this takes it to a 121 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:43.669 different level because, you know, I was I was there, but I 122 00:09:43.950 --> 00:09:46.149 was I think what your software is allowing them to do is to build those 123 00:09:46.230 --> 00:09:52.980 relationships in a dynamic way that fits today's world, and the student ambassadors really 124 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:58.259 become more of the true ambassadors, where they're actually rather than just giving a 125 00:09:58.379 --> 00:10:01.700 tour, they're actually, you know, speaking on behalf of the university, 126 00:10:01.779 --> 00:10:05.500 and I think that, if I'm correct, you know, your platform and 127 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:09.250 probably others like yours, create systems that allow the students to be able to 128 00:10:09.289 --> 00:10:13.889 have the freedom to have those conversations, but within the context of having some 129 00:10:13.970 --> 00:10:18.129 checks and balances in there as well. That is that is so true. 130 00:10:18.169 --> 00:10:24.879 And a conversation on a peer to peer platform like Uni Buddy is like chatting 131 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:28.159 with your future and with someone that you can you can trust, and so 132 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:33.440 that's where you feel the freedom to ask anything in a safe space. That 133 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.990 really will shape your decision. And I think that when, by accepting that 134 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:43.389 we're no longer in control of the of the student decision making journey, we 135 00:10:43.590 --> 00:10:48.590 open ourselves to the diversity of student to student conversation. At the end of 136 00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:52.659 the day, when people feel that they can hear from others like themselves. 137 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:58.620 That's where trust the marriage and trust is what great communities are built on. 138 00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:01.500 That's great. I love that and it really sounds to me like you're empowering 139 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:05.490 the students, the perspective, students, to make the right decisions, but 140 00:11:05.570 --> 00:11:11.649 you're also empowering those student ambassadors to really buy in more to the school themselves, 141 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:13.850 and I think that's going to really lead to a better relationship as an 142 00:11:13.850 --> 00:11:18.570 alumni and as a donor and things like that. So that's that's great. 143 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:22.519 I think that's been a's that's wonderful. Wonderful Way to kind of take advantage 144 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:26.600 of the's affinity groups. Troy, would love to hear some specific examples. 145 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:31.240 You the concept sound wonderful, but to help the listeners understand by offering some 146 00:11:31.870 --> 00:11:39.070 things that have happened that were winds for enrollment teams utilizing UN buddy. Yes, 147 00:11:39.190 --> 00:11:43.750 so it's a great question, Troy, and what we're always asking institutions 148 00:11:43.350 --> 00:11:48.820 is impact on the value proposition of why they're buying anybody and why they're buying 149 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:54.100 you anybody in the first place. It's to increase enrollment, build and also 150 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:58.460 the summer melt. You know that drop out before enrolment and of course this 151 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:03.370 is where the power of tribes, community, peer to peer comes in, 152 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:07.889 where we allow prospective students to build that sense of belonging and this affinity with 153 00:12:07.929 --> 00:12:13.809 the institution. And so we've seen an or case case study with some institutions 154 00:12:13.970 --> 00:12:22.399 like Sant John's university USC that's seen there the rise of yield true unibody from 155 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:28.320 fifteen percent to twenty seven percent or or at deposit rate or sixty six percent 156 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:33.750 increase of involvement yield. It's been awesome to see those case studies across so 157 00:12:33.909 --> 00:12:37.350 many institutions. But it's also definitely on the number. But then when you 158 00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:41.350 talk to the students, that's where we also go back to the user and 159 00:12:41.789 --> 00:12:46.179 see how meaningful those conversation has been. And what we love seeing is when 160 00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:52.299 our prospective students and become themselves student ambassadors when they joined institutions because they took 161 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:58.500 so much pride in hearing about the student to student that then when they enroll 162 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:01.769 at the university they come and that I hey, can I also become a 163 00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:05.409 student ambassadors? I want to give back and I think that's what Bark your 164 00:13:05.490 --> 00:13:09.129 mentioning that then we can follow this still the alumni and feeling really part of 165 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:15.320 the institution community for life. Yeah, I think that's great and I really 166 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.159 love the fact that I'm guessing. I mean you've governed some great, great 167 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:22.360 statistics there with kind of fifteen to twenty seven percent on the yield them. 168 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:26.279 I'm sure there's different places in the funnel, whether it's, you know, 169 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.909 like you said, from you know accepted to deposit, what those being able 170 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:33.950 to have the student ambassador program and the kind of the peer to peer conversations 171 00:13:33.990 --> 00:13:37.629 at that point, and then even from from that deposit to the enrollment in 172 00:13:37.669 --> 00:13:41.539 the matriculation there's I think it's so powerful for that. But I have to 173 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:45.019 probably even believe, and you might have some case studies for this, that 174 00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:50.379 those students who participated through a tool like this probably are going to be better 175 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:54.899 retention students because they feel a part of the community. I mean, I 176 00:13:54.980 --> 00:13:58.009 know one of the challenges a lot of a lot of schools have is that 177 00:13:58.450 --> 00:14:01.009 you know you have that, you know they have a summer melt already, 178 00:14:01.009 --> 00:14:03.649 but then you have kind of that melt from first semester to second semester where 179 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:07.850 a lot of students never really got plugged in. They never really got connected 180 00:14:07.250 --> 00:14:11.639 in that tribe and so they end up, you know, leaving and retention 181 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:15.000 rates go down. And so I have to believe that a peer to peer 182 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:18.799 network like this, even at the beginning, in the prospect of student stage 183 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.840 and then the enrollment stage, really impact student life later on with with retention. 184 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.230 Was that? Is that correct? Yeah, definitely, and and that's 185 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:33.590 related to do uni buddies mission, which is to empower every students to make 186 00:14:33.669 --> 00:14:37.429 the right decisions through their higher education journey. And so it's about a journey 187 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:43.019 and wherever you catch the student journey, we seen your community to belong, 188 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:46.779 that's where you want to have more like you would for them to stay before 189 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:52.730 enrollment, post involvement. They just feel these ex tray irrational affinity with your 190 00:14:54.289 --> 00:15:00.330 with the institutions and and be part of this Diego for and en Roman executive. 191 00:15:00.490 --> 00:15:05.210 That the sounds interesting to however, maybe not knowing if this would be 192 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:09.399 applicable to them, what is a quick hit or maybe a thought that you 193 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:15.240 would give them in order for them to think about it differently or become more 194 00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:22.269 interested enough to look into peer to peer platforms that try it's a good question. 195 00:15:22.470 --> 00:15:30.029 So if they believe that community can change and impact the way students make 196 00:15:30.190 --> 00:15:37.820 decisions and how we can shape their confidence in enjoining their institutions, then I 197 00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:45.259 see that peer to peer becomes the platform for any student admission officers or marketer 198 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:50.490 who are like to say could the community architect and be compared to to the 199 00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:54.009 director of a play, which means that they would set the stage, the 200 00:15:54.129 --> 00:16:00.769 environment and give their student community the platform, which means the tool and training 201 00:16:00.090 --> 00:16:06.120 refer sources so they can talk to prospective students. And then that means they 202 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:10.879 can get out of the way, because today it's not any more about taglines 203 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:17.240 or police marketing materials and impressions, it's about human connections, and so peer 204 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:22.590 to peer will become the platform where this can can happen and they can architect 205 00:16:22.669 --> 00:16:27.070 this community to shape the the the student belonging. I love that and I 206 00:16:27.149 --> 00:16:30.230 love the fact that you're talking about as a platform, because it's interesting. 207 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:36.100 I mean post pandemic. Now, I remember we had started using zoom in 208 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:38.860 our business maybe four or five years ago and you know, it was a 209 00:16:38.899 --> 00:16:42.259 platform that we used. It was something that was helpful for us because we 210 00:16:42.379 --> 00:16:47.370 have kind of, you know, different people around different locations. We're not 211 00:16:47.490 --> 00:16:51.970 we're not centralized. It's a virtual agency. But during zoom, the during 212 00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:56.049 a pandemic, zoom became a whole different thing. It became kind of a 213 00:16:56.250 --> 00:16:59.769 ubiquitous tool that was just part of everyday life. I mean, I might 214 00:16:59.809 --> 00:17:03.359 have a either Microsoft word or Google docs that I use every day. Now 215 00:17:03.400 --> 00:17:07.119 I'm using zoom every day in the same way. It's just it's just part 216 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:11.400 of my entire tool set and I kind of believe that platforms like you know, 217 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.640 buddy, are going to be part of that entire tool set as well. 218 00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:18.789 I mean, you know we talked about you. Every admissions office has 219 00:17:18.789 --> 00:17:22.069 a nice crm, whether they're using slate or something like lead squared or sales 220 00:17:22.150 --> 00:17:26.109 force. You know, they've got those tools. They've got the tools of 221 00:17:26.710 --> 00:17:29.630 male tools, they've got, you know, texting, they've got all these 222 00:17:29.670 --> 00:17:33.019 different tools. I think that platforms like you know, buddy, are going 223 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:37.460 to have to be one of those tools going forward post pandemic. Because mean, 224 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:40.180 whether we like it or not, there's been a shift in the way 225 00:17:40.339 --> 00:17:44.890 that traditional enrollment happens. I mean decrease and campus tours are going on. 226 00:17:45.650 --> 00:17:48.890 You know, test optional is going on as far as the way students are 227 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:52.049 being able to be marketed to, and so I think that the importance of 228 00:17:52.130 --> 00:17:59.279 increasing that yield percentage is going to be so critical to admissions professionals and enrollment 229 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:00.960 professionals. It's going to be, you know, because a lot of students 230 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.519 are making decisions without ever setting a foot on campus. Is that? Is 231 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:07.640 that kind of what you think? To Diegos, that kind of where you're 232 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.240 going with it? Yeah, definitely, and and I definitely see unibody, 233 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:15.589 all of the tools that you mention not replacing anything, but more as an 234 00:18:15.630 --> 00:18:22.069 enabler that that's something that was already existing. And so today two thirds of 235 00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:29.059 marketing happens in touch points outside of our control. But even if we are 236 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:33.420 not on this stage, because students talk to each other on those new tools, 237 00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:37.059 we're still very much part of the production, and so it's not about 238 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:44.130 sharing our knowledge and help turn the student ambassadors into powerful content creators. So 239 00:18:44.289 --> 00:18:48.529 the more powerful the community, the greater its ability to move its members to 240 00:18:48.609 --> 00:18:53.450 belong, and so it all comes down to an enablement rather than replacing anything, 241 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:57.279 and the once we see this way, then that's how we can leverage 242 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:03.079 a maximum benefits from those tools like appear to be your platform and you anybody, 243 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:08.519 Diego, we appreciate you bringing the information about peer to peer platforms and 244 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:15.269 introducing our constituency to them. Before we sign off, would there be any 245 00:19:15.309 --> 00:19:19.069 other points that you would like to make on behalf of the community that you 246 00:19:19.230 --> 00:19:26.380 represent? Now I look, I think the market is adapted so well during 247 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:33.259 this pandemic. They really adapted to a digital well that was unknown for a 248 00:19:33.339 --> 00:19:37.609 lot of people, and I feel we're all going in the right direction at 249 00:19:37.650 --> 00:19:42.450 the right speed, and so I'm very pleased to see how the market is 250 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:48.130 getting together themselves as a community to make it happen so that we can really 251 00:19:48.410 --> 00:19:56.440 impact students lives and as leaders of this sector, we're setting the stage. 252 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:00.079 We want our student communities to do what it does best. It's shaping the 253 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.079 decisions that set young people on the path to their future, and so I'm 254 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:10.150 really confident that will make it happen by leveraging everything that we have around us. 255 00:20:10.630 --> 00:20:14.990 Thank you, Diego. If someone would like to reach you, but 256 00:20:15.109 --> 00:20:18.109 would be the best way for them to reach out to you? So my 257 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:22.900 email is diego at unibuddycom. But and and the best world. The wise 258 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:27.339 to reach our team is to go on our website, Uni Buddycom you and 259 00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:32.740 I be you, double Dy. So yeah, we're trying to build buddies 260 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:37.809 all around the world to reach out and announcer all the the deepest question that 261 00:20:37.970 --> 00:20:44.769 prospects might have. Love it and thank you very much for again bringing the 262 00:20:44.890 --> 00:20:48.049 peer to peer platform ide enabling us to get it out to our listeners. 263 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.640 Bard. Well, you have any comments before we sign off this episode? 264 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:56.119 Yeah, I really like a lot of what Diego talked about. I think 265 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:00.160 that this peer to peer platform is such a great idea and such a powerful 266 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:07.789 way for institutions to be able to really increase and enhance the relationships and really 267 00:21:07.910 --> 00:21:11.509 increase and enhance. You know that that a lot of what's already going on. 268 00:21:11.670 --> 00:21:15.269 I loved the Egos Point about the fact that, you know, it's 269 00:21:15.269 --> 00:21:18.460 like a play and we might be the directors in the enrollment office, but 270 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:22.700 at the end of the day we're not the actors that are that are actually 271 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:26.700 doing the the communication, that the emotion, that the dynamic tribe building. 272 00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:32.059 But I think a tool like you, nobuddy, allows allows that direction to 273 00:21:32.099 --> 00:21:36.089 take place. It provides a platform for that. It provides the means and 274 00:21:36.210 --> 00:21:41.450 tools to be able to manage those student ambassadors in a way that's that's meaningful. 275 00:21:41.809 --> 00:21:45.049 It's a way that kind of keeps them in boundaries. You know, 276 00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:48.880 certainly one way you could do peer to peer networking is just to say hey, 277 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:51.920 student ambassadors, the end of the tour, you know, give out 278 00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:55.119 your text you know your cell phone numbered everybody on the tour and let them 279 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:56.440 text you. Well, that's certainly one way to do it, but a 280 00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.400 tool and a platform like you know, Buddy, actually allows you to scale 281 00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:03.029 it. It allows you to make it more professional and allows you to kind 282 00:22:03.029 --> 00:22:07.589 of put those bumpers in place so that you know, you know what's going 283 00:22:07.710 --> 00:22:11.269 on, you can understand it and you can provide that that freedom for your 284 00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:17.420 ambassadors to encourage them to be themselves, but you also have a little bit 285 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:19.819 more direction to it, and so I really really appreciated that. So, 286 00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:23.940 you know, I think it's great. I would encourage everyone to look into 287 00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:26.980 this, these types of platforms, because I do think it's going to be 288 00:22:27.019 --> 00:22:30.769 a big part of hired marketing going forward. I Agree Bart. I also 289 00:22:32.450 --> 00:22:37.329 would invite anyone who either has experience with peer to peer or has done research 290 00:22:37.490 --> 00:22:42.250 on it, to share with us what your opinions or your experience is. 291 00:22:44.250 --> 00:22:48.440 So thank you, barked, and also thank you Diego, and good luck 292 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.839 to you and UNA. Buddy. Thank you so much driving me. It 293 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.200 was great. That brings us to the end of another episode of the Higher 294 00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.950 Ed Marketer Podcast, which is sponsored by Kalis solutions and education, marketing and 295 00:23:00.190 --> 00:23:06.069 branding agency and by thing patented, a marketing, execution, printing and mailing 296 00:23:06.109 --> 00:23:11.390 provider of Higher Ed Solutions. On behalf of my cohost Bart Taylor, I'm 297 00:23:11.470 --> 00:23:17.299 troy singer. Thank you for joining us. You've been listening to the Higher 298 00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:21.500 Ed Marketer. To ensure that you never miss an episode, subscribe to the 299 00:23:21.539 --> 00:23:26.460 show in your favorite podcast player. If you're listening with apple PODCASTS, we'd 300 00:23:26.539 --> 00:23:29.849 love for you to leave a quick rating of the show. Simply tap the 301 00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:33.529 number of stars you think the podcast deserves. Until next time,