Ep. 17: Walk the Walk on DEI and Amplify Reach with Raw Authentic Stories

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion in content creation look like? To Mikki Collins, it was this: real, unfiltered stories told by more than one student in a format that could both go deep and was built to last. So, she built a podcast for the University of Chichester centered around authenticity and honesty. In the third series of the podcast, she wanted to feature true stories from her campus’ minority and underrepresented groups, even when the stories weren’t all positive. As a result, the university reached almost 10 times its student population on social, doubled the engagement from non-followers, and won a few awards, including the ContentEd Champion for DIversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2022 and the National Student Pride Inclusive University of the Year Award in 2023.Watch the Be You podcast series three episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMwhF7NaFQJxaE1X4LMUj7Y6Bq-cwRxEh&feature=sharedGuest Name: Mikki CollinsGuests Social Handle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikki-collins-36b631146/Guest Bio: Mikki is an award-winning Content and Experience Designer for Pickle Jar Communications. She previously worked for the University of Chichester for 5.5 years as a Digital Content Producer, leading digital content campaigns and the University's social media channels. During her tenure, she helped Chichester achieve the number 1 ranked UK University on TikTok in 2022 and 2023, and the Champion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the ContentEd Awards in 2022 for the University’s podcast about minority groups.  - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dayana Kibildshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dayanakibilds/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Some of our favorites include Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success. Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution. Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.