We Stopped Marketing to Students and Started Helping Them.

ACT | Content Strategy | Demand Generation | 50,000+ New Leads

Most organizations use content to promote products.

We used content to solve problems.

When I joined ACT as Chief Marketing Officer, I saw an opportunity hiding in plain sight. ACT had never had to build a brand because college admissions tests were required, and ACT was one of two options! When the college admissions landscape went test-optional, ACT quickly learned that a sustainable brand can’t be built on a single product (the ACT Test). It was imperative that we build a product-agnostic brand that held value irrespective of the products offered. We had to carve out a value and brand niche for a previously product-led brand.

What I Led

We hosted a single event for students and families navigating the college journey, but, like many organizations, we treated it as a marketing moment: promote the event, host it, send a follow-up email, and move on.

I believed the real opportunity wasn't the event.

It was the questions students were asking.

Students weren't looking for marketing. They were looking for guidance. How do I choose a major? How do I pay for college? What matters most in admissions? How do I know if I'm making the right decision?

So instead of building campaigns around our products, we used this event to build a content ecosystem around their needs.

A single webinar became articles, social content, email journeys, downloadable resources, and ongoing conversations. Every piece of content answered a real question. Every interaction delivered value. Every touchpoint introduced students and families to a broader ecosystem of support. Then one webinar became many events.

The events became the beginning of the relationship, not the end of the campaign.

The results were significant: more than 50,000 new leads generated in less than a year. People wanted our content. They wanted to engage with articles, webinars, videos, TikTok channels, and more.

But the metric isn't what I remember most.

What stayed with me was the shift in mindset.

We stopped asking, "How do we get students to engage with our brand?"

And started asking, "How can our brand help students navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives?"

Everything changed after that.

What I Learned

The most effective content strategies don't start with what an organization wants to say.

They start with what people need.

When you consistently help people solve problems, answer questions, and make better decisions, trust grows. Engagement follows. And growth becomes the outcome—not the objective.

People don't want more marketing. They want more help.

Align your values and vision to real human needs and provide content that supports their journey.