Looking back at my time as ISI’s Director of Marketing
As the year comes to a close, it’s a natural time to reflect on accomplishments and milestones. With that in mind, I wanted to take a moment to review my nearly three years at ISI and the journey we’ve been on together. Much has changed since I started, and it’s been rewarding to play a part in transforming an organization with such a rich history. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
ISI’s first Marketing Director
I joined ISI in March 2022 as its first dedicated Director of Marketing. Before my role was established, marketing was often a secondary responsibility combined with other positions—editors who also handled marketing, or a head of books who dabbled in promotions. This lack of dedicated focus left ISI, a 70-year-old organization, with almost no digital footprint.
Despite its legacy, ISI’s digital presence was underdeveloped. The organization’s social media accounts, some of which were over a decade old, had been left to grow passively. They missed out on the explosive, low-cost growth opportunities of the 2010s. This became a key focus of my strategy.
Strategy
To highlight the starting point, here’s where ISI’s social media presence stood when I joined:
Facebook: 15,585
Twitter: 12,269
LinkedIn: 1,990
YouTube: 5,464
Instagram: 2,261
TikTok: Did Not Exist
I recognized an opportunity to reimagine ISI’s digital approach, particularly in video content. As an educational nonprofit dedicated to teaching the liberal arts to college students, video should be a cornerstone of our efforts. It’s how people engage and learn online today.
In my first year, video became a central focus, and the results speak for themselves. ISI’s video views skyrocketed from 353,902 in 2022 to 5,430,498 in 2023—a 15x year-over-year increase, entirely organic, with no ad spend.
Growth by the Numbers
With a renewed emphasis on video and a proactive approach to social media, we’ve made incredible progress. Here’s how ISI’s follower counts look today:
- Facebook: 24,822
- Twitter: 19,129
- LinkedIn: 2,958
- YouTube: 42,678
- Instagram: 3,393
- TikTok: 2,326
In total, ISI’s social media audience has more than doubled, growing from 40,882 followers to 90,757. The most remarkable growth has been on YouTube, which expanded from 5,464 subscribers to 42,678—an 8x increase.
The YouTube growth chart is a favorite metric of mine. It tells the story of ISI’s digital transformation beautifully: a channel created in 2009, largely ignored for over a decade, suddenly experiencing explosive growth in 2023 thanks to focused strategy and execution.
Challenges: Management
One observation you might make is that ISI’s explosive YouTube growth began in early 2023—almost a year after I started in March 2022. What caused the delay? The reality is that there were setbacks and foundational work that had to be addressed before we could truly take off.
When I joined ISI, I inherited a small marketing team consisting of two employees: a social media manager fresh out of college and a copywriter/email marketer. What I didn’t know at the time was that the copywriter had also applied for the Director of Marketing position. When I was selected for the role, he decided to leave the organization just six weeks later.
While I understood his decision, his departure presented a significant challenge. Suddenly, I was responsible not only for shaping ISI’s marketing strategy but also for managing email marketing, landing pages, and email automation—a skill set outside my core strengths, which are in paid media and analytics.
It wasn’t until the fall that I was able to hire a new social media manager to help balance the workload. Once the team stabilized, we were finally able to hit the ground running, and the results followed soon after.
Challenges: Technology & Agency Partnerships
Another major hurdle during my first year was ISI’s outdated technology stack. When I arrived, email marketing was conducted on a poorly maintained Mailchimp account, and the organization’s main website was in dire need of updates.
One of my first major initiatives was migrating our email marketing platform from Mailchimp to Pardot, Salesforce’s email marketing tool. While Pardot isn’t my favorite platform, its seamless integration with Salesforce made it the best choice for ISI’s fundraising efforts.
At the same time, I spearheaded two major website redesigns. The first was an overhaul of ISI’s main website to improve functionality and design. The second was the creation of a standalone website for Modern Age, ISI’s flagship publication founded by Russell Kirk in the 1950s. Previously, Modern Age existed as a blog within the ISI site. The launch of its dedicated site gave the publication a stronger identity and positioned it for greater engagement with its audience.
Finally, I made a critical decision early on to part ways with almost all of ISI’s agency partners. With my background in paid media and analytics, I could handle much of the work internally. More importantly, the agencies were underperforming. This allowed me to save resources and redirect efforts toward building an efficient in-house team.
Cleaning the Rust
The first year at ISI often felt like rehabilitating a rusted steam engine. Before we could move forward, I had to remove years of buildup and neglect. From stabilizing the team to modernizing our technology and cutting ineffective partnerships, the process involved a lot of foundational work.
When I started, I had a college new hire and a brand that had decades of neglected marketing. But with time and effort, I was able to transform ISI’s marketing efforts into a well-functioning machine—and once it got running, we were truly off to the races.
Content
When I started at ISI the main content we had were old lectures. Below is an example of what I am working with.
Accomplishment: ISI Website
One of my key accomplishments at ISI was overseeing the redesign of the organization’s website. This project involved hiring and collaborating with a design agency to bring the vision to life. After careful consideration, I selected Beck & Stone as our agency partner.
I chose Beck & Stone because of their proven track record in the nonprofit space and their deep understanding of ISI’s brand identity. They weren’t just another agency—they demonstrated a genuine alignment with ISI’s mission and values, which was critical to ensuring the website reflected who we are and what we stand for.
The result was a modern, user-friendly site that not only elevated our online presence but also positioned ISI to better engage with its audience and support its mission.
And in the end they built us an elegant site that was fast and up to date with the latest technology.
Accomplishment: Modern Age Website
In addition to the ISI website redesign, I also oversaw the creation of a dedicated website for Modern Age, ISI’s flagship publication. Recognizing the need to give this storied publication its own digital home, I again partnered with Beck & Stone to bring this vision to life.
This project required a thoughtful approach to ensure the new site honored Modern Age’s rich legacy while meeting the needs of a modern digital audience. Beck & Stone’s expertise and deep understanding of the publication’s mission made them the perfect fit for this undertaking.
For a more detailed look at the process and decision-making involved, I’ve written an extensive breakdown here.
Accomplishment: ISI Studios
One of my major initiatives at ISI was pushing for an increased focus on video content, recognizing its power to engage and educate our audience. To support this vision, I advocated heavily for improved camera equipment and the construction of an on-campus studio. In the spring of 2023, that vision became a reality.
Thanks to the generosity of a dedicated donor, we were able to build a state-of-the-art studio on our campus. I led the project from start to finish, overseeing the design and build-out of what is now a game-changing resource for ISI’s media efforts. While I can’t share too many specifics, the studio features a cutting-edge, four-camera setup that positions ISI to produce professional-grade video content.
The new studio has allowed us to host interviews with high-profile figures such as Robert Lighthizer, Auron MacIntyre, Michael Knowles, Alex Petkas, and many others. This studio has transformed the way ISI approaches media and continues to elevate our ability to share our mission with the world.
Accomplishment: Daring Greatly
With the launch of our new media studio, we debuted ISI’s flagship series, Daring Greatly. This 12-episode series features ISI President Johnny Burtka interviewing a diverse group of guests on the topic of statesmanship. The series highlights ISI’s mission to inspire and educate future leaders through meaningful conversations with influential thinkers.
You can view the entire series [here], and I’ve embedded the first episode featuring Patrick Deneen for a glimpse of the production quality. Compared to ISI’s previous video content, the improvement in quality is undeniable. The series reflects the capabilities of our new studio and the dedication of our team to producing high-caliber media.
To date, the videos have garnered over 400,000 views, and the series is only halfway released. The success of Daring Greatly demonstrates the significant impact of our investment in video content and reaffirms our strategy to make media a central pillar of ISI’s outreach.
Accomplishments at ISI
- Social Media Growth and Strategy
- Doubled ISI’s social media following from 40,882 to 90,757 across platforms.
- Increased YouTube subscribers from 5,464 to 42,678 (8x growth) and video views from 353,902 to 5,430,498 in one year.
- Flagship Series: Daring Greatly
- Launched ISI’s first high-production video series, featuring Johnny Burtka interviewing influential thinkers like Patrick Deneen.
- The series has already garnered over 400,000 views, with episodes still being released.
- ISI Studios
- Advocated for and led the creation of a state-of-the-art, on-campus media studio, enabling high-quality video production.
- Produced interviews with notable figures such as Robert Lighthizer, Auron MacIntyre, Michael Knowles, and Alex Petkas.
- Website Overhaul
- Directed the redesign of ISI’s main website, partnering with Beck & Stone to elevate the organization’s digital presence.
- Modern Age Website Launch
- Oversaw the creation of a standalone website for Modern Age, transforming it from a blog into a robust digital publication.
- Email Marketing and Automation Overhaul
- Migrated ISI’s email marketing platform from Mailchimp to Pardot, improving integration with Salesforce and streamlining communication.
- Introduced automation, landing pages, and scalable email systems to support fundraising and outreach efforts.
- Agency Restructuring
- Terminated underperforming agency partnerships, saving resources and ensuring higher-quality, in-house execution for paid media and analytics.
- Improved Marketing Operations
- Stabilized the team during transitions and expanded it by hiring a new social media manager.
- Built scalable processes and modernized ISI’s tech stack to support future growth.
- Event Marketing Success
- Developed and executed marketing strategies for ISI events, including email campaigns, landing pages, and promotional content.
- Narrative-Driven Content Strategy
- Produced compelling video projects and media that emphasize storytelling, connecting ISI’s mission with its audience.
Looking Forward: Management
This role at ISI has been my first experience managing a team, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey. While I didn’t expect to enjoy it—being more introverted by nature—helping my team members grow and thrive has become a significant source of pride for me.
For instance, the fresh-out-of-college social media manager I inherited when I started is now ISI’s Deputy Chief of Staff. She is an exceptional employee, and I like to think I played a role in guiding and supporting her along the way. Watching her succeed has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my time here.
Management is a profound responsibility. Outside of family, few people have as much influence over someone’s life as their boss. A good manager can make someone’s day—or career—better, while a bad one can make it worse. I take that responsibility seriously and am mindful of the impact I have on my team.
As I look to the future, I’m excited about the prospect of managing larger teams and mentoring more individuals. Helping others develop their potential is a privilege I’m eager to continue embracing in my career.