You have students and alumni worth interviewing. Getting their stories into your marketing takes a few practical decisions: who to feature, what to commission and how to get the finished work approved.
A short brief is enough to begin. Here is what I find useful when working with university marketing and communications teams.
Give each story a purpose
Identify who you want to reach and what the story should help them understand. That might be the reality of balancing study with work, changing careers or applying new skills. Include where the article will appear and any campaign it needs to support.
Choose contributors who add a perspective
For a series, look at what your existing stories already cover. Consider different backgrounds, career stages and study experiences, then choose people who can fill the gaps. Confirm their willingness to take part and flag any employer permissions needed.
Keep the brief practical
Share the contributor’s name, programme and contact details, why you would like to feature them, the intended audience, approximate length and deadline. Existing profiles or background notes are helpful, but you do not need to arrive with the story worked out.
Agree what is included: interview preparation, the interview, writing, review coordination and any shorter versions for email or social channels. This makes it easier to scope the work and avoid extra requests emerging at the end.
Build approvals into the schedule
Establish who needs to review the draft and who gives final approval. Allow for the interviewee’s availability and any university or employer checks. Nominate one person to consolidate feedback and agree the number of review rounds.
If a campaign has a fixed launch date, work backwards from publication to leave time for interviews, drafting, feedback and final checks.
Request photographs at the start
Ask for one or two suitable photographs, captions, credits and permission for the intended use. Explain any format requirements early. Images can take longer to source than expected, particularly when an employer needs to approve them.
Leave room for the interview
The brief provides direction; the conversation reveals the story. I cover that part in Student and alumni interview questions that uncover better stories.
If you have someone in mind, send me a few lines about the person, your audience and your timing. We can work out the angle and scope together. Tell me about your project.
