Ep. 83 - Mitchell Borges: Why Students Trust Strangers More Than Your University

In an era where students trust a peer on Instagram more than a university's official website, how can enrollment marketers cut through the noise and build genuine connections?

This week on The Signal: On Air, Jeff Dillon sits down with Mitchell Borges, Director of Marketing for ASUCD at UC Davis and a researcher who has spent years studying how social media actually influences student enrollment decisions. Mitchell shares eye-opening findings from his doctoral research, revealing that students are heading to Instagram comment sections to ask strangers about tuition because they perceive peer-to-peer information as more authentic than official university communications.

He explains why empowering students to create content is the single most effective strategy for building trust, why out-of-state students rely more heavily on digital discovery than their in-state peers, and how his own team grew Instagram followers from 4,000 to 14,000 by letting students take the lead.

Mitchell also delivers a critical wake-up call about the April 2026 Title II accessibility compliance deadline, warning that social media—often an afterthought in accessibility conversations—will be one of the hardest areas to bring into compliance. He offers practical advice on rethinking content workflows and explains why the teams that embrace authenticity and move fast on micro-trends will be the ones that win.

Tune in for a candid, tactical conversation about what it really takes to connect with today's students in a crowded, fast-moving digital landscape.

Key Takeaways

• Trust Has Shifted to Peers: Students consistently perceive information from peers or alumni on social media as more authentic and trustworthy than official university websites or admissions counselors. This is driving them to seek out peer perspectives in comment sections, DMs, and informal channels.
• Out-of-State Students Rely Heavily on Digital: Unlike in-state students who can tap into local networks for firsthand feedback, out-of-state students lack that personal connection. As a result, they place significantly more weight on the digital content they find during their search phase.
• Empower Students to Create Content: Mitchell's research and experience show that putting students in front of the camera—even student employees reading a script—feels authentic to prospective students. His team grew Instagram from 4,000 to 14,000 followers in two years by shifting from career staff to student-led content creation.
• Facilitate the Search Process, Not Just the Decision: Universities are great at capturing students' "I committed" moments but miss the opportunity to encourage students to share their search journey. Helping students document and share their exploration could fill a critical gap in authentic content.
• Accessibility Must Be Built Into Social Workflows: The April 2026 Title II compliance deadline is closer than many realize, and social media is a major blind spot. Features like story text, video captions, and alt text are difficult to manage at scale. Mitchell's team has been operating as if the deadline has already passed for months and is still under 30% compliance across 60 accounts.
• Influencer Marketing Is the Next Frontier: As traditional relationship marketing loses effectiveness, Mitchell sees influencer marketing—partnering with trusted voices already connected to student audiences—as a major opportunity. The risk of giving influencers autonomy is real, but the institutions that move first will gain a significant advantage.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - The Signal
• (00:02:06) - Top Executives: Higher Ed Marketing
• (00:03:22) - UC Davis vs Grand Canyon University: Different Sales Pitch
• (00:05:29) - How Social Media Influences Enrollment Decision
• (00:13:43) - The Future of Student Engagement
• (00:15:10) - Senior Marketing Manager at ASUCD,
• (00:18:11) - What channels or platforms are currently delivering the strongest ROI for student
• (00:20:15) - The Title 2 Compliance Deadline
• (00:25:31) - What Will Define Successful Higher Ed Marketing Teams?
• (00:27:59) - The Signal: Higher Ed Tech News & Insights