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Academic Marketing Services

What we do

Branding & Identity

Effective brand, identity and logo design can help you stand out in the crowd.

Web Design & Development

We are technologists that love telling a good story through effective visual design and functionality.

Mobile

Smartphone usage keeps growing rapidly.  We can help your company produce responsive mobile and tablet solutions.

 

 

 

Content Strategy

No marketing strategy is complete without a content and communication strategy.

Print Services

Of course, we do print as well. We have been producing magazines, brochures, and print collateral for more than 15 years.

Social Media

Need to design an effective, data-driven social media campaign? We’ve got that covered too.

Portfolio

Check out some of our latest work

About Us

A full-service marketing agency

Who we are

Academic Marketing Services (AMS) is a full-service marketing agency.  We specialize in digital, creative, print and content strategy for our clients.  We have over 15 years experience working with community colleges, local business and governments.

AMS is a team of creative technologists, visual designers, content creators, and marketing strategists.  Our work is both web and print driven, implementing the best of both traditional and digital marketing solutions.

We help you define and refine your goals by understanding marketing objectives, the competitive landscape and your audiences’ needs.  We help our clients achieve meaningful relationships with their audiences.

Our skills

web design & development
responsive and mobile design
graphic design
data analysis
content strategy
social media campaigns

Our team members

team 1

Sheila Leburg - Vice President, Accounts Development

Sheila's helped hundreds of clients find the perfect article, achieve the perfect distribution and produce magazines that make their colleges proud.
team 1

Larry Whitworth - President Emeritus

A former community college president, Larry is a leading thinker in the world of community college marketing strategy development.
team 1

Margaretta Donley - Senior Graphic Designer

Margaretta works one-on-one with clients to produce print marketing material that uniquely reflects their brand.

Blog

Coming soon.

Picture of tech worker overlaid by text what community colleges can learn from entrepreneurs
What Community Colleges Can Learn from Entrepreneu...

Being in the business of education Since most community colleges are nonprofit institutions, schools don’t always think of themselves as businesses. After all, community colleges want their students to have a chance at a life-changing education re ...

Picture of two men shaking hands overlaid with the text reading trust and content marketing
Trust and Content Marketing

Rebuilding trust in higher education through quality content More and more businesses are creating and distributing original content. It’s an amazingly effective way to boost sales and build a customer base. Content marketing can turn fans into cu ...

A picture of bookcase under text that reads expanding dual enrollment programs to increase college enrollment
Expanding Dual-Enrollment Programs to Increase Col...

The growth of dual-enrollment programs in the United States Dual-enrollment programs aren’t a new idea, but they’ve grown in popularity over the last decade. There haven’t been many large-scale studies of the phenomenon, despite the fact that ...

Picture of students sitting in class taking notes under text for-profit higher education and community colleges
For-Profit Higher Education and Community Colleges

A comparison of for-profit and public two-year institutions For the last ten years or so for-profit colleges have been in the news for a number of scandals, culminating in the widely publicized closure of Corinthian Colleges. Each time these sorts o ...

Picture of backpack slung over student's arm under words factors facing mature students as they consider community college
Factors Facing Mature Students as They Consider Co...

Charting a course to success for low-skill and working adult students Adult learners bring incredible diversity into classrooms across America. Their variety of life-experiences and perspectives, their determination to succeed, and their work-ethic ...

Picture of library under text advantages of beginning a four year degree at a community college
Advantages of beginning a degree at a Community Co...

Why community colleges are a top contender for Gen Z Generation Z is the first fully digital generation. They’ve lived through the recession, national tragedies, and wars. They are also practical and curious and ready to chart a new course in high ...

Picture of student under text making the case for rural community colleges
Making the Case for Rural Community Colleges

Attracting and retaining rural community college students Rural community college students face a unique set of challenges. They live in homes with less technological access, travel long distances to school, and come from communities that are econom ...

How to create a community college recruitment plan
How to Create a Community College Recruitment Plan

Winning over prospective students visiting campus In the first of this two-part series we talked about marketing as an exchange process and identifying and reaching your market segment. We concluded that good academic marketing strategy relies on so ...

picture of a professor under words how to create a strategic marketing plan for small colleges
How to Create a Strategic Marketing Plan for Commu...

What does a good strategic marketing plan look like? People often confusing marketing a community college with simple advertising, like putting up billboards and plastering signs on buses. But marketing at its best is about communication. It provide ...

Why Print Magazines Deliver Results for Community ...

The data that shows community colleges should invest in print marketing In a world gone digital, it’s easy to wonder why your community college should invest in print marketing. The printed word in general has suffered in competition with digital ...

The Importance of Faculty Recognition For Communit...

Why community colleges should care about increasing faculty recognition It’s well-known in higher education that retaining quality faculty improves learning outcomes. However, as in any workforce, it can be challenging for community colleges to re ...

Picture of college graduate under caption who benefits most from a community college education
Who Benefits Most from a Community College Educati...

Who should go to community college? Community colleges draw a heterogenous mix of students. In these halls you can find traditional college students, returning students, international students, curious community members taking up new hobbies and mas ...

Picture of students on campus under text reading is your enrollment strategy based on tools or goals
Is Your Enrollment Strategy Based on Tools or Goal...

How useful are enrollment marketing apps for community colleges? As community colleges across the country make difficult budgeting decisions, marketing departments have turned to cost saving measures to reach prospective students. While some of the ...

How to Get Better Marketing Results on a Limited Budget
How to Get Better Marketing Results on a Limited B...

For small community colleges with limited resources, making the most of your marketing budget is key to building enrollment. The economy is up, which means many community colleges are feeling the pinch as potential students join the workforce instea ...

What Community College Presidents Really Want in 2018
What Community College Presidents Really Want in 2...

The fourth Survey of Community College presidents, conducted by Gallup and sponsored by Inside Higher Ed, was released in late spring. Based on the responses of 177 two-year college leaders, the report gives voice to critical issues for both presiden ...

Ways to Integrate CareerFocus with Your Current Marketing
Ways to Integrate CareerFocus with Your Current Ma...

A unified marketing strategy is key to building student engagement. Very few of our community colleges rely solely on CareerFocus for their marketing campaigns. Instead, while CareerFocus may be the main initiative for some, almost all have other pr ...

When to Start Planning for Next Semester
When to Start Planning for Next Semester’s E...

Students need to plan early, which means community colleges must plan even earlier. The enrollment period is a critical time for community colleges, particularly those which have grown increasingly dependent on tuition given the lack of government f ...

Why State Legislators Should Fund Community Colleges
Why State Legislators Should Fund Community Colleg...

Community colleges serve a critical role in state economies, yet often struggle with government funding. Anyone who works with community colleges is familiar with their strange boom and bust budget cycle. In general, enrollment rates are inversely p ...

What Our Content Library Can Offer Small Community Colleges
What Our Content Library Can Offer Small Community...

Small community colleges benefit from shared access to vetted, researched articles. With the rise in the economy, many community colleges are feeling the pinch as students who might once have enrolled in courses are returning to the workforce to tak ...

Does Your Community College Need Custom Content
Does Your Community College Need Custom Content?

Community colleges need to sell their unique strengths while maintaining a unified message. Over the past few years, a growing number of community colleges have benefited from using content marketing to grow their enrollment rate. These colleges rec ...

Why Your Community College Needs a Website
Why Your Community College Needs a Website

Your website is a primary resource for information for your students. The current generation of college-aged young adults has never known a world without the Internet. They know how to research purchases online and how to connect with classmates on ...

How Community Colleges Turn Programs into Careers
How Community Colleges Turn Programs into Careers

Community colleges equip students for employment through practical experience. Learning for its own sake will always be an ideal, no matter the educational institution in question. But many students are also motivated by learning that can directly l ...

Do Students Google Community Colleges
Do Students Google Community Colleges? A Look at t...

Having a strong online presence will help students learn more about your college. One of the great benefits of having content about your community college online is that it can attract the interest of online searchers. People use the Internet for a ...

How Long Does It Take to Produce an Issue of CareerFocus
How Long Does It Take to Produce an Issue of Caree...

Timing is all-important for reaching your audience in time for fall enrollment. The Winter/Spring semester is winding down, Summer’s just over the horizon, and the last thing most of us want to be doing is thinking about classes picking up again i ...

Why Syndicated Content Works for Community Colleges
Why Syndicated Content Works for Community College...

Sharing content is a way for community colleges to split costs without competition. The founding premise of content marketing is that, by sharing informative, entertaining, or inspirational articles, organizations can reach more potential customers ...

How to Choose Which Community College Program to Promote
How to Choose Which Community College Program to P...

Making strategic content marketing choices will help your message spread further. When the community colleges we work with first begin using CareerFocus, one of the frequent questions we hear is about what content they should cover in their campaign ...

How to Use CareerFocus in Your Community College Rebrand
How to Use CareerFocus in Your Community College R...

Refreshing your college image is an effective way to grow enrollment. Community colleges around the country are searching for new ways to reach out to prospective students and build enrollment. One challenge these community colleges face is the gene ...

How Small Community Colleges Use CareerFocus to Succeed
How Small Community Colleges Use CareerFocus to Su...

Multimedia content marketing campaigns aren’t just for large-scale colleges. For many small community colleges, large scale content marketing strategies are so far down their wish list of items that implementing them seems unachievable. Their mark ...

How to Choose a Good Cover Photo for CareerFocus
How to Choose a Good Cover Photo for CareerFocus

Use your cover to highlight your community college and programs. More than anything else, the cover image you choose for your issues of CareerFocus will influence whether it is read and spread in your community. Because of this, choosing a good cove ...

Why Community Colleges Need Content Marketing
Why Community Colleges Need Content Marketing

Content marketing is the way forward for community colleges. Here’s how it works. Community colleges face an uphill battle in today's economy. With a bustling job market, many potential students are choosing to forego higher education in favor of ...

5 Reasons Why Community College Should Be a First Choice
5 Reasons Why Community College Should Be a First ...

Community colleges shouldn’t be viewed as merely a fallback option for students who aren’t accepted at a four-year institution. There's an unpleasant stigma about community colleges that perceives their education as less legitimate or credible t ...

Why Vocational and Community Colleges Serve the Same Purpose
Why Vocational and Community Colleges Serve the Sa...

For those confused about the difference between vocational and community college, it’s less significant than you might think. It's an interesting time for community colleges. Recent media coverage about the importance of vocational schools has see ...

California is hiring!

This is an article...

5 Ways to Customize Content for Small Community Colleges
5 Ways to Customize Content for Small Community Co...

As you prepare your next issue of CareerFocus, here are 5 ways to ensure it matches your brand. One of the main questions we are asked by community colleges who are considering our program is "how customizable is your content?" They don't want to si ...

How to Choose the Best Content for Your Next CareerFocus
How to Choose the Best Content for Your Next Caree...

4 Ways Promote Your Community College in the Next Issue of CareerFocus The summer is coming, and that means it’s time to start thinking about fall enrollment. If you’re using CareerFocus to broaden your marketing outreach, you should begin assem ...

Using Technology to Grow Your Community College
Using Technology to Grow Your Community College

3 Ways to Use Online Content, Social Media, and Digital Marketing to Build Enrollment. Many community colleges these days face a common struggle: stagnant or falling enrollment rates. For many of these community colleges, their greatest challenge li ...

Why Your Community College Enrollment Rate Matters
Why Your Community College Enrollment Rate Matters

Higher enrollment leads to higher revenue, and more funds to devote to the college. Budgets are tight these days. States have cut funding to many community colleges, and many college leaders have responded by lobbying for more government support. Th ...

Contact

For questions, business inquiries, or to start a project with us, please get in touch.

Contact Info

  • Address: 25900 Greenfield Rd, Suite 402, Oak Park, MI 48237
  • Telephone: (855) 572-2955
  • Fax: (734) 468-0814

Get in Touch!