In this episode of The Hidden Gem, Maya Demishkevich sits down with Liz Cooper, Associate Director of Public Relations at Massachusetts Bay Community College, to discuss the art of storytelling and the top mistakes to avoid when crafting impactful stories. Liz shares her process for identifying, creating, and scaling authentic narratives that resonate with students, faculty, and communities. From common storytelling missteps to practical strategies for amplifying stories across platforms, this episode is a must-listen for PR professionals and marketers in higher education.

Key Takeaways:

1. Discover the top storytelling mistakes marketers make, including inauthenticity, making the institution the hero, and failing to tailor stories for specific audiences.
2. Learn how Liz builds trust with students to uncover vulnerable and emotional stories that truly connect with audiences.
3. Explore strategies for scaling stories across multiple channels, from social media to local news, and tailoring content to resonate with specific audiences like prospective students, parents, and alumni.
4. Hear how community colleges can keep their stories alive by repurposing content and updating narratives for new contexts.
5. Get practical advice on building internal relationships to source meaningful stories and creating a collaborative storytelling culture on campus.

Liz Cooper / Associate Director of Public Relations / MassBay Community College

Since 2015, Liz Cooper has worked in the MassBay Marketing and Communication Office, helping raise the public profile of MassBay through storytelling, social media, and earned media placements. Her resume includes working for more than 13 years in the Boston television news market in multiple roles, a public relations firm, and as the Director of Communications for the Massachusetts Secretary of Education under former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Liz loves talking to reporters about all things community college because she feels good press for one community college is good press for all of us. Always taking her job to heart, in April 2023, Liz trained and successfully completed the Boston Marathon raising more than $11,000 in support of student scholarships at MassBay Community College. Liz was named the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations District 1 Communicator of the Year in 2024. When you can’t find Liz pitching a reporter, you can find her rooting on all of the Boston sports teams with her Emmy-award-winning news photographer husband Ted or trying to keep up with her three kids – Teddy (12), Camden (9) or Madison (7) – on a sports field.