No Silos

Web StrategyGovernanceIntegrated Systems
Written By kate gordon

Aligning Web, CRM, and Content into a Single Recruitment System During Institutional and Market Disruption

Washington and Lee University was navigating two simultaneous pressures:

  • A highly public institutional debate drawing national scrutiny

  • A rapid shift to digital recruitment during COVID, as traditional channels disappeared

Internally, the bigger issue was structural:

  • Admissions and communications operated in parallel, not in partnership

  • The website, email, and recruitment tools functioned as disconnected channels

  • Messaging varied by team, with no shared governance or workflow

  • There was limited visibility into the full prospect journey

The risk wasn’t just reputational, it was operational: A fragmented system at the exact moment prospects needed clarity, consistency, and trust.

My Role

As the inaugural Marketing Director for Admissions and Aid, I was responsible for:

  • Defining the end-to-end digital recruitment strategy

  • Aligning web, CRM, content, and outreach systems

  • Establishing governance across teams that did not report to me

  • Maintaining a stable, credible prospect experience during institutional scrutiny

This was more than a campaign, it was a full system redesign under active pressure.

What I Built

1. A Unified Recruitment Ecosystem

Shifted from channel-based execution to a connected lifecycle model:

  • Integrated Slate CRM, CMS platforms (Ingeniux, WordPress, BigTree), and analytics tools

  • Aligned messaging and content to behavioral signals and user intent

  • Connected web, email, counselor outreach, and paid media into a single coordinated system

Result: Prospects experienced a continuous journey, not disconnected touchpoints.

Unified admissions, marketing, and web operations through custom centralized project management system

2. Governance That Enabled Scale

Replaced informal coordination with structured, repeatable systems:

  • Defined messaging guardrails aligned with official university communications

  • Established shared editorial standards across admissions and communications

  • Created workflow and approval structures to reduce drift and duplication

  • Introduced a centralized intake and project tracking system for campaign visibility

Result: Consistency increased while reducing friction across decentralized teams.

Established approval and editorial workflows, streamlining time-sensitive operations across teams

3. A Prospect-Centered Web Experience

Reoriented the website from institutional priorities to user needs and decision-making behavior:

  • Refined information architecture to align with how students search and evaluate

  • Simplified navigation and content hierarchy for clarity and speed

  • Developed segmented pathways for key audiences (first-gen, international, etc.)

  • Expanded digital experience through virtual tours, interactive content, and microsites

Result: The website became a decision-support tool, not just an information repository.

Took over midstream CMS and website redesign, driving completion, alignment, and institution-wide adoption within the first year

4. Human-Centered, Data-Informed Engagement

Balanced empathy with performance:

  • Introduced personalized, counselor-led communication strategies

  • Launched geo-targeted campaigns and segmented drip marketing

  • Used analytics to continuously refine messaging, timing, and channel effectiveness

Result: Outreach felt relevant and human, while improving measurable engagement.

Integrated CMS, CRM, and analytics platforms, enabling personalized user journeys and data-driven drip marketing across the recruitment funnel

5. Stability During Institutional Uncertainty

Maintained trust without editorializing:

  • Aligned all recruitment messaging with official university communications

  • Ensured tone remained measured, transparent, and consistent across channels

  • Directed users to primary sources when needed, avoiding fragmentation or interpretation

Result: The institution presented a clear, unified voice during a highly visible and sensitive period.

Launched virtual recruitment ecosystem (tours, events, engagement tools) during disruption

Outcomes

  • +32.5% increase in undergraduate applications during a national decline

  • Established a data-informed content and recruitment model still in use

  • Transformed a fragmented digital presence into a connected, scalable ecosystem

  • Improved alignment across admissions, communications, and digital platforms

  • Strengthened trust and clarity during a period of institutional uncertainty

Why This Matters

Most institutions don’t struggle with demand, they struggle with alignment. This work demonstrates how:

  • Governance creates consistency without slowing teams

  • Systems thinking replaces channel silos

  • Web, CRM, and content must function as a single ecosystem

  • Digital strategy is not about campaigns, it’s about infrastructure

Bottom Line

I didn’t redesign a website. I built a system that aligned people, platforms, and content into a unified recruitment engine, one that could adapt, scale, and perform under pressure.

kate gordon
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