When I stepped into the content marketing strategist role at IHS, one of the first things I did was revise our nurture streams to match our desire for a more serious, academic tone to match the needs of our audience of PhD students in the humanities and social sciences.
The first email on this page was written before I came to IHS. The second email was my revised version of the first. This email was written last year, so note that some of the links may no longer be live due to subsequent changes in the emails and on the website.
Email before revisions
Hello friend,
My name is [REMOVED], and I’m the Marketing Coordinator at the Institute for Humane Studies. My job is to connect students like you (who are interested in grad school) to the opportunities and resources that will help you flourish, academically and professionally. Why? Because at IHS, we want to make the world a better place—and we think you do, too.
One of our favorite scholars, F.A. Hayek, put it like this:
"We must make the building of a free society once more an intellectual adventure, a deed of courage."
We want to start you on your intellectual adventure, and equip you with the tools you need to make the world a freer, more prosperous place. That’s why we offer:
- Advice on applying to grad school
- Funding opportunities
- Mentoring
- Seminars and workshops
From advice, to funding, to mentorships, there’s no limit to how we can help with whatever you choose to do. Students like you are current and future leaders in academia and beyond, and your leadership will have a huge impact. We’re thrilled to help you maximize that potential, so I hope you’ll take advantage of what we have to offer.
Cheers,
[NAME] at IHS
My revisions
Dear [FName],
The conversations that occur at universities have the potential to change the course of society. Economist F.A. Hayek said in his essay, “The Intellectuals and Socialism:”
"We must make the building of a free society once more an intellectual adventure, a deed of courage [...] Unless we can make the philosophic foundations of a free society once more a living intellectual issue, and its implementation a task which challenges the ingenuity and imagination of our liveliest minds, the prospects of freedom are indeed dark.”
If you pursue a career in academia, you have the potential to engage in this intellectual adventure on the highest level, making the world a more peaceful, prosperous, and free place through your teaching, research, and writing.
My colleagues and I want to support you in this next step of your intellectual journey. As you consider graduate school, we can work with you by offering:
- Advice on applying to grad school
- Funding opportunities
- Mentoring
- Seminars and workshops
(See a full list of resources here.)
Students like you are current and future leaders in academia and beyond. We’re thrilled to help you maximize that potential, so I hope you’ll take advantage of some of what we have to offer you.
Cheers,
[NAME]
[TITLE]
The Institute for Humane Studies