Alumni engagement in the attention economy with Josh Harraman

How do you hold the attention of alumni and donors in a world that never stops scrolling?

In this episode of Alumless, Ryan and Chris talk with Josh Harraman, Director of Constituent Experiences – Strategy at The Ohio State University, about what it means to build alumni engagement in the attention economy. Josh shares how his team studies audience behavior, experiments with content, and uses both data and emotion to keep the Ohio State community connected.

They explore what’s competing most for alumni attention today, how digital tools are reshaping engagement, and whether higher education is adapting fast enough to compete with global brands and influencers. Josh also reflects on the role of storytelling, volunteerism, and campus partnerships in creating meaningful moments that cut through the noise.

In the bonus segment, he talks about the platforms and content formats that hold alumni attention longest, how to define meaningful engagement when you have only seconds, and what advice he’d give advancement leaders trying to win the attention game.

This episode is made possible by our season sponsors Protopia, AlumnIQ, and Givzey.