The University of Stirling
Abstract
The University of Stirling is an international university with a global reputation for high-quality teaching and research. The university is among the top 500 universities worldwide according to QS World Rankings 2022.
The RAK Branch Campus was established in 2019. This relatively new branch campus needed to plan and execute a strategy to generate brand awareness in both the local UAE market as well as the international market. This is where I come in.
My Role
During my tenure at the University of Stirling (RAK Branch), I worked as a Digital Marketing Manager. In this role, I managed marketing-related communication between the main campus in the UK and our branch campus in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. I was responsible for maintaining the university's website and analytics, as well as overseeing all digital channels. This included managing and creating content, designing and implementing ad campaigns, and handling various media formats such as photos, videos, and graphic designs. I also worked on print materials such as brochures, leaflets, and roll-up banners.
For the first year, I single-handedly managed all the tasks mentioned above, which provided me with valuable experience and learning opportunities. However, later on, a graphic designer joined my team, allowing us to collaborate and enhance our creative output. Throughout my tenure, I closely collaborated with the admissions team, the marketing team at the main campus in the UK, faculty members, and students. Together, we worked towards developing and maintaining a cohesive brand image that could effectively attract prospective students and their parents, showcasing the unique attributes of our university.
Achievements
During my time at the University of Stirling, RAK Campus, I achieved significant growth and success in our digital channels. Some of our notable achievements include:
- Instagram:
- Increased followers by 600%
- Implemented strategies such as planning and scheduling posts in advance
- Shared engaging content regularly to attract and retain followers (like the one below)
- Utilized relevant hashtags to increase post visibility and attract new followers
- Actively engaged with the community by responding to comments and messages
- Meta (formerly Facebook):
- Increased followers by 100%
- Leveraged various marketing materials to build brand awareness and encourage engagement
- Ran promotions to incentivize users to follow and engage with our account
- Utilized paid advertising to target specific users and increase post visibility
- LinkedIn:
- Increased followers by 100%
- Implemented strategies such as sharing compelling content and running targeted advertising campaigns
- Utilized analytics to analyze post performance and adjust strategies accordingly
- Website Development:
- Successfully created fully functioning websites for the university and the SQA Centre
- Gathered requirements from management, the home campus team, and faculty
- Achieved increased website traffic and conversion rates through effective search engine optimization (SEO)
- Websites: University: www.stir.ae SQA Centre: www.adip.ae
- Online Marketing Campaigns:
- Successfully launched and managed various online marketing campaigns
- Developed and implemented social media marketing (SMM) strategies that generated leads and increased brand awareness
- Created and executed high-performing email marketing campaigns with impressive open and click-through rates
- Utilized paid advertising platforms such as Google AdWords, Facebook (Meta) Ads, and LinkedIn Ads to achieve desired results
- Analytics and Reporting:
- Analyzed and reported on the performance of marketing campaigns
- Utilized insights to optimize future campaigns and maximize results
- Trend and Influencer Collaboration:
- Proactively leveraged trends and created engaging content suitable for each platform
- Collaborated with influencers and other companies to reach a wider audience and gain new followers
- WhatsApp Marketing:
- Leveraged WhatsApp as a powerful communication and marketing tool
- Created and executed campaigns to engage with students, parents, and stakeholders
- Utilized WhatsApp groups and broadcasts to share important updates and foster engagement
- CRM Management (Bitrix24):
- Successfully managed and utilized the Bitrix24 CRM platform
- Organized and streamlined communication with prospective students and partners
- Tracked and managed leads, ensuring efficient follow-up and nurturing of relationships
These achievements showcase my expertise in various aspects of digital marketing, including email marketing, WhatsApp marketing, SMS campaigns, CRM management (using Bitrix24), social media growth and engagement, website development and optimization, online marketing campaigns, and analytics-driven decision-making. I am proud of the contributions I made during my time at the University of Stirling, RAK Campus, and I look forward to leveraging my versatile skillset to excel in any future endeavors that come my way.