Projects, innovations, and significant achievements: YSU Marketing Department summarizes the year

The development and promotion of YSU brand, increasing its visibility on social media platforms, continuously improving its public standing, ensuring communication, and organizing university-wide events were the key areas in which YSU Marketing Department focused its efforts.

- What major achievements did you record this year, and what were the most significant events to which the department contributed?

- The Marketing Department initiated and implemented several large-scale events aimed at enhancing the university's recognition, presenting its professional fields, educational services, scientific research, student successes, and the opportunities the university offers, engaging prospective students, and expanding the university's collaborative ties. I would like to highlight the "Learn & Work" Expo, which has become a tradition and was first organized two years ago in collaboration with the Alumni and Career Center. Our department has been involved in numerous tasks, ranging from mapping the venue to organizing booth placements, installing signage and maps, selecting bands, drafting competition technical specifications, and carrying out extensive work on social media platforms. The event was unprecedented in terms of visitor attendance as well. In comparison to the previous year, the number of visitors was significantly higher. In 2023, around 10,000 people attended, while in 2024, the attendance reached approximately 15,000 (as of 3:00 p.m.). However, had the weather conditions allowed (as there was heavy rain), the number of visitors could have been even higher.   

Another significant event was the graduation ceremony, which has also become a tradition. I would also like to emphasize the event organized in collaboration with YSU Charles Aznavour Cultural Center, marking the start of the new academic year and the enrollment of first-year students. The format of this event has evolved over the years. On this festive day, various YSU administrative units present their activities, opportunities, and respond to students' questions. This event also provides a unique opportunity for first-year students to meet and interact with their classmates, senior students, faculty members, and university staff.

- What innovations were introduced this year?

- This year, YSU Marketing Department introduced several innovations aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of internal communication within the university. A number of initiatives were carried out in collaboration with the communication officers at the university's faculties, including training courses, meeting-discussions, and other activities. These efforts enabled the more efficient exchange of information and the improvement of internal communication processes.

In cooperation with the General Division and the university's academic units, we established YSU Information Center, which has facilitated the dissemination of internal university information.

Another key strategy to ensure effective internal communication was the introduction of email marketing. Through this initiative, the Marketing Department began sending regular emails from the address marketing@ysu.am to the university community, including students and staff. These emails informed the university community about new educational programs, collaborations, and projects, as well as opportunities and relevant information provided by the university for students and faculty members.

- What steps have been taken to ensure and improve the university’s external communication, and what results has the social media strategy yielded?

- Several important steps have been taken to ensure and improve the university’s external communication, contributing to the increase in communication effectiveness. For instance, the official website of Yerevan State University, which has become the main platform for the university’s external communication, ensures the quick transfer of information and facilitates communication with various communities, including students, applicants, alumni, and other target audiences.

News, interviews, and various other materials, including live broadcasts, video reports, and regular updates to both static and dynamic content on the official website, have been created and published. We have also ensured the translation of materials into Russian and English, as well as the editing, translation, and publication of content uploaded to YSU website by other administrative and academic units. The total number of such materials this year was 7,300.

Efforts have been made to diversify and target the content of both the university website and social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube). The YouTube page has been monetized, which is another significant achievement that, if applied correctly, will generate income for the department in the future. As a result of these efforts, there has been an increase in the number of publications on the website and social media pages of Yerevan State University, and consequently, in the number of visitors, followers, and views. This indicates a growing public interest in the university and an improved level of communication. 

From August 1, 2023, to October 1, 2024, the number of Facebook views exceeded 1.3 million. By working in this way, we have consistently achieved numerous successes, about which much can be said.

- Which efforts in the development and promotion of YSU brand would you highlight?

- The Marketing Department has continued to create branded products and carried out several key initiatives that have contributed to enhancing the university's reputation. Gift packages have been created for students, faculty members, and guests. For this purpose, original design work has been done, and a range of products has been acquired. These efforts have not only contributed to the visibility of the university's brand but have also served as a foundation for generating positive feedback.

I would also like to note that the Marketing Department has consistently showcased the university’s branded products during various exhibitions and events, where they have attracted special attention.

The year 2024 became a year of significant progress, creative solutions, and innovations for YSU Marketing Department. In particular, through various projects, increasing YSU's visibility on social media, and effectively organizing internal communication, the department played a crucial role.

- What were the main challenges for the Marketing Department this year, and how were they overcome?

- In our work, we certainly encountered various challenges, often due to the 12/7 working hours, heavy workloads, and the imbalance in human-resource allocation. In the days leading up to events, we—ranging from laborers to organizers—often worked late into the night, sometimes until 2 or 3 a.m., which resulted in unprecedented events, the organization of which was highly challenging. Each of these events was successful and unique, unlike anything ever held in the history of the university (she remembers them all with a smile). We overcame these difficulties by actively collaborating with other administrative and academic units at YSU, which allowed us to ensure the high quality of the organized events. 

Sometimes, the changing nature of the social media strategy presents challenges, as each post requires a personalized approach—content, audience, and the new demands of the times. To address these, we introduced new methods and flexible approaches, continually improving the skills of our team members.

It is important to emphasize that, as a team, we have consistently worked on new ideas and solutions to improve both internal and external communication. Despite the challenges, our team responded quickly and found effective solutions, which was crucial for the success of our work. Today, the university has a well-developed, innovative communication system and a team that is organized and operates according to modern requirements. I believe that our teamwork, strong sense of responsibility, and collective dedication greatly contributed to our shared achievements.

Various genres of informational writing, a modern YSU website, smooth internal communication, and progress on social media—these are the communication team's achievements, for which I am grateful to each member of the team.