Rise of Social Media Marketing: A Perspective on Higher Education

This research aims to examine the impact of social media on higher education marketing, in terms of student recruitment. Based on a review of secondary literature, this paper proposes a framework for student recruitment. The expected results indicated that there are several approaches that marketers could use to reach and recruit prospective students more effectively. These approaches include positive electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), social media campaigns, virtual campus tours and Facebook Live, which have significant and positive impact on student recruitment. Moreover, the study suggests that social media validation plays a mediating role between social media campaigns and student recruitment. This study aids institutions in gaining insights into students' behaviours, needs, and attitudes towards social media marketing. Furthermore, it provides admissions staff guidance on how to use social media communities as an effective recruitment tool - particularly Facebook.