Influence of Social Media Marketing on Student Enrolment among Private Universities in Kenya
Abstract
University education has become a universal service and all countries devote efforts to ensure their citizens are adequately provided for because of the importance of education in the development of a country both socially and economically. The increase in population has continued to create more demand for University education. There is therefore a need to create more educational opportunities through the establishment of more tertiary institutions. The increase in the number of institutions of higher learning means that competition for student enrollment continues to grow because of the profit focus which is an inherent characteristic exhibited by most private universities. Consequently, private universities have adopted effective strategies in providing information about their educational programmes to potential students to increase enrollment intake. This is to avoid challenges brought about by the dwindling number of students on campuses. This study, therefore, examined the role of social media marketing and its influence on student enrollment in private universities in Kenya. The study used a descriptive design to ensure that the necessary data was gathered within the study period. The target population was 210 respondents with a sample size of 139 respondents. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect primary data while a desk review was done to collect secondary data. To ensure the highest level of ethical standards was met, the universities were informed in advance that the study is for academic purposes and that any responses given were not to be used for any other purposes. Further, respondents were assured of utmost confidentiality and non-disclosure of their identities. The researcher also sought necessary approvals from the Ethical Review Committee and also the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis while quantitative data was analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) tool. Descriptive statistics included the mean while inferential statistics used a regression model. The results of the study were presented using frequencies and percentages to make it easy for interpretation and deductions to be made. This study will benefit stakeholders and shareholders, university management, the Government, other Universities and researchers interested in analyzing the role of social media marketing on student enrollment in private Universities. The study found out that private universities used social media marketing platforms to influence student enrolment. The respondents indicated that social media marketing enabled improved service delivery and thus enhanced effectiveness with some indicating that social media marketing was their preferred mode of communication. There was a general agreement that social media marketing led to reduced costs. The study concluded that private universities used Facebook and Quora both of which had a positive influence on student enrolment. The universities also used Snapchat and Youtube both of which influenced student enrolment. Further, the universities used Pinterest and Reddit to enhance student enrollment. The study noted a positive effect on the use of these platforms and therefore recommends that universities invest more resources due to its growing popularity among the younger population. Further, the literature reviewed during the study showed a growing awareness and perceived importance of social media marketing. However, despite the growing use of social media for student recruitment purposes, private universities could still employ other traditional methods of marketing such as fairs and direct mailings. The study recommends further research on policies regarding the use of private information for marketing purposes, the use of other systematic marketing strategies with larger target populations, and the investment of more resources into social media marketing to leverage the full potential of these tools offer.
Keywords: Social Media, Marketing, Students, Enrollment, Private Universities, Kenya, Social Networks
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