An investigation of the effectiveness of social media marketing on the marketing performance of Selected Higher Education Institutions in Zambia

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation , 2022 , 244 Pages , Grade: Pass

Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media

HEIs in Zambia have adopted the use of social media in advertising, online learning and also for administrative purposes. Social media has developed in the recent years to a level where it presents itself as the biggest virtual market with the potential to increase geographic markets and revenue for organizations. While cases of HEIs that have used social media marketing for purposes of marketing exist in other places, there is no significant research in the Zambian environment that shows empirical evidence that the use of social media marketing can impact marketing performance in HEIs.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of social media marketing on marketing performance in HEIs and the findings are meant to build a model for social media marketing for HEIs in Zambia in (see figure 5.2 in Chapter 5). Data in this research was collected from twelve HEIs using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, since this research is a mixed research with both deductive and inductive arguments. The data collection techniques included a semi structured interview for qualitative data and a semi structured questionnaire for the quantitative data. Data analysis was carried out using different techniques in SPSS for the quantitative data and content analysis using Google analytics for the qualitative data.
The implications of the findings in chapter four mean that HEIs in Zambia must begin to use social media not only for administrative or advertising purposes but they must use it effectively as a tool to increase their market share and increase their revenue. The findings and data analysis in this research indicated that social media is effective in marketing HEIs in Zambia, however these institutions must adopt the suggested model in Figure 5.2 in Chapter 5 if they are to enhance social media performance for marketing

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • 1.1 Background to the Study
  • 1.2 Statement of the Problem
  • 1.3 Purpose of the Study
  • 1.4 Research Questions
  • 1.5 Significance of the Study
  • 1.6 Scope of the Study
  • 1.7 Limitations of the Study
  • 1.8 Definition of Terms
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
• Chapter 3: Research Methodology
• Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings
• Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings
• Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations

Objectives and Key Themes

This research investigates the effectiveness of social media marketing in enhancing the marketing performance of select higher education institutions in Zambia. The study seeks to determine the impact of social media marketing strategies on student recruitment, brand awareness, and overall institutional marketing success.

• The role of social media marketing in higher education institutions
• The effectiveness of social media marketing strategies in achieving specific marketing objectives
• The relationship between social media marketing and marketing performance in higher education institutions
• Factors influencing the successful implementation of social media marketing in higher education institutions
• Best practices and challenges associated with social media marketing in the higher education sector

Chapter Summaries

• Chapter 1: Introduction

  This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the research topic, outlining the background, problem statement, purpose, research questions, significance, scope, limitations, and definition of key terms.

• Chapter 2: Literature Review

  This chapter presents a critical review of existing literature on social media marketing in the context of higher education institutions, exploring key concepts, theories, and empirical findings.

• Chapter 3: Research Methodology

  This chapter describes the research methodology employed in the study, including the research design, data collection methods, sampling techniques, and data analysis procedures.

• Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings

  This chapter presents the analysis of the collected data, exploring the findings and patterns observed in the research.

• Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings

  This chapter provides a detailed interpretation and discussion of the findings, relating them to the existing literature and addressing the research questions.

Keywords

The primary keywords and focus topics of this research include social media marketing, higher education institutions, marketing performance, student recruitment, brand awareness, Zambia, marketing strategies, empirical research, and best practices.

• Course: Marketing
• Grade: Pass
• Author: Dr. Francis Mukosa (Author)
• Publication Year: 2022
• Pages: 244
• Catalog Number: V1283224
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346740694
• ISBN (Book): 9783346740700
• Language: English
• Tags: Marketing, Social Media, Higher Education Institutions, Social Media platforms, interactivity