An Empirical Study on the Relation Between the Promotional

Strategies of Social Media Platforms and the Decision-Making

Process of Admitting New Students to Private Universities

Ajay Kumar Mishra

, Rachna Chaturvedi

Aboli Niphadkar

, Ninad Murlidhar Gawande

Ajeenkya DY Patil University, Pune, India

Centre for Women Entrepreneurship,RNTU, Bhopal, India

Ajeenkya DY Patil University, Pune, India

Keyword: Digital Marketing; Social Media Marketing; Private University Admissions; Promotional Strategies;

Admission Decision.

Abstract: This research paper explores the utilization of social media in the marketing process for private universities

like Ajeenkya DY Patil University, in terms of the decision-making process of admitting new students to a

private university. A qualitative approach was used to analyze descriptive data from a survey taken by 100

first-year students enrolled in 2022. A probability sampling design with a simple random sampling technique

was employed to select the sample. The fourth industrial revolution has altered the way business and people

interact through digital technology. This revolution is a cyber-physical system (CPS) that merges the virtual

and physical worlds, thus giving rise to the concept of a connected internet-based world. Companies must be

able to adapt and transform themselves to this new way of life if they want to remain competitive in the global

market. Effective communication is a critical component of successful marketing.

1 INTRODUCTION

The academic sector and its outlines have evolved from

conventional and offline marketing to totally digital

technology because of the technological revolution in

the educational industry caused by cyber-physical

system, Industry 4.0. (CPS). This technology is

potential of merging the digital and physical worlds in

order to create a unified internet-based environment.

According to the “India’s Booming Gig and Platform

Economy, Perspectives and Recommendations on the

Future of Work” by Niti Aayog

, in 2023, 60% of the

global economy is expected to be digital, and by 2029-

2030, 23.5 million of the workforces would consist of

contractors or so-called "gig-workforce." Newcomers

to the digital economy now can compete with others in

this disruptive circumstance. An organization's

management must incorporate the marketing

philosophy. To compete on a worldwide scale, the

organization needs to be able to reinvent itself as a

marketing firm. Effective communication is an

essential component of marketing. The ability to

execute marketing communication with the objective

of enlightening becomes feasible in the digital era

because it is no longer limited by place or time. With

the help of this marketing communication, it is hoped

that consumers will become more familiar with the

brand.

In 2022, internet users in India have positively

improved. According to the findings, the number of

internet users in India have doubled in 2020 in

comparison to 2015. As of July 2022, out of a total

Indian population of 1.417 billion, there are 833

million active individuals, or around 59.28%, have

access to the internet (wikipedia.org). According to the

figure 1, in India there will be estimated 974.86 million

internet users by 2025, but female, elderly people and

remote location population will miss out on the access

of internet if the progress is not made efficiently.

Considering the development of technology and

outreach of technology this estimation might change in

the coming future. In the pandemic period the world

saw a rapid transaction and growth in the web based

usersVarious local businesses started establishing there

identity on either their own web-based platform or

marking their presence on the apps developed for

various vendors in the area like Zomato, Amazon, No-

broker, OLX etc.

Mishra, A., Chaturvedi, R., Niphadkar, A. and Gawande, N.

An Empirical Study on the Relation Between the Promotional Strategies of Social Media Platforms and the Decision-Making Process of Admitting New Students to Private Universities.

DOI: 10.5220/0012500500003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 655-662

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

655

Image Source: Statista

Figure 1. Inter Users in India from 2015 to 2022 with forecast till 2025.

Figure 2. Widely used Social Media Platforms in India in 2022.

According to Figure 2, top 8 social media platforms

which were often used in digital marketing to perform

the task of social media marketing or social networking

were in usage of 20 to 80 per cent (Source: The Global

Statistics, 2022). The top result in active Instagram

users, were 76.50 per cent (503.37 million) followed

by Facebook with 74.70 per cent (491.53) and in third

position, Twitter with 44.90 per cent (295.44) and the

fifth LinkedIn with 37.20 per cent (244.78).

Between January 2019 and September 2022, the

top three social media sites in India in terms of unique

visitors were still Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,

where first two of them are owned by Meta and the

third was acquired by Elon Musk in December 2022.

In terms of unique visits and time spent, Instagram is

quickly catching up to Facebook, it's vital to highlight

compared to the previous year and leading its way to

the first position. This can be explained by the fact that

young people (aged 18 to 34) are using Instagram

Reels more frequently. Social networking sites

developed locally in India have also emerged in the

past few years, like Hike, Sharechat, Meme chat,

Chingari etc.

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Figure 3. Most used Messaging apps in India in 2022

74.70% of the Indian population have active

accounts of Facebook platforms, which makes it the

second most platform with 491.53 million users.

Facebook is the most popular among corporate entities,

the political establishment, and the public in India, and

it will continue to be a dominant power for many years

to come. Many top brands have used Facebook to

interact with their fans. A few new competitors like

MX TakaTak (23.40% penetration), a small video

forum produced locally and specially by MX Media &

Entertainment, backed by Moj (23.00%), an even

shorter video app and Skype (23.00%). According to

figure 3, WhatsApp messaging platform has remained

the most popular messaging platform in 2022 with

534.30 million active users, followed by Telegram

with 374.40 users. Facebook messenger, which is

popular among teenagers has been listed on the third

rank with 324.39 million users and fourth positions

stand with Snapchat 282.20 million users followed

with new entrants such as Share Chat and Discord.

Various facilities like forming groups for various

activities, sharing various types of files to one another,

sharing status, live locations, etc. is now possible

through such messaging apps. Even transferring of

money was the latest feature introduced in 2022 by

WhatsApp application, which has given boost to active

users and new users downloading the application.

WhatsApp business also made it possible to publish

catalogue or brochure of products and services,

broadcasting message about product or offer launches

with a single click of button by the admin. Similarly

telegram entered the market of messaging app and

acquired the market within a very short period because

of the innovative features and facilities provided by the

application. The marketing plan for a product is

impacted by this disruption. Higher education is one of

the businesses included in the product's marketing

plan. Brand recognition and understanding are needed

through the website. The Universities are actively

creating websites, with the goal of publishing details

about faculties, academic programs, buildings and

infrastructure, recognitions as well as events that have

already happened or will happen, accomplishments,

and other related activities. Universities can direct

users (here students) to this website so they can get

through this information without having to physically

go there and visit the university. The purpose of this

website should be to advertise itself as one of the active

media channels that institutions regularly use to engage

with prospective students.

As per Philip Kotler et al (1984)9, the decisions are

actions of consumers who want to buy or not to buy the

product. Among the various factors that influence a

consumer's choice to purchase a good or service are

quality, price, and products that are already well-

known to the public and are frequently taken into

consideration. Businesses must also comprehend the

demands and wants of their customers. Higher

education acts as a venue for research and development

as well as the creator of an entire new generation of

An Empirical Study on the Relation Between the Promotional Strategies of Social Media Platforms and the Decision-Making Process of

Admitting New Students to Private Universities

657

people with the personality and scientific competence

relevant to their specialties.

The decision of which institution to attend also

majorly relies on financial factors. The investment

must still be beneficial when the student’s complete

college studies. This is true because college or

university education is time-consuming and a costly

investment. Therefore, prospective students must have

a strategy in place before choosing an authorized

university or institution. In the higher education

industry, competition for students' business has begun

to heat up. To determine the scope of the digital

phenomena in India specifically considering Pune city

which is also famously known as the oxford of the east,

this study was necessary. It used digital marketing with

the sophistication of higher education in this age of

disruption. Ajeenkya DY Patil University also known

as ADYPU, Pune is one of such many educational

institutions in Pune which is currently established in

the Lohegaon area, located in the northern east of Pune,

and is also famously known for the Pune International

Airport. ADYPU is an amalgamation of seven schools

of specialization, including Law, Management,

Engineering, Film and Media, Design, Liberal Arts and

Hotel Management, providing Bachelor’s and

Master’s degree programs.

Based on the above-mentioned background of the

University and digital marketing, this study was

conducted and was able to analyze how social media is

utilized towards the decision of admitting new students

in the private universities of Pune. Furthermore, the

study also explains the impact of marketing

communications and digital marketing strategies of

Ajeenkya DY Patil University, when it came to

admitting new students at the institution.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a method of expanding and

improving traditional marketing functions by utilizing

the web and information technology. The utilization of

the web and other interactive platforms for and linking

interaction between identifiable organizations and

consumers is also referred to as digital marketing

(Coviello et al., 2001)2. Branding activities include the

use of web-based channels such as blogging, company

websites, e-mailers, ads words, or social media.

Certainly, digital marketing does not refer solely to

internet marketing.

2.2 The Advantages of Digital

Marketing

From the viewpoint of the user, online marketing is a

means of acquiring knowledge, leisure, socialization,

buying goods or services, exchanging ideas, and

forming communities. The following are the specific

benefits of employing digital marketing: Targeted

marketing is offering to the right consumers and

groups.A tailored message is one that is given in

response to the needs and preferences of the target

consumers.A high level of client interaction is required

for interactive capability. A lot of clients who really are

looking for a specific item visit certain

websites.Information access refers to site visitors who

obtain specific information from a product.

The effect of large sales, to which the web is a

direct reaction medium.Social Media

Customers are progressively adopting social media to

engage with, search for, and share information, views,

and experiences about brands and organizations.

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube,

WhatsApp and Twitter are indeed used to share both

positive and negative experiences, according to

Taprial, V., and Kanwar, P. (2012)15. Lewis (2010)12,

in contrast, explains that the phrase "social media"

refers to a class of digital technology that makes it

possible for people to engage, communicate, create,

and share content. According to Juju et al. (2013)6, and

Bajpai et al. (2012)3, social media is currently the sort

of public relations that is the most transparent,

interesting, and interactive.

Social media tends to attract attention more quickly

than exchanges in person.

2.3 Buyers Buying Decision

In educational institutions, registration requirements

are sometimes known as purchase decisions.

Concluding to a particular decision requires careful

consideration of all available possibilities. Consumer's

buying decisions are made by selecting the most

desirable brand from among several alternatives;

nevertheless, two factors can exist among purchase

intents and purchase decisions (Kotler et al., 2010)7.

According to Kotler (1984)9, consumers' choices to

purchase a product or not are actions. Among the

various factors that influence a consumer's choice to

purchase a good or service, quality, price, and products

that are already well-known to the public are frequently

taken into consideration. Buyers often go through

several stages before making a purchasing decision,

including:

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• Understanding the problem,

• Searching for the relevant information,

• Evaluating the best possible alternative,

• Making a purchase decision,

• Engaging in post-purchase activity.

• Buyer Decision Making Procedure

Figure 4: Decision Making Process 2022

The buyers decision-making process, according to

Kotler et al. (2010)7, entails the following series of

actions: Needs Identification, Information Search,

Alternative Evaluation, Purchasing Decisions, and

Post-Buying Behavior. It indicates that each time a

buyer makes a purchase, they go through all five

stages. But while making a typical transaction,

customers may skip or go back through a few steps. To

illustrate all the factors that come into play when

customers encounter challenging new purchasing

circumstances. As per, Kotler er al. (2010)7 steps can

be drafted as shown below. Details of Ajeenkya DY

Patil University

In the case of selected institutions, a regular

bachelor’s and master’s degree course is offered under

seven different specializations. The Bachelor’s degree

course is provided to the students to those who want to

continue the education after their high school and

master’s degree admits the students who have

completed the required bachelor’s degree. In addition

to using traditional means of marketing, digital

marketing is also used by ADYPU to offer details of

the institution to potential students who are looking out

to enroll themselves in various degree course. This

method has been used since 2015 up till the present

times.

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study used qualitative research methodology.

It was performed on current students, who have already

enrolled themselves in some or the other course and re-

registered from bachelors to master’s degree program

at Ajeenkya DY Patil University for the 2022–2023

academic year. Conventional Marketing, Digital

Marketing, and the R&D team created the questioner.

Furthermore, Google Form was used to distribute the

survey, which was intended for the September 2022

student induction. The probability sampling strategy

was used, along with a basic random sampling

methodology. The Slovin formula (in Bungin, 2013)

was used to determine the size of the available sample

of respondents. Additionally, the inaccuracy level was

caused by the sample tolerance, which was placed at

5%. It was discovered that there were 100 responders.

 =

1+N

(1)

n = sample size; N = population size; e = margin

of error

Moreover, the Theoretical Structure of this

research can be seen in the following mentioned figure

5, which is illustrated in detailed format.

Figure 5: Theoretical StructureThe hypothesis in this

research was divided into the following variables'

relationships to Y: X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6, is explained

as follows.

H1: There is a correlation between social media

platforms and the consideration to register for new

students at private universities.

H2: There is a correlation between social media

platforms and a boost in the number of fresh students

enrolled in private universities.

H3: The utilization of the most influential social

media platforms on enhancing the admission

decisions and the number of new students at private

colleges.

An Empirical Study on the Relation Between the Promotional Strategies of Social Media Platforms and the Decision-Making Process of

Admitting New Students to Private Universities

659

Figure 6: Percentage of Participating user across several platforms.

Figure 7 Information Acquisition Platforms used in this study

2022

4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Finding presents the critical analysis of the relevant

outcomes. Out of the sample size of 100 participants,

there were 60 male students (or 60% of the total),

compared to 40 female students (or 40% of the total).

While it was noticed that 35 (or 35%) of the

participating subjects came from the management

study program, there were 35 (or 35%) from the

engineering study program, 7 (7%) from Law study

program, 5 (or 5%) from Design study program, 18

(or 18%) from Film and Media study program, 6 (or

6%) from Hotel Management study program, and 9

(or 9%) from Liberal arts study program. 99.2% of

the participating respondents confirmed that they

have used social media for both personal and

professional interactions. As a result, digital

marketing should be significant in complementing

traditional marketing in the Revolutionary 4.0 digital

age. Furthermore, promotion through digital events

must always be carried out.

WhatsApp was the most used social media

platform by the participating students, with 98.3% of

all the respondents, followed by Instagram with 97.5%,

Facebook with 64.7% and online media, including the

Web and online advertising, also receive a value of

41.8%.

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Figure 8: Marketing Implementation in this study 2022.

This number could be used to establish the plan and

objective of Digital Marketing strategies by the private

universities. It can also be used as a basic aid for

planning the advertising campaign when it comes to

traditional marketing. Figures 7 and 8 provide

additional details on the visual data.

According to the findings mentioned in figure 9,

the 100 participating student respondents found that

the form of marketing implemented by the institution

was appropriate considering the future forecast of

marketing implementation plan. The results of the

study have showed that 23% of the students learned

about the institution from their family members and

relatives, 41% from their own social media accounts,

and 19% became aware about the institution from their

friend circle.

This study also suggests that the roles of traditional

and digital marketing may coexist if balanced properly,

as the remaining 17% of students have acquired

information because of the traditional marketing

activities that are performed by the university. As there

are more than 820 million active internet users in India,

besides targeting only the potential students in the

marketing campaign, the parents and friends circle can

also be targeting through social media to enhance the

outcome of the Digital Marketing. As the volume of

information about an individual, product, or

organization that is broadcasted to the community

through the channels free of cost, or even without

control from the sponsor.

The Ajeenkya DY Patil University staff members

and existing students participated in the Word-of-

Mouth publicity, by spreading good word about the

campus to those in their immediate social circles, such

as family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. It was

anticipated that participants in this exercise would be

able to share the information they had learned with

others. Peer groups can be among the most successful

types of marketing they can prove to be one of the

influencing aspect that has a significant impact on

decision-making when considering the age of the

customer.

Additionally, the research also found out that

university accreditation plays a vital role in attracting

new students. The results showed that 54% of the

participating student’s decision was majorly dependent

on the campus accreditation, whereas 16% students’

decision was dependent on the affordability in the

tuition fees and availability of the scholarship options,

where as 11% decision was positively influenced

because of the placement opportunities that were given

to the previous or current students of the institutions.

Campus accreditation was taken into consideration as

the primary support in the information delivery for

conventional and digital marketing counsel in the

future marketing plan. In the prospective marketing

plan, campus accreditation was the major support in

the sharing of information for traditional and digital

marketing counsel. One of the vital tasks of promoting

an educational institution is to develop a corporate

image. The communication duty is carried out by all

aspects of the institution (employees and leaders), who

all contribute to the construction of this image, whether

acknowledged or not. Furthermore, a positive opinion

was a significant step toward the institution's reputation

in the eyes of the consumers. The results of the above

finding are mentioned in figure 9.

Figure 9: Influencing factors in Decision Aspects.

Irawan (2003)8, Modern Marketing Management,

stated that one of the several variables that affects as to

how well the promotion variables are determined, is

the budget of the organization considered while

promoting themselves traditionally or digitally. The

budget or promotional money is one of the impacting

factors; if the business or institution had a sizable

promotional fund, there would be considerable chance

to use national level advertising and get more results

along the way.

An Empirical Study on the Relation Between the Promotional Strategies of Social Media Platforms and the Decision-Making Process of

Admitting New Students to Private Universities

661

5 CONCLUSION

The researchers’ team conducted this study, which

included 100 respondents, which were the newly

admitted students of the participating institutions.

Users of WhatsApp made up 98.30% of all responses,

followed by users of Instagram (97.50%) and

Facebook (64.7%). In addition, 41% of respondents

said they became aware about the university, which

influenced their admission decision, was from their

own social media accounts (WA, IG, FB, etc.).

Moreover, the second highest source of information,

with 23% was family members or relatives, and 19%

from the friend’s circle. Campus accreditation played a

vital role in decision aspect with 54%, 16% due to cost

effectiveness or various scholarships options available

at the institution, 11% from the placements given to the

previous students of the institution. It was discovered

that digital marketing approaches had an influence on

promotional processes in this chaotic era of marketing

promotional activities on the enrollment of new

students at the universities.

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