Abstract
Social media can be referred to as a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content as well as interactive discussion. This article examines marketing in tertiary institutions in Africa using social media, but focuses on Facebook. Exploring the importance of social media marketing as a channel of communication to maximize an institution's appeal to its target audience, this paper seeks to present its importance in tackling competitive challenges and ensure the alignment of goals and resources. Most African higher educational institutions (HEIs) have adopted Facebook as the key instrument in social media marketing, with the intent of projecting a superior brand for the purpose of interacting with alumni, current students, attracting prospective applicants and ultimately increasing enrolment numbers. AI, Automation & AR, retargeting, automation tools and virtual tours are just some of the new and emerging tools and applications that are explored on Facebook by HEIs as a means of building new relationships and fostering existing ones. This study analysed data from 10 higher institutions in 10 countries drawn from all 5 geographical regions across Africa; South Africa, West Africa, East Africa, North Africa and Central Africa. Findings reveal that just like the majority of the African social media population, African universities engage predominantly on Facebook with all 10 universities running an active Facebook handle, showing a 100% adoption rate.
Highlights
Higher education refers to tertiary level that empowers learners with skills and the recognition of having attained a level of expertise
The findings of this study are consistent with findings on the use of social media by Polish higher education institutions which found 50% of the respondents indicating that Facebook is the most important social media communication channel, compared to other channels such as LinkedIn, Youtube, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter (Mazurek, Korzynski, & Gorska, 2019)
This study examined the popularity of Facebook as a marketing tool for higher educational institutions (HEIs) and the relationship between Facebook marketing by HEIs and enrolment rate
Summary
Higher education refers to tertiary level that empowers learners with skills and the recognition of having attained a level of expertise. The African Development Bank estimates that there are 14 million students in higher education in Africa, representing about 6.4% of global tertiary education enrolments. Across Africa, only about 7% of the population that fall within the higher education age bracket are enrolled, necessitating the adoption of branding and marketing strategies as a means of increasing enrolment numbers in institutions across Africa. While the growth is deemed to be explosive, participation rates are still markedly low compared with the global average necessitating the focus on branding and social media marketing as a means of boosting enrolment numbers across African higher institutions (Kigotho, 2018). Marketing involves getting potential clients or customers interested in your products and services. Other ways include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), logos, symbols, mottos, sponsorships, websites, blogs, social media and promoting a healthy brand image
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