UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS’ HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENT INTENTIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: EVIDENCE FROM MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA

The growing importance of social media has transformed the student recruitment environment in higher education. Prospective students increasingly use digital platforms to search for information, compare institutions, evaluate student experiences, interact with universities, and develop perceptions of institutional credibility. This study proposes an empirical framework for evaluating the effectiveness of social media marketing in shaping students' higher education enrolment intentions in Madhya Pradesh. By examining information quality, content attractiveness, institutional credibility, interactivity, electronic word-of-mouth, perceived usefulness, student engagement, and institutional trust, the study moves beyond the simple measurement of social media presence. The proposed research can provide valuable evidence regarding how digital communication contributes to student recruitment. For higher education institutions, the ultimate objective should not simply be increasing followers or social media visibility but converting meaningful digital engagement into informed enquiries, applications, and enrolment decisions.

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