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Article Type

Professional Proficiency

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

Higher education institutions are at a critical point with college recruitment, whereby social media marketing recruitment strategies are vital. Today’s prospective traditional college student utilizes social media for both information and engagement. Understanding the relationship between social media influence and the college selection process can direct enrollment management’s social media efforts. The purpose of this study is to determine the role, if any, social media marketing plays in the college selection process by traditional first-year college students. Data from a survey distributed to first-year college students at a private liberal arts university were used. Descriptive and inferential chi-square testing were used in this quantitative study to examine whether the frequency of posts by the higher education institution and response to online inquiries played a role in the college selection process. It also examined whether social media marketing is influential at the initial interest stage of the consumer decision framework. The findings of this study suggest that targeted social media marketing strategies can be influential from a practical and theoretical framework for strategic enrollment management to consider for recruitment.

Author(s)

Joy de los Reyes, D.B.A., is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Felician University in
Rutherford, New Jersey. She has a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, an M.B.A. from NYU Stern School of
Business, and a D.B.A. from Felician University. Dr. de los Reyes spent the earlier part of her career in the
corporate sector, having worked in both sales and marketing for Johnson & Johnson. She always had a passion for
business education and mentoring, so she pivoted to a career in higher education over fourteen years ago.

Her research is primarily centered in social media marketing and marketing strategy. Since her previous life was in
sales, she has a particularly keen interest in the college recruitment process. Dr. de los Reyes is an educator, who
puts student engagement at the forefront of not only her teaching, but also her advisement and research. Thus, she
has additional publications and presentations centered around engagement and marketing simulations in business
education.

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