The Significance of Social Media for Educational Institutes: A Report

This research report delves into the crucial role of social media for educational institutes. It begins with an introduction highlighting the changing communication landscape and the significance of online presence for reaching target audiences. The report then explores the research background, examining how social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are utilized by students and educational institutions. The research objectives include identifying the role of social media, analyzing social media practices, and investigating its influence on educational institutes. The literature review synthesizes existing research on the connection between education and technology, the increasing number of students in higher education, and the importance of social media for student engagement and marketing. The methodology outlines a mixed-methods approach, using both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather data from students, faculties and administrative members. The expected results will reveal the importance of social media in educational institutes, providing insights for faculties and administrative members to improve educational processes. The report concludes with a comprehensive list of references.

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Digital Marketing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Content
1.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
1.1 Research Background.......................................................................................................2
1.3 Research Area of interest.................................................................................................3
1.4 Research Objectives.........................................................................................................3
1.5 Research Questions..........................................................................................................3
2.0 Literature Review.............................................................................................................3
3.0 Methodology........................................................................................................................5
4.0 Expected Result....................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Topic- Importance of Social Media presence for an Educational Institute
1.0 Introduction
This research report conducts a detailed analysis importance of social media presence
and its role for the educational institutes. Decidedly, social media plays a vast and crucial role
in all fields due to its extending reach, time and cost effectiveness. Moreover, social media is
a large platform where millions of users are active in the platform on a regular basis,
consequently, it is easy for the marketers to focus on their target market. However, it is
highly important to know how social media influences the educational institutes or
significance social media holds for educational institutes. Thus, purpose of the report is to
identify the role of social media in educational institutes.
1.1 Research Background
It has been identified that over the past decade, method of communication has
changed in a dramatic manner with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many more of such
platforms. Chauhan and Pillai (2013) mentioned that social media platform are designed for
the purpose of communal connections and these platforms are used by students to connect
among themselves. Educational institutes persistently communicate through the websites,
social media presence as well as are sharing relevant information. Al-Mukhaini et al. (2014)
mentioned the fact that having an online presence could help to strengthen connectivity
without any constraints on the proximity. On the other side, Constantinides and Stagno
(2012) performed a study and mentioned that almost 65% of population go online to find the
education content and the institutes with the online presence have an advantage of being more
visible. This means having an online presence often contribute towards a positive towards the
institute. Moreover, social media is highly significant for educational institutes, having a

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widespread presence online help institute reach out potentially (Clark, Fine and Scheuer
2017).
1.3 Research Area of interest
It has been identified that in the present decade, several educational institutes across
the globe have adapted to the online platform. This means by observing the mass exposure of
social media educational institutes have shifted their focus to social media to facilitate the
educational processes. However, it is not yet learnt how social media is actually influencing
the educational institutes and this would be considered as the area of research.
1.4 Research Objectives
 To identify the role of social media in educational institutes
 To critically analyse the social media practices that educational institutes have
adopted
 To investigate the influence of social media on educational institutes
1.5 Research Questions
 What is the role of social media in educational institute?
 How does social media influence the educational institute?
2.0 Literature Review
According to Hansen (2011) connection of education and technology certainly generates
significant opportunity along with large set of digital skills. It is learnt that educators and
administrators together should utilize social media marketing to enhance their programmes
and facilitate the enrolment technique with the help of social media platforms and digital
skills. On the other side, Holotescu and Grosseck (2013) the number of students enrolled in
higher education is supposed to reach 262 million by 2025. It is noted faculties in the higher
education start to understand that they are needed to take the lead in the crowd in both

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manner online and offline. This fact indicates that in order to recruit students, it is necessary
use some creative social media strategies implemented for years to keep prospects engaged
with social media organizations. Hence, Brech et al. (2017) carried out social media and
stated that crucial role of social media is undeniable in students’ life. In addition, it is always
easier and convenient to access the data and provide information and communicate via the
platform of social media. This fact indicates that faculties as well as students are in the
constant communication as well as it could make effective use of social media field for their
education.
Alexa, Alexa and Stoica (2012) stated that social media plays a helps professors to
remain fully connected to their students as well as the ex-students. Moreover, the faculties in
the universities, could use social media as the most effective way of formulating groups and
accounting for the learners where the data can be used and accessed. For instance, faculties in
the University could share the ideas with each other and point students to Linkedln and
Facebook. This means that professors could generate high tag which enable students to tag
their academic posts and check submission to observe the kind of productivity achieved.
Zailskaitė-Jakštė and Kuvykaitė (2012) stated the fact that major factor professor adopting
social media in teaching room is that they are able to do their marketing through the social
media platform. In addition to this, with the help of social media, professors and faculties
could generate a name for the educational foundation in the community. For example, pages,
twitter, different blog sites and YouTube channels are available where the professors often
address excel work in the course. Al-Mukhaini, Al-Qayoudhi and Al-Badi (2014) carried out
a study and added the fact that almost 64.3% of faculties are active in social media for their
personal lives, while only 33.8% of the faculties use it for teaching. Moreover, almost 41% of
the people under the age 35 compared to 30% for over 55 reported the use of social media in
their teaching.

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.
On the other side, Constantinides and Stagno (2012) mentioned that Social media for
community building is probably the missing piece of the puzzle for the Admission
departments, enrolment management department, public relation as well as Student Service
department that are trying to engage their audience with the use of social media. It has been
learnt that every college or the University of Southern California have effectively integrated
social media for the betterment of their students as well as the faculties. In addition, the
college in India often is more of a conventional way of marketing to fill in their seats. Clark,
Fine and Scheuer (2017) mentioned that several institutes and college in the nation have the
appearance on social media but without relying on any sort of strategy. With a significant
increase in the number of college, students must have several options and the most effective
choice for them to do the stud is the internet. Thus, it can be stated that this fact is extremely
necessary for the educational institutes to have their presence on internet.
3.0 Methodology
In order to identify and learn the importance of social media in the educational
institutes, a primary research would be performed among faculties and students of the
University. A primary analysis would help to gain real-world facts about how social media
platforms like Facebook and Twitter are actually creating their presence in the educational
institutes. As put forward by Kothari (2004) primary data collection is divided into two
different ways such as qualitative data collection and secondary data collection method. In
the proposed study, both quantitative and qualitative data collection method would be used.
Quantitative data holds the numerical forms such as digits, numbers and calculation, while
qualitative data is more of sound, emotions, behaviour, etc.

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In the proposed study, to collect the quantitative data, a survey will be performed
among the students of the university. Likewise, to collect the qualitative data, interview will
be carried out among faculties, administrative members of the universities. However, the
respondents for data collection method will be on the basis of the sampling method. A non-
probability sampling method will be used to engage members into the data collection process.
Non-probability sampling method will be used because this method only involves the
members that have knowledge about the context of the study. This means that students and
the faculties that are active in the social media can be engaged into the data collection
process. Moreover, non-probability sampling method helps to choose members in a non-
random order.
Target population: Target population often represents a particular segment within
the greater population that are effectively positioned to serve as the most primary data source
for the study (Peffers et al. 2007). For example, for the research title importance of social
media in the educational institutes in India, here target population could consist of the
individuals residing in India. So, sampling size for involving members into the data
collection process would be 50 members for survey and 5 members for the interview.
4.0 Expected Result
Outcome of the study would help to learn the core significance of social media in
educational Institutes. There is no doubt that social media has a strong presence in every sort
of business but it is not yet know how the educational institutes are leveraging social media.
So, the outcome of this study would actually reveal the importance of social media in
educational institutes. Faculties and administrative members of educational institutes would
learn the importance of social media to speed up educational process. Moreover, result of the
study can be used as the secondary evidences for the future study in the chosen field.

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References
Alexa, E.L., Alexa, M. and Stoica, C.M., 2012. The use of online marketing and social media
in higher education institutions in Romania. Journal of Marketing Research & Case
Studies, 2012, p.1.
Al-Mukhaini, E.M., Al-Qayoudhi, W.S. and Al-Badi, A.H., 2014. Adoption of social
networking in education: A study of the use of social networks by higher education students
in Oman. Journal of International Education Research, 10(2), p.143.
Brech, F.M., Messer, U., Vander Schee, B.A., Rauschnabel, P.A. and Ivens, B.S., 2017.
Engaging fans and the community in social media: Interaction with institutions of higher
education on Facebook. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 27(1), pp.112-130.
Chauhan, K. and Pillai, A., 2013. Role of content strategy in social media brand
communities: a case of higher education institutes in India. Journal of Product & Brand
Management, 22(1), pp.40-51.
Clark, M., Fine, M.B. and Scheuer, C.L., 2017. Relationship quality in higher education
marketing: the role of social media engagement. Journal of Marketing for Higher
Education, 27(1), pp.40-58.
Constantinides, E. and Stagno, M.C.Z., 2012. Higher education marketing: A study on the
impact of social media on study selection and university choice. International Journal of
Technology and Educational Marketing (IJTEM), 2(1), pp.41-58.
Hansen, D.L., 2011. Exploring social media relationships. On the horizon, 19(1), pp.43-51.
Holotescu, C. and Grosseck, G., 2013. An empirical analysis of the educational effects of
social media in universities and colleges. Internet Learning, 2(1), p.5.

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Kothari, C.R., 2004. Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age
International.
Peffers, K., Tuunanen, T., Rothenberger, M.A. and Chatterjee, S., 2007. A design science
research methodology for information systems research. Journal of management information
systems, 24(3), pp.45-77.
Zailskaitė-Jakštė, L. and Kuvykaitė, R., 2012. Implementation of communication in social
media by promoting studies at higher education institutions. Inžinerinė ekonomika, pp.174-
188.