Digital Recruitment: How Pakistani Universities Use Social Media Platforms to Attract Prospective Students

Abstract

Social media proved to be an effective tool for marketing enrollment as well as retention for numerous institutions. This research analyzes Pakistani universities’ social media marketing strategies aimed at student enrollment differentiating strategies employed by public and private universities. This research adopts a mixed-methods approach where students’ responses to a newly designed quantitative survey and public university postings on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter between 2023 and 2024 for admission cycles were analyzed. Results also highlight the competition among private universities where more advanced digital marketing techniques were identified. More sophisticated marketing techniques included geo-targeted ads, video testimonials, and more focused engagement-driven posts compared to public universities that simply post admission and information updates. The overwhelming results also indicate a more balanced approach toward strategic social media marketing with Facebook still in the lead, followed by Instagram and Twitter, the latter two having no strategic value for social media marketing. These results suggest a more systematic approach to digital public university enrollment marketing in Pakistan is needed in addition to achieving digital enrollment marketing aligned with best practices and tailored to Pakistan’s higher education priorities.