Evaluating the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Online Course Registration

Abstract

This article validated one possible method, found in the luxury fashion industry, for evaluating the effectiveness of Facebook marketing activities on increasing enrollments in continuing higher education online courses. A survey assessing the qualities of social media marketing, value equity, relationship equity, brand equity, and purchase intention was developed. The survey data were analyzed using a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model validating the luxury fashion industry method for use in online education marketing. The results showed that when Facebook marketing was highly entertaining, very interactive, and widely shared by followers, the program’s perceived value, institution’s reputation, and closeness of the relationship between the institution and student were significantly improved as well as increasing enrollment purchase intention. The results also showed that when Facebook marketing was not entertaining, nor interactive, and was not widely shared, there were significant decreases in perceived value, reputation, relationship closeness, and purchase intention.

Keywords:

• continuing education
• enrollment
• Facebook
• marketing
• online education
• social media

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan S. Spackman

Jonathan S. Spackman, PhD, is Assistant to the Dean of Continuing Education

Ross Larsen

Ross Larsen, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.