Artificial Intelligence for University Promotion in Social Media

Higher education marketing strategies are evolving to keep pace with the global digitalization and AI-driven marketing. The intense competition on the higher education market is fueled by shifting demographics, new learning formats, and changing media consumption patterns. In this context, universities are compelled to adapt their communication practices to the digital environment as social media may serve as a primary channel for student recruitment and institutional image-branding. Social networks are a strategic marketing tool that facilitates audience engagement, fosters loyalty, and shapes a university’s reputation. The article describes the use of generative artificial intelligence models in SMM promotion of universities as part of a broader digital marketing strategy. The authors explored the concept of academic product in the context of digital transformation. The comparative content analysis involved the human-designed vs. AI-generated SMM strategies implemented at the Digital Education Centre of Kemerovo State University. These two approaches differed in effectiveness: human-generated content demonstrated substantially higher engagement, audience response, and virality while AI-generated content ensured consistency, automation, and expanded capabilities for analyzing user behavior patterns. Emotional expressiveness, authenticity, and domain-specific expertise inherent in human-created content remain decisive factors in successful SMM. The optimal model is a synergy between human and AI approaches: AI algorithms handle analytical and technical tasks while humans define strategy, develop creative content, and manage the semantic positioning of the university brand.