Influence of Social Media Marketing on College Students' Enrollment Intentions in One Vocational College

This study examined the influence of social media marketing on college students’ enrollment intentions in one vocational college in China. Specifically, it assessed social media marketing in terms of content, strategy, advertising, and sales promotion, and examined enrollment intention in terms of program quality, career opportunities, and program image. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed. Data were gathered from 377 full-time vocational college students selected through proportionate stratified sampling from a total student population of 19,179. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used as the main data-gathering instrument. Reliability testing showed good to excellent internal consistency across the measured variables, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.801 to 0.958. Data were analyzed using weighted mean, Spearman’s rho correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Findings showed that students generally agreed that the college’s social media marketing practices were influential, with sales promotion receiving the highest assessment, followed by strategy and advertising, while content remained positively rated. Enrollment intention was also positively assessed, with program quality emerging as the strongest dimension, followed by career opportunities and program image. Correlation results revealed strong, positive, and statistically significant relationships between all social media marketing dimensions and enrollment intention dimensions. Regression analysis further indicated that content, advertising, and sales promotion significantly influenced students’ enrollment intentions, while strategy did not independently predict enrollment intention when the other variables were controlled. The study concludes that social media marketing contributes meaningfully to enrollment decision-making, particularly when communication is content-rich, persuasive, promotional, and aligned with students’ academic and career expectations. The findings support the development of a more targeted, evidence-based, and student-centered social media marketing plan for vocational colleges.