The influence of social media marketing activities on brand awareness and its sub-factors in Zimbabwean polytechnics

Background: Increased competition in the higher education sector has intensified pressure on institutions, particularly in attracting student enrolments, funding and academic talent. As the number of institutions grows, marketers are seeking more effective ways to reach their audience. Institutions are therefore increasingly making use of social media marketing to gain a competitive advantage over other entities. As polytechnics compete for the same student enrolments, these institutions need to utilise social media marketing to build brand awareness effectively and gain a competitive advantage against rival institutions. Aim: No research has examined the use of social media marketing for brand awareness, specifically focusing on its sub-factors in Zimbabwean polytechnics. The research aimed to determine the influence of social media marketing activities on brand awareness, focusing on its sub-factors in Zimbabwean polytechnics. Setting: The study was conducted among Zimbabwean polytechnic students. Method: A quantitative survey was used to administer an online questionnaire through convenience sampling, and 492 valid questionnaires were collected. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and examined in IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: Results revealed statistically significant relationships between social media marketing activities and brand awareness, top-of-mind awareness, brand recall, and brand recognition. Conclusion: Social media marketing activities factors, and their sub-factors significantly predict brand awareness in the context of Zimbabwean polytechnics. This demonstrates the need for students to be exposed to social media marketing to create brand awareness. Contribution: A model was proposed to enhance brand awareness by polytechnic marketers through social media marketing for competitive advantage purposes.