Title: Strategic implication in social media marketing based on social factors associated with the private university's admission in Thailand

Authors: Poom Tantiponganant; Prin Laksitamas

Addresses: Doctor of Business Administration Program, 38 Petkasem Road, Phasicharoen, Bangkok 10160, Thailand ' Doctor of Business Administration Program, 38 Petkasem Road, Phasicharoen, Bangkok 10160, Thailand

Abstract: In this study, we conducted a follow-up study to further investigate the concept of social media use by institutions of higher education in Thailand. The research investigated what kinds of social media are currently used by the target market of the institutions in higher education, and how different groups of students or prospective students behave on such platforms. In other words, the rationale behind the study was to analyse those factors that affect students' intention in order to use social media at a private university in Thailand. Analyses were carried out to find how to implement social media through a social media strategy. According to the model assumptions and results, the findings showed that 'presenting the cooperation with other well-known companies or universities', 'presenting good image for the university through social media' and 'presenting the prestige of the university through social media' can effectively be used to promote the university through social media channels.

Keywords: social media marketing; communication; brand loyalty; promotion; cooperation; partnership; internationality; theory of planned behaviour; TPB; technology acceptance model; TAM; unified theory of acceptance; use of technology; UTAUT; Thailand; social factors; private universities; university admission; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2016.075034

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2016 Vol.4 No.1, pp.63 - 91

Accepted: 19 Jun 2015
Published online: 01 Mar 2016 *

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