Social Media Engagement: An Analysis of the Impact of Social Media Campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Abstract

Social media has revolutionized communication and changed how society accesses and receives information. As social media has become more prevalent, companies' advertising and marketing strategies worldwide have changed. In order to reach their target audience, organizations, including universities, have shifted their marketing plans to include social media. Research shows that social media campaigns enable universities to build positive relationships with potential undergraduate and graduate students. However, previous research on postgraduate social media use focuses on social media as a collective tool and does not analyze engagement by each platform. This study aimed to determine which social media platform, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook, would have the highest engagement, as measured by likes, comments, and shares. Welch’s NOVA indicated a statistically significant difference in the engagement between platforms. However, post hoc analysis only showed statistically significant differences between Facebook and Instagram. These findings suggest that while Facebook may yield higher engagement than Instagram and LinkedIn, universities should consider all platforms when utilizing social media as a recruitment tool in higher education.

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Social Media Engagement: An Analysis of
the Impact of Social Media Campaigns on
Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Nicole Mishnick
Tarleton State University, USA
Dana Wise
Tarleton State University, USA
To cite this article:
Mishnick, N. & Wise, D. (2024). Social media engagement: An analysis of the impact of
social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. International Journal of
Technology in Education (IJTE), 7(3), 535-549. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.699
The International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE) is a peer-reviewed scholarly online journal.
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International Journal of Technology in Education
2024, Vol. 7, No. 3, 535-549
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.699
535
Social Media Engagement: An Analysis of the Impact of Social Media
Campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Nicole Mishnick, Dana Wise
Article Info
Abstract
Article History
Received:
21 November 2023
Accepted:
11 May 2024
Social media has revolutionized communication and changed how society
accesses and receives information. As social media has become more prevalent,
companies' advertising and marketing strategies worldwide have changed. In
order to reach their target audience, organizations, including universities, have
shifted their marketing plans to include social media. Research shows that social
media campaigns enable universities to build positive relationships with potential
undergraduate and graduate students. However, previous research on postgraduate
social media use focuses on social media as a collective tool and does not analyze
engagement by each platform. This study aimed to determine which social media
platform, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook, would have the highest engagement,
as measured by likes, comments, and shares. Welch’s NOVA indicated a
statistically significant difference in the engagement between platforms. However,
post hoc analysis only showed statistically significant differences between
Facebook and Instagram. These findings suggest that while Facebook may yield
higher engagement than Instagram and LinkedIn, universities should consider all
platforms when utilizing social media as a recruitment tool in higher education.
Keywords
Social media engagement
Social media campaign
Higher education
recruitment
Introduction
Social media has revolutionized communication and changed how society accesses and receives information
(Nyangua & Bado, 2012). This shift in communication has not only impacted personal communication and
connections but has also changed the way organizations engage with stakeholders. Platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn allow organizations to reach larger audiences, disseminate
information to their target audience, and gain feedback via social media interactions (Galan et al., 2015).
Companies' advertising and marketing strategies worldwide have shifted in response to increased social media
use. Many organizations have integrated social media platforms into their marketing campaigns to reach their
target audience (Arora & Sanni, 2019). Simultaneously, higher education institutions have faced an increasingly
competitive market, leading to a reevaluation of their recruitment strategies (Whisman, 2011). In response, many
universities have adopted innovative targeted marking strategies utilizing social media as one of their main tools.
Therefore, an increasing number of universities list social media campaigns as a central part of their recruitment
plan (Lund & Wang, 2021).

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As the use of social media in higher education has increased, research has shown that universities can build
relationships online with current and potential undergraduate students (Lund & Wang, 2021). Galan et al. (2015)
found that postgraduate students turned to social media to learn about student life, job opportunities, and potential
fields of study. Similarly, Shields and Peruta (2019) reported that prospective students visit their chosen college's
social media pages to solidify their choices. Previous scholars have established the importance of universities
creating and maintaining social media pages as a recruitment tool. However, previous research on postgraduate
social media use focuses on social media as a collective tool and does not analyze engagement by each platform.
This study aims to bridge the gap in existing research by examining specific engagement across three separate
platforms: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. This study focuses on determining which platform has the most
significant engagement and potential impact on recruiting Department of Educational Leadership and Technology
students. User engagement will be measured by any interaction on social media, including likes, comments, and
shares. Researchers will utilize the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1985) to interpret and
understand the results. This study's findings contribute theoretically to understanding how universities utilize
social media as a recruitment tool in higher education. The anticipated findings will offer insight into which
platforms exhibit the highest engagement levels, thereby assisting educational institutions in refining their
recruitment strategies to include social media.
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework for this study comes from Davis’s (1985) work regarding the Technology Acceptance
Model (TAM). The TAM can be used to understand user behavior on social media platforms. According to the
TAM, individuals are more likely to engage with technology when they perceive it as easy to use and believe it
offers value to them (Davis, 1985). In the context of social media recruitment, users may engage more with a
platform that is easy to use and has something of use to offer the user. Utilizing TAM may help understand why
one social media platform resulted in more engagement than others. For this study, any interaction with a social
media post will be considered engagement.
Related Literature
The Rise of Social Media
Social media, as defined by Kaplan and Haelein (2010), is “a group of Internet-based applications that build on
the ideological and technological foundation of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of User
Generated Content” (p. 61). Some scholars consider Email, which first appeared in 1971, as the earliest form of
social media (Sajithra & Patil, 2013). Others argue that email is not social media as it functions solely as a
distribution platform. However, researchers agree that the creation of Classmates.com in 1995 marked the
beginning of social media as we know it today (Sajithra & Patil, 2013). In 2003, MySpace became the first social
network to reach a global audience. However, the creation of Facebook in 2004 is one of the most significant
social media moments in history. Facebook changed the social media landscape, quickly becoming one of the
world's most significant social media platforms (Facebook Launches, 2019). Currently, a variety of popular social

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media platforms exist, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Snap.
The Current State of Social Media
According to Bresnick (2021), Facebook and Instagram are currently the most popular social media sites and are
important channels for reaching parents and Gen Z students. Similarly, Barnhart (2023) reported that Facebook
has over 2.97 Billion users, making it the most popular platform in the world. As more Americans have embraced
social media, social media users have become increasingly typical of the general public. As shown in Figure 1,
older individuals have been using social media more recently, and young adults were among the first to utilize
these platforms and still use them extensively (Pew Research Center, 2023). A complete listing of social media
demographics, according to Barnhart (2023), is found in Table 1.
Table 1. Social Media Demographics
Comparison
Users
Primary Age Group
Time per Visit
Facebook
2.97 Billion
25-34
30 minutes
Instagram
2 Billion
18-24
30.1 minutes
LinkedIn
930 Million
30-39
7 minutes
Figure 1. Use of Social Media by Age
Social media is one of the most powerful forces in the world today, with over 4.89 billion users. As its popularity
and use continue to increase, it is becoming an essential tool for organizations and consumers. Furthermore, the
influence of social media is not decreasing, with a prediction of 5.85 billion users by 2027 (Zeller, 2023).

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The future of social media marketing is video content. Research indicates that 86% of marketing experts favor
utilizing video as a promotional medium. As a result, social media sites like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok,
which are primarily video content, will continue to grow over the next five years. Figure 2 shows the expected
social media use by social media platforms through 2025.
Figure 2. Use of Social Media Through 2025
Social Media as a Marketing Tool
Antwin and Oppong (2021) define social media marketing as the process of using social media technology and
platforms to create, communicate, and deliver marketing products that increase the value of the company's
stakeholders. Social media marketing enables businesses to leverage social media platforms to generate traffic to
their official websites.
Social media allows organizations to reach larger audiences, push information out to their target audience, and
gain feedback via social media interactions (Galan et al., 2015). As social media has become more popular, many
organizations, including colleges and universities, have adopted social media as a marketing tool (Motta &
Barbosa, 2018). People contact each other for help, advice, information, resources, and connections. Those who
supply this type of information emerge as thought leaders and subject matter experts. Their viewpoints influence

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decisions. Marketing leaders want people linked with their brand to lead those conversations (for example, team
members and employee and customer advocates). The mission is to recruit brand ambassadors to help establish
and manage these social media groups (Ku, 2023).
As the digital landscape makes online learning more appealing to many college-age students, higher education
institutions are under increasing pressure to increase student recruitment efforts. Social media and online learning
are great ways to reach more people and can significantly impact students debating between multiple colleges. By
focusing on social media stories, educators can publish relatable and easily accessible content that appeals to
prospective students (Digital Marketing Institute, 2023). Constantinides et al. (2012) suggested that recruiting
staff in higher education may find it advantageous to closely monitor the behavior of the student market in terms
of their social media use and how social media functions as an information source in their selection of a higher
education institution and a program of study. Finally, from a recruiting aspect, it may be profitable to divide future
student markets based on other characteristics such as lifestyle, behavior, and perceived benefits and contribute
to developing new higher education institution marketing models.
As mentioned above, the future of social media marketing is video content. As video dominate social media
continues to grow, companies that want to be competitive and marketable should produce excellent video content
(Reach First, 2023). Creating video content for recruiting will be necessary in reaching the target audience.
Social Media Use in Higher Education
Initially, higher education institutions relied on limited marketing techniques, namely human contact and standard
media messaging in the press, television, and radio. However, the rapid development of communication and
information technology and the widespread adoption of the internet have aided in the introduction and use of
social media (Pietrzak & Grębowiec, 2023). Previous research has shown that current and prospective students
turn to social media to learn about and connect with universities (Xiong et al., 2018). Furthermore, according to
Benedict et al. (2016), college students rely on social media to stay current with events and information.
They suggest that higher education institutions maintain a presence on social media and create campaigns
specifically targeting prospective students. Graduate programs, in particular, can benefit significantly from well-
planned and executed social media marketing strategies, and “educators at all levels have embraced the use of
technology both in and out of the classroom, and some have discovered that social media can be a valuable tool
for recruiting students and driving enrollment for their programs and institutions” (Comevo, 2021, np.). Previous
research suggests that social media can be a powerful recruitment tool. However, further studies are necessary to
determine which specific social media platform will increase engagement.
Research Questions
Research question for this study included:
Is there a statistically significant difference in engagement, as measured by likes, shares, and

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comments, on a social media campaign focused on recruitment for the Educational Leadership and
Technology program when posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram?
Method
Participants
Participants for this study included any individual who interacted with the social media campaign by liking,
commenting, or sharing a post on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. There was no inclusion or exclusion of
participants. Any individual who interacted with the social media campaign was considered a participant, and
participants did not have to undergo a selection process.
Research Design
This study followed a between-subjects experimental design, with the social media platform as the independent
variable and engagement, as measured by likes, shares, and comments, as the dependent variable. The study
utilized Hootsuite to capture and measure engagement throughout the campaign. Engagement was considered any
interaction with a post as a like, comment, or share.
The Campaign
The social media campaign utilized for this study focused on recruitment for the Department of Educational
Leadership and Technology at a midsize university in Texas. The seven principles of successful social media
campaigns, as defined by the Digital Marketing Institute (2018), were utilized to design the campaign. The
principles and details of the campaign are:
1. Goals and Objectives: The campaign/s goal was to raise awareness and increase interest in programs
offered by the department.
2. Language: To reach the target audience of educators and professionals with bachelor's degrees,
professional and academic language was used throughout the campaign.
3. Channels: The campaign ran on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
4. Timing: Posts were made three times per week during the day. Initially, posts were made on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday. However, that was changed halfway through the campaign. At the start of the
campaign, engagement was minimal, less than five engagements per post. Therefore, the authors changed
the days and timing of the post. Statusbrew (2023) states that posting during peak hours can increase
engagement. However, each platform’s peak posting window is different. In order to maintain
consistency within the study, posting times remained consistent across platforms.
5. Visual and Action Oriented: The department logo was used throughout the campaign, as well as images
and icons related to the university and associated with advanced degrees.
6. Social Responsibility: The campaign included posts about an advanced degree's impact on education and
the teaching profession.
7. Experience-Based: The campaign included very factual posts and posts that aimed at an emotional

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response. Additionally, some posts had a call to action or surveys.
The campaign ran on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for eight weeks in July and August 2023. The campaign
utilized social media platforms that the university previously approved and supported. To maintain uniformity
across platforms and reduce the probability of post content influencing engagement, posts across platforms were
identical. The campaign ended at the conclusion of the eight weeks, but the department continued posting on
social media. However, the ongoing posts were less frequent, and engagement was not measured as they were
outside this study.
Data Collection
Before the campaign launch, the authors submitted an IRB. IRB found the study exempt. Since posting on social
media is a routine process for the university, and the risks were deemed minimal, consent was not required. Ad
Edge Digital Marketing (2020) suggests running a social media campaign for 45-60 days. Therefore, the
Educational Leadership and Technology Recruitment campaign ran for eight weeks. Hootsuite was used to
monitor post-engagement for each platform. Any engagement with a post, including a like, comment, or share,
was considered engagement. Engagement was measured per post and was reported by engagement type (like,
comment, share).
Data Analysis
According to Aroroa and Sanni (2019), social-media-based research studies are generally quantitative. Previous
studies have used descriptive and quantitative statistics to determine individuals' interactions and responses to
social media posts (Dodoo & Padovano, 2020). Therefore, for this study, quantitative data was analyzed using a
two-stage process. First, the authors analyzed the descriptive statistics to determine the engagement level, as
measured by interactions (likes, shares, comments), for the social media campaign on each platform. Secondly,
they ran a one-way ANOVA to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the mean
engagement level by platform.
Levene’s Test of Homogeneity of Variance
Before running the one-way ANOVA, Levene’s test was run to determine if the assumption of equal variances
across social media platforms was met. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in variance across
social media platforms (Levene’s statistic = 4.746, p=.0013). Since Levene’s test indicated a significant difference
in variances across social media platforms, an alternative statistical test, Welch’s ANOVA, was run.
Results and Discussion
Descriptive Statistics
During July and August 2023, the authors launched a social media campaign on Facebook, LinkedIn, and

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Instagram. During the eight-week campaign, the authors posted an average of three posts per week for a total of
21 posts on Facebook, 19 on LinkedIn, and 18 on Instagram. Instagram and LinkedIn had fewer posts due to
access issues with the accounts.
When the campaign started, access to LinkedIn and Instagram was limited. By the time access was granted, the
authors had made the initial social media posts on Facebook. Descriptive statistics for each platform are listed in
Table 2, with a breakdown of engagement by platform displayed in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Comments, Likes, and Shares by Platform
Table 2. Total Engagement per Platform
Platform
Engagement
Mean
St. Dev.
Facebook
201
9.57
2.06
Instagram
49
3.06
.79
LinkedIn
131
6.89
1.43
Research Question
Welch's ANOVA was conducted to answer the research question, which explored the significant difference in
engagement, as measured by likes, shares, and comments, on a social media campaign focused on recruitment for
the Educational Leadership and Technology program when posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The
means of the three conditions were unequal according to Welch’s statistic, WelchF(2, 53) = 5.974, p = .006. A
pairwise comparison of the means using Tukey’s Honesty Significant Difference indicated only one significant
comparison.
Average engagement on Facebook ( M = 9.57 ) was found to be significantly ( p = .02) higher than engagement
on Instagram ( M = 3.06 ), with a 95% confidence interval of the difference of means from .87 to 12.15. The
difference in engagement between Facebook and LinkedIn and LinkedIn and Instagram. was not statistically
significant. A complete list of post hoc results is listed below in Table 3.

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Table 3. Platform Comparison
Comparison
Difference
Std. Error
Sig.
Facebook vs. LinkedIn
2.677
2.231
.459
Facebook vs. Instagram
6.509
2.338
.020
LinkedIn vs. Instagram
3.832
2.391
.253
Overview of the Campaign Success
The Department of Educational Leadership and Technology conducted an eight-week social media campaign to
increase engagement in programs offered at the university. The campaign ran on three social media platforms:
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Although the campaign was designed and run according to best practices,
overall engagement was lower than anticipated. Initially, engagement was minimal, with multiple posts receiving
zero likes, comments, or shares. However, as the campaign progressed, engagement slowly increased. This trend
aligns with Bresnick's (2021) recommendation to frequently post on social media during a campaign to increase
engagement. Engagement increased by the second week of the campaign, with the largest engagement occurring
during the campaign's final week. Additionally, throughout the campaign, five students requested additional
information about graduate programs offered at the university.
Although overall engagement was lower than anticipated, the campaign was considered successful. Engagement
increased over the eight weeks; students requested information about the university, and by the end of the
campaign, interactions were occurring on every platform. The authors recommend that the department continue
posting on all platforms to keep engagement levels high, grow the platform's following, and increase the overall
reach of the social media accounts.
Engagement Disparities across Platforms
Descriptive statistics revealed variances in engagement levels across all three platforms. Over two months,
Facebook had the highest engagement per post (9.57). LinkedIn was second, with 6.89 engagements per post,
followed by Instagram, with an average of 3.06 interactions per post. Based on total engagement, it appears the
Facebook campaign was the most successful. Facebook is the most widely used social media platform worldwide
(Barnhart, 2023), so the higher overall engagement on Facebook is not surprising.
Additionally, the college established a Facebook account before the campaign started. In the months leading up
to the targeted campaign, the Facebook page was active, with multiple posts celebrating students who graduated,
spotlighting the department, and showcasing upcoming events. Therefore, the platform already had an established
presence and following. The LinkedIn account existed before the campaign, but the department only made regular
posts once the campaign started. The Instagram account came into existence due to the social media campaign.
Although the authors shared the page and encouraged individuals to follow the newly created page, Facebook and
LinkedIn had more followers.

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The difference in average engagement, as measured by descriptive statistics, aligns with the activity of each
platform prior to the start of the campaign. Facebook yielded the highest engagement and had an established
account before the study. Instagram, the platform with the lowest engagement, was created specifically for the
campaign. Now that the department has established all three accounts, the authors recommend an additional study.
While descriptive statistics provide an initial understanding of campaign performance, Welch’s ANOVA delivers
a more holistic interpretation.
Welch’s ANOVA and Post Hoc Tests
Welch’s ANOVA indicated a statistically significant difference in the mean engagement level across the social
media platforms WelchF(2, 53) = 5.974, p = .006. This finding suggests that engagement varied significantly
between the platforms. However, post hoc analysis using Tukey’s HSD found that the only statistically significant
difference in engagement existed between Facebook and Instagram. This finding highlights the effectiveness of
Facebook in creating engagement through likes, shares, and comments.
Post hoc analysis did not find a statistically significant difference in the engagement between Facebook ( M =
9.57 ) and LinkedIn ( M = 6.89 ). The overall and average engagement on Facebook was higher than on LinkedIn,
the non-significant results suggest insufficient evidence to conclude there are actual differences in the engagement
between LinkedIn and Facebook.
Similarly, while the average engagement on LinkedIn (M = 6.89) was higher than on Instagram (M = 3.06), the
difference was not statistically significant. Therefore, while Facebook did yield higher engagement, LinkedIn and
Instagram may be comparable in their impact on social media users' engagement. It is important to note that small
sample sizes and limited posts may have limited variability within the group.
Results in Relation to Technology Acceptance Model
This study found that a statistically significant difference in engagement existed between social media platforms.
This finding could align with TAM’s assertion that users’ perception of ease of use and usefulness impact their
interactions with technology. Since Facebook had the highest engagement, users may perceive the platform as
more straightforward and easier to navigate. Additional studies, with a qualitative piece, may offer additional
insight into why users prefer Facebook over other platforms.
Practical Implications
This study’s findings align with previous scholars' assertions that social media could and should be used as a
recruitment tool in higher education (Benedict et al., 2016; Motta & Barbosa, 2015). The increased engagement
throughout the campaign and the request for additional information speak to the campaign's overall success.
Therefore, the authors suggest that institutions integrate social media campaigns into their marketing strategies.
Reaching potential students through social media will lead to a more comprehensive and robust marketing

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campaign.
Platform Selection
The Pew Research Center (2021) reports the average age of Facebook users to be significantly higher than that of
Instagram users, with the majority of young adults using Instagram and TikTok. Based on this, institutions may
prioritize Instagram over Facebook. However, findings from this study suggest that for recruitment purposes,
Facebook demonstrates higher engagement than Instagram. Therefore, educational institutions aiming to
maximize their outreach should ensure that Facebook is part of their recruitment strategy.
Additionally, the Pew Research Center (2021) found that users with a formalized education were likelier to use
LinkedIn than users with no formal education. This statistic suggests LinkedIn is a preferred platform when
recruiting for graduate programs, as many users already possess an undergraduate degree. This study did not find
a statistically significant difference in engagement between Facebook and LinkedIn, further supporting the use of
LinkedIn in a social media recruitment campaign.
Overall Recommendations
Overall, Facebook yielded higher engagement than LinkedIn and Instagram. This finding aligns with reports from
Barnart (2023) and the Pew Research Center (2021), which report that Facebook has more overall users than other
platforms. Based on the overall findings, social media should be incorporated into higher education institutions
marking plans. If universities are limited to one platform, Facebook would be the top choice. However, LinkedIn
and Instagram also resulted in engagement and should not be dismissed.
Monitoring and Adjusting
Successful social media campaigns are designed and implemented to maximize the odds of capturing social media
users' attention (Statusbrew, 2023). However, social media dynamics often fluctuate based on preferences, which
may evolve. Therefore, institutions should continually monitor their social media campaigns and make
adjustments based on user behavior. For example, if posts made early in the day do not result in engagement,
campaign managers should move the posts to a different time of day. Additionally, different posts may perform
differently on each platform, so the campaign should be adjusted to maximize engagement on each platform.
Generalizability
This study focused on a social media campaign for a graduate and doctoral program. However, the findings can
be extended to various academic disciplines, especially programs that offer graduate and doctoral degrees. Due to
the demographics of prospective students, the results may not apply to undergraduate programs. Furthermore, the
authors conducted this study at a mid-sized university that has yet to have a nationwide following. Therefore, the
results may not be generalizable to more prominent universities with a more established brand.

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Limitations
Although this study found a statistically significant difference in engagement between social media platforms, it
is not without limitations. When the campaign started, the department already had an established Facebook and
LinkedIn page. Therefore, their total number of followers was higher, likely leading to increased engagement.
The authors created the Instagram account at the beginning of the campaign, and as the number of followers
increased, so did engagement. Therefore, the lower engagement may have resulted from fewer overall followers.
Additionally, the campaign was only run for eight weeks, a relatively short period. Had the campaign run longer,
engagement across all platforms likely would have increased. Further, the study only relied on quantitative data
(likes, shares, and comments) incorporating a qualitative analysis, such as asking participants why they engaged
with different posts, which would offer a more comprehensive understanding of engagement across each platform.
The final limitation that needs to be acknowledged is the chosen platforms. This study utilized Facebook,
Instagram, and LinkedIn because they were pre-approved by the university. However, as social media continues
to grow and evolve, other platforms, such as TikTok, X, and Snapchat, are popular among teenagers and young
adults. Their popularity may yield higher engagement than Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Recommendations
While findings from this study suggest that a recruitment campaign on Facebook would yield the highest
engagement, additional studies in this area are recommended. Specific suggestions for additional studies include
a longer campaign across additional platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat, a study that tailors posts based on
the platform, and a study that analyzes each post's reach or views in tandem with engagement. Additionally,
adding a qualitative component to the study would offer insight into why users engaged with each post.
Understanding the motivations and preferences of social media users would offer valuable insight into the creation
and design of social media campaigns targeted at higher education recruitment.
Studies also identify short-form videos to provide an exceptional opportunity to highlight a university’s culture,
values, and academic programs in a manner that appeals to the target audiences. (Khan, 2023). To remain
competitive in an ever-changing digital economy, higher education institutions must understand the value of short-
form video and incorporate it into their marketing strategy. Therefore, an additional study utilizing a video
campaign is recommended.
Conclusion
This study aimed to examine the impact of a social media campaign across three separate social media platforms:
Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. An eight-week campaign focused on recruiting graduate and doctoral
students was designed and posted before the fall semester. Overall, the campaigns were successful, resulting in
increased engagement on all social media platforms. Facebook yielded the highest engagement; however, the level
of engagement was not statistically significant when compared to LinkedIn. Instagram had the lowest engagement,

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but it increased over the eight weeks. Therefore, universities should use targeted social media campaigns as a
marketing tool, especially in departments that offer graduate degrees. Universities, specifically graduate programs,
should consider running targeted social media campaigns on their university's social media platforms. A robust
social media presence will allow universities to build relationships with students and garner interest in the
university and its programs.
As social media and digital tools continue to evolve, institutions must leverage social media as a recruitment tool
for their programs. This study highlights the impact of social media and serves as evidence that social media
campaigns are a powerful recruitment tool.
Acknowledgment
Tarleton State University’s President’s Excellence in Research Scholars Program funded this project.
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Author Information
Nicole Mishnick
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5148-7064
Tarleton State University
1333 W Washington St
Stephenville, TX 76401
USA
Dana Wise
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0412-7343
Tarleton State University
1333 W Washington St
Stephenville, TX 76401
USA
Contact e-mail: danam.wise@gmail.com