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TEHNIČKI GLASNIK 19, 3(2025), III-X III
Original scientific paper
ISSN 1846-6168 (Print), ISSN 1848-5588 (Online)
https://doi.org/.........
Received: 2024-03-31, Accepted: 2024-07-08
The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Digital Service Adoption in Educational Institutions:
Exploring the Mediating Role of Brand Equity, Trust, and Word-Of-Mouth Advertising
Hosna Khorsandi*, Behzad Kazemi, Simin Zeynali, Mahsa Mohsenibeigzadeh, Pedram Zarei, Shahin Mirshekari
Abstract: Recently, educational institutions have turned to investing in new technologies to provide digital services to customers as a means of cost control, attracting new
customers, and meeting customer expectations. The adoption of these new technologies has become crucial for these institutions as part of their strategy. Therefore, this research
focuses on investigating the influence of social media marketing (SMM) on the intention to use digital services in educational institutions. The study also considers brand equity,
trust, and word-of-mouth promotion as potential factors mediating this relationship. The method employed was descriptive correlational research, utilizing structural equation
modeling for data analysis, with 368 students participating. The results indicate that SMM has a significant influence on brand equity, trust, word-of-mouth advertising, and the
intention to utilize digital services in educational institutions. Furthermore, brand equity, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising exert a positive and significant impact on the intention
to use digital services within educational institutions. Additionally, brand equity, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising act as vital mediators in the relationship between SMM and
the adoption of digital services in educational institutions. Consequently, we can conclude that SMM contributes to an increased intention to use digital services in educational
institutions by leveraging brand equity, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising.
Keywords: brand equity; educational institutions; intention to use digital services; social media marketing; trust; word of mouth advertising
1 INTRODUCTION
The rapid advancement and widespread adoption of
communication technology have sparked a remarkable
transformation across multiple aspects of human lives and
organizational performance [1]. This technological
revolution has revolutionized the behaviors and outlooks of
individuals, organizations, and governments, while
simultaneously giving rise to new industries, employment
opportunities, and innovative ventures [2, 3]. The advent of
digital educational services stands as a significant outcome
stemming from the pervasive reach and growth of
information technology within the educational realm. In light
of this matter, educational institutions, much like many other
service providers, have begun allocating resources towards
incorporating new technologies into their operations in order
to offer digital services to their clientele. This approach
serves multiple purposes: cost management, customer
acquisition, and meeting customer expectations.
Consequently, the integration of these innovative
technologies has emerged as a strategic imperative in the
agenda of educational institutions. In today's competitive
landscape, there is a growing emphasis on researching the
features offered by educational institutions that affect
individuals' intentions to use digital services. As the number
of institutions increases, it is crucial to identify effective
strategies that can attract more customers and increase sales
[4]. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the internal
and external factors that shape users' behavior towards digital
services. Given the dynamic and constantly evolving nature
of the digital environment, educational institutions must have
a comprehensive understanding of their users to keep up with
the changing trends. However, there is still a lack of
acceptance among Iranian consumers towards purchasing
digital educational products and services from institutions
and companies. Therefore, the purpose of the present study
is to investigate how social media marketing (SMM) affects
individuals' intentions to use digital services offered by
educational institutions, with a focus on the role of brand
equity, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising in mediating
actions.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Social Media Marketing and Usage Intention
The use of social media has revolutionized the way
organizations interact with their customers on a global scale,
thanks to technological advancements and increased internet
usage [5]. Businesses are now leveraging social media as a
means of communication with customers and develop
successful branding strategies by integrating different
channels. Social media has also become a platform for public
discourse on various topics, from politics to entertainment
[6]. As a result, marketers are increasingly relying on SMM
to reach their target audiences, with studies showing its
effectiveness in influencing customer intention to use
services [7, 8]. It is therefore our belief that the following
hypothesis should be tested:
H1: SMM has a positive impact on individuals' intentions
to use digital services offered by educational institutions.
2.2 Brand Equity, Social Media Marketing and Usage
Intention
This term refers to the inherent and exceptional value of
a brand, the desire for customers to pay more for the similar
amount of quality through their strong attachment to the
brand as well as the fact that they are highly attracted to the
brand [5, 9-12]. For customers, brand equity is the essence of
successful organizational activities, as it helps organizations
understand and satisfy their needs and demands. The basis of
brand equity is the brand power that is rooted in the minds of
customers. In addition to assets, brands can have liabilities as
well, including brand recognition, perceived quality, brand
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IV TECHNICAL JOURNAL 19, 3(2025), III-X
associations, and other brand assets that can develop or
diminish the value of goods and services. According to Aaker
[13], a brand equity is an asset or liability that can grow or
decline the value of goods and services.
Because of brand equity, customers perceive the brand
favourably and make more purchases as a result. To enhance
engagement opportunities and manage brand assets in a
positive manner, it is essential that firms develop strategies
that enhance and grow their brand equity in order to make
sure this is achieved [14]. The effect of brand equity on the
behavior of customers has also been demonstrated in studies
[15]. Additionally, there is evidence that SMM is a crucial
part of building brand equity, as has been demonstrated in
research studies [14, 16, 17]. Therefore, the following
hypotheses are therefore put forward as a result of this study:
H2: SMM influences positively brand equity.
H5: Brand equity influences positively individuals'
intentions to use digital services offered by educational
institutions.
H8: The effect of SMM on individuals' intentions to use
educational institutions' digital services is mediated by brand
equity.
2.3 Trust, Social Media Marketing and Usage Intention
Throughout the history of business, trust has been a
fundamental concept for transactions and exchanges. The
trust that a customer has in a brand refers to their level of
confidence in a brand's ability to perform the tasks that have
been assigned to them [18]. Morgan and Hunt [19] argue that
trust is achieved when one party is confident in the
correctness of the other party. Berry [20] asserts that
relational marketing relies on the principle of trust. Trust is
also a crucial factor in creating and improving the quality of
relationships as a result of the process of making and keeping
commitments and promises. When trust is established, other
parties will feel that they can be trusted and are reliable, and
this will result in solid, honest, fair, and productive
cooperation between them. A brand that is trustworthy is
more likely to secure the loyalty of customers after the
product has encountered unexpected problems, making it
more likely that the product or service will be developed,
sold, and promoted in the future [21, 22]. As well as trust,
research has also shown that customer behavior intentions are
influenced by trust [8, 23, 24]. Additionally, research has
demonstrated the role of SMM in building brand trust [8].
The following hypotheses are therefore proposed as a result:
H3: Trust in a brand is positively affected by SMM.
H6: Trust has a positive impact on individuals' intentions
to use digital services offered by educational institutions.
H9: Brand trust mediates the effect of SMM on
individuals' intentions to use digital services offered by
educational institutions.
2.4 Word-of-Mouth Adverting, Social Media Marketing and
Usage Intention
Word-of-mouth marketing refers to creating conditions
that encourage people to talk about a product or service and
facilitating these conversations [25]. Word-of-mouth
marketing involves satisfying customers so that they become
the best advertisers for the firm. It is about real consumers
and why they want to talk about the firm and its products.
Word-of-mouth marketing takes advantage of people's
natural tendency to talk. Word-of-mouth advertising is the
most powerful source of marketing. Despite the large amount
of information presented by competitors through various
marketing tools, advertisements, and salespeople, customers
and potential customers will engage in word-of-mouth
advertising by talking to each other and helping each other
make decisions. Word-of-mouth advertising is beyond the
control of marketers, but it is cheaper than other methods,
making it important to understand how it works. Word-of-
mouth advertising is widely used in the field of internet and
social media [26-28]. Studies have shown that word-of-
mouth advertising is effective in influencing customer
behavioral intentions [29, 30]. Additionally, research has
demonstrated the important role of SMM in word-of-mouth
advertising [26-28]. The following hypotheses are therefore
proposed as a result:
H4: SMM has a positive impact on word-of-mouth
advertising.
H7: Word-of-mouth advertising has a positive impact on
individuals' intentions to use digital services offered by
educational institutions.
H10: Word-of-mouth advertising mediates the effect of
SMM on individuals' intentions to use digital services offered
by educational institutions.
Figure 1 The conceptual model
There is a growing body of evidence in the theoretical
literature that emphasizes the importance of SMM in the
areas of brand equity, trust, word-of-mouth advertising, and
intention to use services. Yet, few studies have developed a
model for the effect of SMM on individuals' intentions to use
digital services offered by educational institutions that
stresses the role of brand equity, trust, and word-of-mouth
advertising in mediating the effect of SMM on individuals'
intentions to use digital services. Therefore, the main
objective of this study is to show how SMM contributes to
individuals' intentions to use digital services. This study uses
brand equity, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising in
educational institutions as a means of meditating the impact
of SMM on individuals' intentions to use digital services. An
overview of the conceptual model for the study can be found
in Fig. 1 that has been developed based on the theoretical
Hosna Khorsandi et al.: The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Digital Service Adoption in Educational Institutions: Exploring the Mediating Role of Brand Equity, Trust, and …
TEHNIČKI GLASNIK 19, 3(2025), III-X V
literature and framework that have been derived from the
literature.
3 METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH METHODS
In this research, structural equation modeling (SEM)
with partial least squares (PLS) is chosen to investigate the
relationships between variables through structural equations.
3.1 Population and Sample
The methodology employed in this study involved
selecting a population of Iranian students as the target group.
A simple random sampling technique was utilized to choose
participants who were available and willing to take part in the
research. In order to ensure a representative sample, 450
questionnaires were distributed among students in various
educational institutions, out of which 368 questionnaires
were returned. Using Cochran's formula for determining
sample size, we were able to determine the sample size in the
present study based on previous research studies, which
indicated that a sample size of 450 would be adequate to
represent students who were utilizing digital services from
educational institutions.
3.2 Instruments
It was determined that SMM measures could be
measured by using a questionnaire that was developed by Seo
and Park [31]. As part of the questionnaire, 11 items were
included, which assessed entertainment, interaction,
trendiness, customization, and perceived risk. The
entertainment items were divided into two categories, and
interaction was broken down into three categories. In order
to determine the brand equity of a brand, Seo and Park [31]
developed a questionnaire which consisted of 6 items, of
which three items assessed the brand's awareness of the brand
and three items assessed the brand's image. In order to
measure trust, Shankar et al. [25] developed a questionnaire
containing six items that was administered to all participants
in the study. Besides this, a questionnaire developed by Kim
and Ko [32] was used to measure word-of-mouth advertising,
which included three items in the survey. There was a five-
point Likert scale used to rate all of the items on a scale of 1
to 5, with 1 being completely disagreed and 5 being
completely agreed with.
4 RESULTS
4.1 Testing of Measurement Model
Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability
were used in order to assess the reliability of the
measurement model, while factor loadings, average variance
extracted and the Fornell-Larker test were used in order to
assess the validity of the measurement model. The composite
reliability index, proposed by AmirKhani and Borhani [33],
was found to be more effective than Cronbach's alpha, as it
does not assume that the observable variables of each
measurement model have the same weights. Instead,
composite reliability uses the factor loadings of the items
when calculating, resulting in more accurate and better
Cronbach's alpha ratios. The composite reliability index for
the internal consistency of the measurement model was
evaluated according to a criterion of 0.7 or higher. The
confirmation factor analysis shows that the construct is well-
defined when the factor loading of each item is 0.6 or higher
in the confirmatory factor analysis [34, 35]. The factor
loadings for the items of the variables in Table 1 were all
above 0.6, confirming the coefficients of the factor loadings.
If the factor loadings between the construct and its indicators
are less than 0.6, those indicators should be modified or
removed from the model. According to [36], whether or not
the construct explains about 50% or more of the variance in
its markers was tested by analyzing the average variance
extracted (AVE). With an AVE value of 0.5 or higher, the
construct is considered to be convergent, as it can explain
about half or more of the variance [37]. A more detailed
analysis of the design and reliability of the constructs can be
found in Tab. 1, which demonstrates that the factor loadings,
composite reliability, and AVE of the variables are adequate
and appropriate.
Table 1 Factor loadings, composite reliability and AVE of variables
Variable Item
Factor
loading
Alpha
CR AVE
Entertainment
1
0.852
0.69 0.832 0.711
2
0.833
Interaction
1
0.860
0.809 0.887 0.723
2
0.843
3
0.847
Trendiness
1
0.922
0.840 0.926 0.862
2
0.935
Customization
1
0.841
0.704 0.834 0.715
2
0.817
Perceived risk
1
0.875
0.698 0.869 0.768
2
0.877
Brand awareness
1
0.842
0.750 0.857 0.667
2
0.820
3
0.787
Brand image
1
0.726
0.681 0.825 0.612
2
0.811
3
0.807
Brand trust
1
0.862
0.908 0.929 0.688
2
0.812
3
0.901
4
0.791
5
0.733
6
0.865
Word of mouth
1
0.867
0.780 0.870 0.691
2
0.797
3
0.829
Intention to use digital services
of educational institutions
1
0.728
0.869 0.90 0.601
2
0.735
3
0.763
4
0.805
5
0.800
6
0.815
We used the Fornell-Larker index as an indicator of
discriminant validity in order to assess the constructs used in
this study. The AVE of a construct must have a square root
greater than the correlation between that construct and other
constructs in order to meet the requirements for this index.
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VI TECHNICAL JOURNAL 19, 3(2025), III-X
There is a higher correlation between the construct and its
indicators in this case, highlighting the fact that it is more
highly correlated with the construct than with other
constructs. It is for this reason that Tab. 2 presents the results
that relate to correlation and square root of the AVE, which
is the second validity criterion, as well as their correlation.
The correlation matrix also includes values below the
diagonal to assess the relationships between variables,
revealing that all variables have a positive and significant
correlation coefficient.
Table 2 Correlation and square root of AVE of variables
Variable SMM
Brand
equity
Trust
Word of
mouth
Usage
intention
SMM
0.76
Brand equity
0.68**
0.88
Trust
0.63***
0.57**
0.83
Word of
mouth
0.41** 0.34** 0.42** 0.83
Usage
intention
0.60** 0.59** 0.59** 0.46** 0.77
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01
4.1 Structural Model Testing
To forecast the intention to use digital services offered
by educational institutions, a SEM based PLS approach was
used to evaluate the proposed conceptual model. With the
bootstrap method, 500 sub-samples were used to calculate
the t-values for the path coefficients in order to determine the
significance of the coefficients. The relationship between the
variables can be illustrated in Fig. 2 by the model that has
been tested. In accordance with the figure below, SMM has
a significant and positive impact on brand equity, trust, word-
of-mouth advertising, as well as on intention for students to
make use of a digital service that is provided by educational
institutions. Additionally, a positive and significant
association is also found between brand equity, trust, and
word-of-mouth advertising and the intention of students to
use the digital services of educational institutions in the
future. It is worth noting that the numbers inside the circles
represent the variance that has been explained by the
variables.
Table 3 Path coefficients and explained variance
Variable β
t-
value
p-
value
Explained
variance
on intention to use digital
services of educational
institutions via:
SMM
Brand equity
Brand trust
Word of mouth advertising
0.195**
0.264**
0.252**
0.204**
3.712
5.545
4.513
4.641
0.001
0.001
0.001
0.001
0.541
On brand equity via:
SMM
0.697**
21.634
0.001
0.486
On brand trust via:
SMM
0.64**
18.380
0.001
0.410
On word-of-mouth advertising
via:
SMM
0.42**
8.061
0.001
0.177
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01
Figure 2 The tested model
The results of Tab. 3 suggest that SMM effectively
improves brand equity, trust, word-of-mouth advertising, and
the intention to use the digital services of educational
institutions, as well as a positive and significant effect on the
use of SMM. Moreover, the intention to use digital services
of educational institutions being positively influenced by
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TEHNIČKI GLASNIK 19, 3(2025), III-X VII
brand, trust, and word-of-mouth advertising can also be
observed to have a significant and positive impact on the
intention to use digital services. There has been a substantial
increase in the use of digital services by educational
institutions, with 54% of the variance explained by models
variables, 49% by those related to brand equity, 41% by those
related to brand trust, and 18% by those related to word-of-
mouth advertising. There are two types of indirect
coefficients presented in Tab. 4.
Table 4 Indirect coefficients
Indirect paths Indirect effects
t-
value
p-
value
SMM → Brand Equity → Intention to use digital services of educational institutions
0.184
5.260
0.000
SMM → Trust → Intention to use digital services of educational institutions
0.161
4.346
0.000
SMM → Word of Mouth → Intention to use digital services of educational institutions
0.086
3.937
0.000
As shown in the Tab. 4, the extent to which SMM has a
positive effect on the intention of students in educational
institutions to use digital services is mediated by brand
equity, brand trust, and word-of-mouth marketing, all of
which play an important role in mediating the positive effect.
There are several factors that play a significant role in the
decision to choose digital services in educational
establishments, but brand equity, brand trust, and word-of-
mouth advertising play a crucial role. In this study, the GOF
index value of 0.60 suggests that the tested model has an
adequate fit. Generally, values greater than 0.36 are
considered acceptable and indicative of a good quality
model.
5 DISCUSSION
In this study, it was examined what effect SMM had on
the inclination to use digital services provided by educational
institutions in terms of their inclination to use social media.
Furthermore, it was investigated whether SEM could be used
as a means of evaluating brand equity, trust, and word-of-
mouth advertising in order to help to find the mediating
effects of these factors. Based on the findings of the study,
the proposed model was found to be a reasonably good fit to
the data and could explain 54% of the variation in the
intention of using digital services of educational institutions,
49% of the variation in brand equity, 41% of the variation in
brand trust, and 18% of the variation in word-of-mouth
advertising for educational institutions.
There was a significant and positive impact of SMM on
the brand equity of the educational institution, trust, word-of-
mouth advertising, and intention of using the digital services
of the institution. This suggests that SMM can enhance brand
equity, trust, word-of-mouth advertising, and the intention to
use digital services of educational institutions. It is worth
noting that this finding is in line with previous findings by
Hanaysha [8], Garanti and Kissi [16], Zollo et al. [17],
Darvishinia [27]. Therefore, the use of social media can
increase brand equity, trust, word-of-mouth advertising, and
the intention to use digital services of educational institutions
if the social media usage is engaging for users, the content of
social media is interesting, social media enables information
sharing and exchange of opinions, users can easily express
their opinions, The content of social media is frequently
updated, social media allows users to customize their
experience, social media allows users to share information
about brands, products, and services with their friends, as
well as they can share the content of institutional social media
on their websites and blogs. As a result, the communication
of people, groups, and products, as well as the sharing of
information through social media and information sharing,
has the potential to lead to brand equity, trust, word-of-mouth
advertising, and an increase in the willingness to use
educational institutions' digital offerings. The use of social
media by educational institutions as a means of sharing
information and knowledge transfer about their products and
services, exchanging and transmitting information using
social media, and enabling information searching through
social media will therefore increase the likelihood that users
of educational institutions' digital services will take
advantage of their services in the future [39].
According to this model, the brand equity of educational
institutions also influences positively the intention of
students to take advantage of digital services provided by
them. This implies that an increase in brand equity can lead
to a higher intention to use digital services of educational
institutions. This finding is consistent with previous studies
conducted by Majeed et al. [38]. Therefore, if users of digital
services of educational institutions are constantly aware of
the institution, associate its characteristics quickly in their
minds, remember its symbols or logo, perceive it as an
experienced and customer-oriented institution, their behavior
can be influenced, leading to a higher tendency to use digital
services of educational institutions.
In addition, the model showed that brand trust has a
significant influence on the likelihood that students will use
the digital services offered by educational institutions in the
future. This suggests that an increase in brand trust can lead
to a higher intention to use digital services of educational
institutions. There is significant agreement between the
findings of this study and those of previous studies conducted
by Kim et al. [23], Hanaysha [8], Ha and Nguyen [24].
Therefore, if the educational institution fulfills its obligations
towards users of digital services, meets their expectations,
considers their interests, and is perceived as fair and honest,
users of digital services of the institution will trust its
credibility, leading to a higher intention to use its digital
services.
As a result of the analysis, it has been found that word-
of-mouth advertising significantly affects the intention of
students to use digital services of educational institutions in
a positive and significant manner. Consequently, it seems
that an increase in word-of-mouth advertising may be
associated with an increase in the intention to use digital
Hosna Khorsandi et al.: The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Digital Service Adoption in Educational Institutions: Exploring the Mediating Role of Brand Equity, Trust, and …
VIII TECHNICAL JOURNAL 19, 3(2025), III-X
services offered by educational institutions. Therefore, if
most users of digital services of the educational institution
report positive recommendations for using its services,
customers have mostly positive experiences, and users
express and share their views about the institution on
websites and social networks, the intention to use digital
services of the educational institution will increase.
6 MANAGERIAL REMARKS
As an educational institution, it is recommended to take
advantage of social media platforms as a potent tool for
utilizing the power of SMM. This can be done by sharing
information about your services and products, facilitating
information exchange and transmission, keeping customers
informed with up-to-date information about your services
and products, introducing your services and products through
social media, and enabling customers to search for
information about your services and products on social
media.
To capitalize on the role of brand equity, educational
institutions are recommended to view brand equity as a
crucial tool when it comes to reach out to new customers and
retain existing ones. Brand equity fosters a positive attitude
and a general positive effect, leading to an increase in the
intention to use digital services of educational institutions. As
brand equity is the foundation of product differentiation and
brand recognition, it offers a convincing incentive to buy and
generates favorable emotions towards the brand, thereby
aiding in the process of intending to use the service.
To leverage the role of trust, educational institutions are
advised to build customer trust by providing high-quality
services that meet customer expectations, demonstrating
commitment and humility in their interactions with
customers, paying close attention to customer needs,
responding promptly to customer inquiries and concerns, and
guaranteeing their services.
To capitalize on the power of word-of-mouth
advertising, educational institutions are recommended to
provide high-quality services and encourage customers to
share positive online recommendations for using their digital
services. They should strive to generate mostly positive
experiences, enabling customers to provide positive online
recommendations for purchasing digital services from the
institution.
7 CONCLUSION
The study concluded that the use of SMM, brand equity,
word-of-mouth advertising, and brand trust are factors that
are significantly associated with the intention of an
educational institution to use digital services. The
relationship between SMM and the intention to use digital
services in educational institutions can also be enhanced by
brand equity and brand trust, as well as word-of-mouth
advertising, which may play a positive and significant
mediating role. This suggests that SMM can increase the
intention to use digital services in educational institutions
through the enhancement of brand equity, word-of-mouth
advertising, and brand trust. As a result, social media
interactions between users of educational digital services and
educational institutions facilitate the exchange of
information and values, which can influence the intention to
use digital services in educational institutions. Additionally,
factors such as awareness of digital services and products,
interesting content, information sharing, exchanging
opinions, trendiness of information, and customized
information search can also impact the intention to use digital
services in educational institutions. Therefore, effective
communication and information sharing between users of
educational digital services and educational institutions
through social media can foster confidence, attachment, and
enthusiasm towards the institution, ultimately leading to a
greater willingness to use digital services in educational
institutions. The study's generalizability is limited as it only
involved a sample of Iranian students. Additionally, the
findings rely on self-reported data. To further explore the
effects of SMM in educational institutions, future studies
could consider using mixed research methods that
incorporate qualitative data such as Ghorashi et al. [40] or
Fusion Models [41]. It is important to note that the current
study is correlational in nature, and therefore, causal
inferences cannot be made.
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Authors’ contacts:
Behzad Kazemi
Department of Advanced Data Analytics,
Toulouse Graduate School, University of North Texas,
1155 Union circle #310930, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Simin Zeynali
Curriculum Planning Department,
Faculty of Humanities and Psychology, University of Tabriz,
29 Bahman Blvd., Tabriz, Iran 5166616471
Mahsa Mohsenibeigzadeh
Department of Management, College of Business,
University of Central Florida,
12744 Pegasus Dr, Alafaya, FL 32816, USA
Pedram Zarei, Ph.D. Student in Developmental Education
College of Education, Texas State University,
601 University Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
Shahin Mirshekari
Department of Marketing Science and Business Analytics,
Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh,
3950 Roberto Clemente Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Hosna Khorsandi
(Corresponding Author)
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies,
University of Denver,
1999 E Evans Ave, Denver, CO 80210, USA
