Instagram-based Social Media Marketing Activities and Prospective Students’ Behavioral Engagement: A PLS-SEM Study in a Private University

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between Instagram social media marketing activities (SMMA) and prospective students’ behavioral engagement at a private higher education institution. Previous studies on SMMA have predominantly focused on commercial sectors, while limited research has explored how brand awareness and brand image simultaneously mediate the relationship between SMMA and behavioral engagement in higher education settings. This study addresses this gap by investigating the mediating roles of brand awareness and brand image in the relationship between Instagram-based SMMA and behavioral engagement among prospective students of Semen Indonesia International University (UISI), Indonesia. A cross-sectional survey design was employed using purposive sampling. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to senior high school and vocational school students who followed or interacted with the university’s Instagram account (@pmbuisi). Of the 161 responses collected, 133 valid responses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that Instagram SMMA is positively associated with brand awareness and brand image. In turn, both brand awareness and brand image are positively associated with prospective students’ behavioral engagement. However, the direct relationship between SMMA and behavioral engagement was not significant. The mediation analysis demonstrates that brand awareness and brand image fully mediate the relationship between Instagram SMMA and behavioral engagement. These findings suggest that Instagram marketing activities in higher education are more effective in fostering engagement when they first strengthen prospective students’ cognitive and emotional perceptions of the university brand. This study contributes to the higher education marketing literature by providing empirical evidence on the mediating mechanisms linking Instagram SMMA and behavioral engagement within a single private university context. The findings also offer practical insights for higher education institutions in designing brand-oriented Instagram communication strategies to enhance prospective student engagement.