FACEBOOK AS A DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORM USED BY THE PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEIs) IN LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

This study assessed the performance of the HEIs’ marketing campaigns using Facebook as a platform based on the enrolment funnel in terms of gaining visibility, converting prospects to leads, convincing the student to apply, and convincing the student to enrol. The challenges encountered by the marketing managers with the use of Facebook in marketing campaigns were also presented. A total of 29 private higher education institutions in Laguna Province were the participants of this quantitative study. The descriptive method was used to carry out the research. The HEIs’ marketing campaigns performed well in the first stage and were gradually moved down to the succeeding stages of the marketing funnel, resulting in high student acquisition costs. Slow adoption of technological advances and hiring marketers to support new marketing strategies were the top challenges in utilizing digital marketing.