IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS IN PRIVATE/PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION - A STUDY OF PUNJAB

Liberalisation of education sector in the country has led to increased competition. Marketing has become a vital component of recruitment strategy for private institutions. The studies on social media identified its possibilities as a marketing tool affecting consumer behaviour and organizations around the world has invested in the field to capitalize on the new knowledge. Educational organizations in the recent years have focused on social media marketing in order to sustain competition and enhance enrolment rates. The main goal of the paper is to understand the effect of social media marketing in private educational sector. The employment of the tool has been successful with potential students' choice of using social media platforms for communication with institutions than traditional mediums. It also helped in facilitating up to date information exchange and identifying factors that students look for in choosing institutions. Social and environmental support systems available at an institution are of equal importance with academic competency in determining student choices. The paper will also look into the gap between the expectation of students and the experience imparted by private universities.