Digital Pathways to Enrollment: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value in Instagram Marketing Activities for Higher Education

Abstract

As higher education institutions increasingly rely on digital channels to attract prospective students, understanding how social media activities translate into enrollment becomes critical. This study investigates the impact of Instagram Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMA) on prospective students' electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) and enrollment intentions, with a focus on the mediating role of perceived value. Using an online survey, data were collected from 138 valid high school student respondents who interacted with the official Instagram account of a private university in Gresik, Indonesia, and were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The empirical results demonstrate that Instagram SMMA has a significant positive effect on perceived value, EWOM, and enrollment intentions. In addition, mediation analysis reveals that perceived value partially mediates the relationship between social media marketing and both behavioral outcomes. Theoretically, this study advances consumer behavior literature by validating that digital stimuli shape cognitive-affective internal states before prompting distinct behavioral responses. These insights offer higher education marketers a strategic framework to move beyond vanity metrics, demonstrating how value-driven digital communication actively fosters institutional advocacy and channels prospective student interest into enrollment.