THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES MARKETING: A RESEARCH ON THE COMPARISON OF STATE AND FOUNDATION UNIVERSITIES IN KONYA

Abstract

Nowadays, changes and developments in the structure of social, economic, and technology have made the change and development of marketing principles and strategies mandatory. Therefore, social media has taken a place in the interests and daily routine of people and day after day has become a collection of amusing tools where people spend their free time. The increasing power of using social media has laid the groundwork for building new marketing strategies in order to reach and explain the educational services of the universities to the target groups accurately, socially and economically. The increase in the number of governmental and private universities in our country also brings competition between them. In order to achieve success in this competition, it is necessary to know what the students who are the target audience pay attention to when choosing a university. In the study, the effect of social media on the marketing of educational services has been investigated by applying questionnaire application to students who are studying in different fields and using social media in governmental and private universities in Konya. The result of the analysis, to have a dormitory inside the university, the importance given to technology by the university, ease of transportation, scholarships / fees, the university's national rankings, scientific research and projects, health services, and education services have been detected as the most prominent factors in marketing educational services. The result of the study has revealed that social media significantly affect the marketing of educational services. The obtained result will be beneficial for the development of strategies during the promotional periods of competing governmental and private universities.