Optimising Social Media Marketing Strategies to Attract Malaysian and Singaporean Students to KAMK
Kurbangalieva, Diana (2026)
2026
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2026051311790
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2026051311790
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to explore how social media marketing strategies can be optimised to attract Malaysian and Singaporean students to Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK). The study is based on the Customer Decision Making Process (CDMP) theory combined with the concept of electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), which explains how prospective students make decisions about studying abroad and how digital communication influences these decisions.
This thesis is based on a qualitative research method, using semi-structured interviews with respondents from Malaysia and Singapore and content analysis. The collected data from interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and the themes were grouped into five categories corresponding to the stages of the CDMP.
The findings reveal that prospective students use various social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Reddit during their decision-making process. User Generated Content (UGC) has been found to be the most effective type of content in influencing the decisions of potential students, as it is considered a credible and trustworthy source of information. Short-form video is preferred for engagement and long-form for receiving information in more detail. Factors such as student life, environment, future job opportunities and university credibility influence the decision-making process of potential students the most.
Based on these results, recommendations have been made for KAMK’s social media marketing strategies. They include increasing content in English language, promoting student-generated content, enhancing engagement through interactive formats and aligning content with the needs of prospective students.
Overall, this study identified how KAMK can optimise its social media marketing strategies to attract Malaysian and Singaporean students and demonstrated that eWOM is an essential tool in this process. It has been discovered that authenticity, credibility and content quality are important for effectively attracting Malaysian and Singaporean students.
This thesis is based on a qualitative research method, using semi-structured interviews with respondents from Malaysia and Singapore and content analysis. The collected data from interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and the themes were grouped into five categories corresponding to the stages of the CDMP.
The findings reveal that prospective students use various social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Reddit during their decision-making process. User Generated Content (UGC) has been found to be the most effective type of content in influencing the decisions of potential students, as it is considered a credible and trustworthy source of information. Short-form video is preferred for engagement and long-form for receiving information in more detail. Factors such as student life, environment, future job opportunities and university credibility influence the decision-making process of potential students the most.
Based on these results, recommendations have been made for KAMK’s social media marketing strategies. They include increasing content in English language, promoting student-generated content, enhancing engagement through interactive formats and aligning content with the needs of prospective students.
Overall, this study identified how KAMK can optimise its social media marketing strategies to attract Malaysian and Singaporean students and demonstrated that eWOM is an essential tool in this process. It has been discovered that authenticity, credibility and content quality are important for effectively attracting Malaysian and Singaporean students.