Educational digital marketing strategies and their influence on the recruitment and retention of students in higher education institutions.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.448Keywords:
Educational digital marketing; Student recruitment; Student retention; Higher education; Digital transformation; University management; Student experience.Abstract
This article examines the impact of educational digital marketing strategies on student recruitment and retention in higher education institutions, integrating this topic with the management of complex problems and the pursuit of systemic transformation in education within a context of accelerated digitalization. The study is grounded in the recognition that higher education institutions face structural challenges related to competitiveness, student dropout, and the need to design educational experiences that are coherent, sustainable, and genuinely student-centered. The analysis focuses on educational digital marketing strategies, student recruitment, and institutional retention, as well as on the relationships among these variables. A non-experimental, cross-sectional design with an exploratory correlational scope was adopted, combining qualitative analysis with structured data collection methods. Data were gathered through a questionnaire administered to higher education students, whose descriptive and inferential statistics enabled the identification and mapping of a system of analytical categories that explain the relationship between educational digital marketing and student recruitment, as well as its connection to academic persistence. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper insight into students’ digital experiences within higher education institutions. The integration of questionnaire data and interview findings facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon under study. The qualitative examination of the interviews made it possible to identify key dimensions related to the resolution of complex problems in university management, particularly in areas such as strategic clarity, digitalization processes, institutional management, pedagogy, communication, and educational data-driven marketing. The findings suggest that university management is closely linked to complex educational digital marketing strategies, which function as a strategic pillar for comprehensive systemic transformation in higher education. This transformation has a direct impact on institutional innovation, academic sustainability, and the design of education policies oriented toward student success, engagement, and long-term persistence.
Downloads
References
American Educational Research Association. (2020). Guiding principles for ethical research. https://www.aera.net/About-AERA/AERA-Rules-Policies/Professional-Ethics
Ali, F., Hussain, K., Konar, R., & Jeon, H. M. (2021). The effect of online service quality on student satisfaction and loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 62, 102646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102646 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102646
Arequipa Molina, A. D., Cruz Roca, A. B., Nuñez Calle, J. J., Moreira Velez, K. L., Guevara Guevara, N. P., Bassantes Guerra, J. P., & Bernal Parraga, A. P. (2024). Formación docente en estrategias innovadoras y su impacto en el aprendizaje de las matemáticas. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(4), 9597–9619. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13111 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13111
Bernal Parraga, A. P., & Guarda, T. (2020). La gestión de la información es factor determinante para elaborar estrategias innovadoras en política educativa pública. Iberian Journal of Information Systems and Technologies, (E27), 35–48. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/487026121.pdf
Bernal Parraga, A. P., Alvarez Santos, A., & Mite Cisneros, M. (2025). Formación docente: Enfoques pedagógicos innovadores para el fortalecimiento de competencias profesionales en el siglo XXI. Varona, (84). http://revistas.ucpejv.edu.cu/index.php/rVar/article/view/2981
Bernal Parraga, A. P., Cadena Morales, A. G., Cadena Morales, J. A., Mejía Quiñonez, J. L., Alcívar Vélez, V. E., Pinargote Carreño, V. G., & Tello Mayorga, L. E. (2024). Impacto de las plataformas de gamificación en la enseñanza: Un análisis de su efectividad educativa. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(5), 2851–2867. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i5.13742 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i5.13742
Bernal Parraga, A. P., Orozco Maldonado, M. E., Salinas Rivera, I. K., Gaibor Davila, A. E., Gaibor Davila, V. M., Gaibor Davila, R. S., & Garcia Monar, K. R. (2024). Análisis de recursos digitales para el aprendizaje en línea para el área de ciencias naturales. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(4), 9921–9938. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13141 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13141
Bernal Parraga, A. P., Santin Castillo, A. P., Ordoñez Ruiz, I., Tayupanta Rocha, L. M., Reyes Ordoñez, J. P., Guzmán Quiña, M. de los A., & Nieto Lapo, A. P. (2024). La inteligencia artificial como proceso de enseñanza en la asignatura de estudios sociales. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(6), 4011–4030. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i6.15141 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i6.15141
Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2021). Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00267-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8
Castillo Baño, C. P., Cruz Gaibor, W. A., Bravo Jacome, R. E., Sandoval Lloacana, C. F., Guishca Ayala, L. M., Campaña Nieto, R. A., Yepez Mogro, T. C., & Bernal Párraga, A. P. (2024). Uso de tecnologías digitales en la educación para la ciudadanía. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(4), 5388–5407. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.12756 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.12756
Chapleo, C., Durán, M. V. C., & Díaz, A. C. (2020). Do UK universities communicate their brands effectively through websites? Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 30(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2019.1682301 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2011.569589
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2019). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529712925
Dwivedi, Y. K., et al. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Field, A. (2020). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714929
Gómez-Cruz, M., Haro, G., & Martínez, M. (2023). Marketing digital y posicionamiento universitario. Revista de Educación a Distancia, 23(74), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.6018/red.518821
Gómez-Galán, J., Lázaro-Pérez, C., & Martínez-López, J. Á. (2021). Digital transformation in higher education. Education and Information Technologies, 26, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10579-8
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3926/oss.37
Han, H., & Sa, H. (2022). University image, satisfaction, and student loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 144, 1100–1110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.059 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.059
Hemsley-Brown, J., Melewar, T. C., Nguyen, B., & Wilson, E. J. (2022). Exploring brand identity in higher education. Journal of Business Research, 141, 184–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.028
Jara Chiriboga, S. P., Valverde Alvarez, J. H., Moreira Pozo, D. A., Toscano Caisalitin, J. A., Yaule Chingo, M. B., Catota Quinaucho, C. V., & Bernal Parraga, A. P. (2025). Gamification and English learning: Innovative strategies to motivate students in the classroom. Revista Científica de Salud y Desarrollo Humano, 6(1), 1609–1633. https://doi.org/10.61368/r.s.d.h.v6i1.549 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61368/r.s.d.h.v6i1.549
Khan, I., Hollebeek, L. D., Fatma, M., Islam, J. U., & Rahman, Z. (2021). Brand engagement and loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102399 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102399
Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420
Marín-Marín, J. A., Moreno-Guerrero, A. J., & López-Belmonte, J. (2021). Digital competence in higher education. Computers & Education, 174, 104275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104275
Martin, F., Wang, C., & Sadaf, A. (2020). Student perception of online learning engagement. Online Learning Journal, 24(2), 84–103. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2049 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i1.1980
Ng, I. C. L., & Forbes, J. (2019). Education as service. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 29(2), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2019.1669142
Palacio, A. B., Meneses, G. D., & Pérez, P. J. (2019). The configuration of the university image. Studies in Higher Education, 44(6), 987–1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1405257
Pereira, E. M., Araújo, J. F., & Machado-Taylor, M. L. (2022). Higher education marketing and student satisfaction. Tertiary Education and Management, 28(2), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-021-09083-6
Peruta, A., & Shields, A. B. (2018). Social media in higher education. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 28(1), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2017.1402111 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2018.1442896
Quiroz Moreira, M. I., Mecias Cordova, V. Y., Proaño Lozada, L. A., Hernández Centeno, J. A., Chóez Acosta, L. A., Morales Contreras, A. M., & Bernal Parraga, A. P. (2024). Plataformas de evaluación digital: Herramientas para optimizar el feedback y potenciar el aprendizaje. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(5), 2020–2036. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i5.13673 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i5.13673
Rather, R. A. (2020). Customer experience and engagement in services. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 57, 102219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102219
Sánchez-Torres, J. A., González-Zabala, M. P., & Sánchez-López, M. (2020). Digital transformation and student satisfaction. Education and Information Technologies, 25, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10135-0
Serrano Aguilar, N. S., Paredes Montesdeoca, D. G., Silva Carrillo, A. G., Pilatasig Patango, M. R., Ibáñez Oña, J. E., Tumbez Cunuhay, L. F., & Bernal Parraga, A. P. (2024). Aprendizaje híbrido: Modelos y prácticas efectivas para la educación post-pandemia. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(4), 10074–10093. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13152 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i4.13152
Thomas, L. (2022). Student retention in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 47(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1869103.
Troya Santillán, B. N., Garcia Sosa, S. M., Medina Marino, P. A., Campoverde Duran, V. D. R., & Bernal Párraga, A. P. (2024). Diseño e implementación del gaming impulsado por IA para mejorar el aprendizaje. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(3), 4051–4071. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i3.11611 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i3.11611
Villacreses Sarzoza, E. G., Nancy Maribel, M. C., Calderón Quezada, J. E., Víctor Gregory, T. V., Iza Chungandro, M. F., Tandazo Sarango, F. E., & Bernal Párraga, A. P. (2025). Inteligencia artificial: Transformando la escritura académica y creativa en la era del aprendizaje significativo. Revista Científica de Salud y Desarrollo Humano, 6(1), 1427–1451. https://doi.org/10.61368/r.s.d.h.v6i1.533 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61368/r.s.d.h.v6i1.533
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Carlos Vinicio Carrillo Gallegos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Eres libre de:
- Compartir : copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato
- Adaptar : remezclar, transformar y desarrollar el material
- El licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades siempre y cuando usted cumpla con los términos de la licencia.
En los siguientes términos:
- Atribución : Debe otorgar el crédito correspondiente , proporcionar un enlace a la licencia e indicar si se realizaron cambios . Puede hacerlo de cualquier manera razonable, pero no de ninguna manera que sugiera que el licenciante lo respalda a usted o a su uso.
- No comercial : no puede utilizar el material con fines comerciales .
- CompartirIgual — Si remezcla, transforma o construye sobre el material, debe distribuir sus contribuciones bajo la misma licencia que el original.
- Sin restricciones adicionales : no puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otros hacer algo que la licencia permite.
