Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Leveraging Influencer Marketing in Higher Education: Key Roles, Sectors, Platforms, and Influencer Types for Institutional Branding

https://doi.org/10.33050/sabda.v4i2.847
Sasotya Pratama
Institut IPMI
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5411-5549
Liza Agustina Maureen Nelloh
Institut IPMI
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8961-8979

Corresponding Author(s) : Sasotya Pratama

sasotya.pratama@ipmi.ac.id

Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA)

Abstract

The concept and strategies of Influencers marketing are often for tangible product or digital products over the years. However, the implementation of influencer marketing within service, especially the Higher Education (HE) sector remains underexplored, despite its success in other industries such as beauty, fashion, and e-commerce. This study aims to bridge the research gap by investigating the key roles, sectors, platforms, and types of influencers suitable for HE institutions. The objectives include identifying the roles of influencers in shaping perceptions and decision-making processes, determining the most effective sectors and platforms for influencer marketing in HE, and exploring the types of influencers best suited for promoting HE institutions. Findings indicate that credibility, trustworthiness, engagement, and social proof are critical influencer roles. The most relevant sectors are fashion, e-commerce, and health, while Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube emerge as the dominant platforms. Virtual influencers, micro-influencers, and niche influencers are identified as the most effective for HE campaigns. These insights provide actionable recommenda- tions for HE institutions to strategically adopt influencer marketing, enhancing engagement with prospective students and strengthening institutional branding.

Keywords

Influencer Marketing Higher Education Credibility Social Proof Social Media Platforms
Pratama, S., & Nelloh, L. A. M. . (2025). Leveraging Influencer Marketing in Higher Education: Key Roles, Sectors, Platforms, and Influencer Types for Institutional Branding. Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), 4(2), 134–145. https://doi.org/10.33050/sabda.v4i2.847
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
BibTeX
References
  1. D. Belanche, M. Flavi´an, and S. Ib´a˜nez-S´anchez, “Followers’ reactions to influencers’ instagram posts,” Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 37–54, 2020.
  2. A. B. da Silva Oliveira, P. Chimenti et al., “” humanized robots”: A proposition of categories to understand virtual influencers,” Australasian Journal of Information Systems, vol. 25, 2021.
  3. K. D. Renchen, “Influencer impact on brand awareness: A mixed method survey in the german fashion segment,” European Journal of Business Science and Technology, 2020.
  4. J. K. Santiago, D. Magueta, and C. Dias, “Consumer attitudes towards fashion influencers on instagram: Impact of perceptions and online trust on purchase intention.” Issues in Information Systems, vol. 21, no. 1, 2020.
  5. S. Nagvanshi, N. Gupta, and S. Popli, “Social media influencer marketing toward customers’purchase intention: A case of sustainable cosmetic brands,” Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 81–95, 2023.
  6. J. W. Kilumile and L. Zuo, “The nexus of influencers and purchase intention: Does consumer brand co- creation behavior matter?” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 3088–3101, 2024.
  7. N. Chen and Y. Yang, “The role of influencers in live streaming e-commerce: influencer trust, attachment, and consumer purchase intention,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 1601–1618, 2023.
  8. D. Apasrawirote and K. Yawised, “Factors influencing the behavioral and purchase intention on live- streaming shopping,” Asian Journal of Business Research, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 39–56, 2022.
  9. H. Chen and J. Ren, “Can influencer persona increase the effectiveness of social media video ads? the me- diating effect of consumer perceptions of self,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 2451–2475, 2024.
  10. X. Zhang, “Influencer marketing: Assessing effectiveness and exploring potential drawbacks in advertis- ing strategies. highlights in business,” Economics and Management, pp. 171–179, 2023.
  11. D. Indiyati, U. Rahardja, U. Rusilowati, S. Millah, A. Faturahman, and A. Fitriani, “Enhancing human resources management with blockchain technology: A case study approach,” in 2024 3rd International Conference on Creative Communication and Innovative Technology (ICCIT). IEEE, 2024, pp. 1–6.
  12. N. T. Huyena, H. Van Haib, and H. K. Licha, “The antecedents and consequences of university brand: A systematic review,” Multidisciplinary Reviews, vol. 7, no. 7, pp. 2 024 141–2 024 141, 2024.
  13. P. Maresova, J. Hruska, and K. Kuca, “Social media university branding,” Education Sciences, vol. 10, no. 3, p. 74, 2020.
  14. M. Akour and M. Alenezi, “Higher education future in the era of digital transformation,” Education Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 784, 2022.
  15. F. Rahardja, L. K. Choi, R. C. Wijaya, and R. A. Sunarjo, “Gamification in digital startups: Enhancing user engagement and business growth,” Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1–11, 2025.
  16. R. Raaper, M. Hardey, and S. Aad, “# studytalk in marketised higher education: student influencers as emerging support providers,” Studies in Higher Education, vol. 50, no. 7, pp. 1501–1513, 2025.
  17. K. Pornsrimate and A. Khamwon, “How to convert millennial consumers to brand evangelists through social media micro-influencers,” Innovative Marketing, vol. 17, no. 2, 2021.
  18. V. Sesar, I. Martinˇcevi´c, and M. Boguszewicz-Kreft, “Relationship between advertising disclosure, influ- encer credibility and purchase intention,” Journal of Risk and Financial Management, vol. 15, no. 7, p. 276, 2022.
  19. P. H. P. Tan, M. Tukiran, and D. Wuisan, “Innovation practices and external support for msme performance and survival in indonesia,” International Journal of Cyber and IT Service Management (IJCITSM), vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 120–133, 2025.
  20. C. Lawrence and B. Meivitawanli, “The role of parasocial relationships, congruence and source credi- bility in indonesia: a study on tiktok live streaming commerce in the cosmetics industry,” Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, vol. 17, no. 5, 2023.
  21. M. Garg and A. Bakshi, “Exploring the impact of beauty vloggers’ credible attributes, parasocial interac- tion, and trust on consumer purchase intention in influencer marketing,” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2024.
  22. V. Sesar, A. Hunjet, and I. Martinˇcevi´c, “Generation z purchase intentions: Does sponsorship disclosure matter?” Business Systems Research: International journal of the Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 158–172, 2023.
  23. A. Purwanto, “Exploring intention to enroll university using an extended stimulus-organism-response model,” Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 2021. [24] W. Mengist, T. Soromessa, and G. Legese, “Ecosystem services research in mountainous regions: A systematic literature review on current knowledge and research gaps,” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 702, p. 134581, 2020.
  24. A. Williams, Y. Hasudungan, and N. Azizah, “The implementation of effective financial management to increase the profitability of startups,” Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 47–54, 2025.
  25. E. A. Nabila, S. Santoso, Y. Muhtadi, and B. Tjahjono, “Artificial intelligence robots and revolutionizing society in terms of technology, innovation, work and power,” IAIC Transactions on Sustainable Digital Innovation (ITSDI), vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 46–52, 2021.
  26. R. Aprianto, A. Famalika, I. Idayati, I. N. Hikam et al., “Examining influencers role in tiktok shop’s promotional strategies and consumer purchases,” Aptisi Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT), vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 13–28, 2024.
  27. L. J. Cabeza-Ram´ırez, F. J. Fuentes-Garc´ıa, M. C. Cano-Vicente, and M. Gonz´alez-Mohino, “How gen- eration x and millennials perceive influencers’ recommendations: Perceived trustworthiness, product involvement, and perceived risk,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 1431–1449, 2022.
  28. S. Harambaˇsi´c and V. ˇSkare, “Influence decoded: Challenges and opportunities shaping the future of influencer marketing research,” Market-Trˇziˇste, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 99–114, 2024. [30] Z. Mo and M. Zhou, “Don’t like them but take what they said: The effectiveness of virtual influencers in public service announcements,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 2269–2288, 2024.
  29. A. C. Munaro, E. C. F. Maffezzolli, J. P. S. Rodrigues, and E. C. Paraiso, “Beyond the screen: a creative exploration of content that engages on youtube discussed by social media influencers,” Revista Brasileira de Gest˜ao de Neg´ocios, vol. 26, no. 3, p. e20240002, 2024.
  30. A. C. Szakal, G. Br˘atucu, E. Ciobanu, I. B. Chit, u, A. A. Mocanu, M. B˘al˘as, escu, and G. Ialomit, ianu, “Evaluating the impact and perception of influencer marketing among romanian consumers—insights from quantitative research,” Administrative Sciences, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 276, 2024.
  31. I. Yusnita, A. Kadim, R. Lesmana, A. Sutarman, C. Yu, and S. Millah, “Examining the interaction of economic business strategies in the context of global market dynamics,” Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 93–103, 2025.
  32. K. F. Latif, R. Tariq, D. Muneeb, U. F. Sahibzada, and S. Ahmad, “University social responsibility and performance: the role of service quality, reputation, student satisfaction and trust.” Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 967–991, 2024.
  33. D. Obeng-Ofori and H. O. Kwarteng, “Enhancing the role of alumni in the growth of higher education institutions,” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies and Innovative Research, vol. 4, pp. 40– 48, 2020.
  34. J. Hu, S. Sidek, A. Abd Rahman, and R. N. R. Yusof, “Navigating influence: Unraveling the impact of micro-influencer attributes on consumer choices in the chinese social media,” Innovative Marketing, vol. 20, no. 2, p. 152, 2024.
  35. A. Furinto, M. Ichsan, M. Phannadhika, and S. Angelika, “Is the use of influencer marketing and brand community effective for enhancing awareness of a new brand?” Innovative Marketing, vol. 20, no. 3, p. 121, 2024.
  36. A. Dudhat and E. Dolan, “Evaluation of ecopreneurship business sustainability in the context of the digital economy,” Startupreneur Business Digital (SABDA Journal), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 64–72, 2025.
  37. W. Schlesinger, A. Cervera-Taulet, and W. Wymer, “The influence of university brand image, satisfaction, and university identification on alumni wom intentions,” Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1–19, 2023.
  38. H. M. Mushi, “Digital marketing strategies and smes performance in tanzania: insights, impact, and implications,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 2415533, 2024.
  39. A. T. Nguyen, N. Yn-Khanh, and N. H. Thuan, “Consumers’ purchase intention and willingness to pay for eco-friendly packaging in vietnam,” in Sustainable packaging. Springer, 2021, pp. 289–323.
Read More
Author biographies is not available.
Download this PDF file
PDF
Statistic
Read Counter : 48 Download : 33

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.