Eureka! Institutional Repository

This thesis investigates the usage of social networks and university Facebook group by first year undergraduate students seeking information about their department and the way these pages could be used to acquire students. It also examines how Facebook can be used as a marketing tool to improve marketing campaigns in higher education. On a first level, guided by International literature, we examine in detail the social networks and the usage of social media and especially in the field of higher education. We also make a special mention on the social media marketing in higher education for student’s acquisition. In the next stage follows a field research that examines the students' views for the usage of social networks and the university Facebook group. Research data from 89 first-year undergraduate students led to significant results that ultimately prove that social media is not the only solution. Marketers of higher education institutions need to aim to parents, teachers and relatives as they constitute the main source of influence for students to choose a university. These findings have significant theoretical and social implications, and provide useful guidance for future research.