In Egypt's increasingly competitive private higher education sector, universities are turning to an unexpected source to build emotional connections with prospective students: social media influencers. A new Master's research paper by Pansey Tarek reveals that students' "brand love" for a university is directly influenced by four key characteristics of these online personalities: trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, and homophily, or perceived similarity. Contents * The Four Pillars of Influence * From Research to Reality: A Real-World Look Tarek's research, conducted through in-depth interviews with 20 undergraduate students and four marketing experts in Egypt, highlights a significant gap in academic literature. While influencer marketing has been extensively studied in the retail and consumer goods sectors, its application in higher education, particularly within the Egyptian context, remains relatively unexplored. Pansey Tarek argues that as the number of private universities in Egypt grows, educational institutions are adopting digital marketing strategies from the corporate world to attract and retain students. These institutions are using social media influencers (SMIs) as marketing agents to not only raise brand awareness but also to foster a deeper sense of loyalty and form emotional bonds with potential students. The research demonstrates that this emotional connection, or "brand love," is a critical factor in a student's university-selection process, a finding with significant implications for university marketing teams navigating this competitive landscape. The Four Pillars of Influence Tarek's findings, which align with existing scholarly literature, pinpoint the four characteristics that make an influencer's message resonate with an audience and make it effective in driving brand love. * Trustworthiness:This is considered the most crucial factor. Tarek's research found that students are more likely to trust an influencer who appears sincere, unbiased, and honest. In the eyes of their followers, influencers are often seen as more trustworthy than corporate brands because they share personal, genuine opinions rather than scripted endorsements. The experts interviewed for the study confirmed this, stating that without trust, an influencer's ability to persuade is severely diminished, and collaborations with dishonest influencers could significantly damage a university's brand reputation. To build this trust, influencers must be transparent, engage consistently with their audience, and avoid being overtly commercial, which can erode their credibility. * Expertise:Pansey Tarek's work defines expertise as an influencer's perceived knowledge or competence in a specific field. Students interviewed for the study valued influencers who could discuss educational content from a place of genuine understanding, based on their own personal experiences or research. One student noted, "It gives me a feeling that the influencer knows what they are talking about which affects my feeling towards the brand or topic." The research found that alumni who are now well-known figures are perceived as highly credible sources of information about their former universities. This expertise, according to both students and marketing experts, enhances brand love by making the content more reliable and relevant to the audience's needs and concerns. * Attractiveness:This characteristic extends beyond physical beauty to include likeability, familiarity, and a sense of similarity between the influencer and the audience. Tarek's findings show that while physical appearance remains a component, an influencer's likeability—derived from being genuine, friendly, and approachable—is what truly enhances the emotional connection with a brand. The study suggests that repeated exposure to an influencer fosters a sense of familiarity, which builds a strong emotional bond. This bond makes their messages far more persuasive than those from distant, unattainable celebrity figures. * Homophily:This refers to the perceived resemblance between the influencer and the audience, which Pansey Tarek's research highlights as a pivotal, yet under-researched, factor in the Egyptian context. The study found that students feel a stronger emotional bond with universities endorsed by influencers who "feel like them," sharing similar values, academic goals, or life struggles. This shared identity fosters a sense of community and belonging, which in turn strengthens brand loyalty. The experts interviewed agreed that this relatability is essential for forging a strong emotional bond with a brand. This dimension of influence is particularly powerful in higher education, where prospective students are often seeking a place where they feel they can fit in and thrive. From Research to Reality: A Real-World Look The qualitative research, which involved a content analysis of social media platforms and screenshots of student comments, offers a vivid look at how this plays out in the real world. Tarek's analysis of TikTok comments revealed a direct link between an influencer's post and a university's brand perception. When a well-known influencer posts a video featuring a university, students frequently flood the comments section with questions about their university experience, its fees, and application processes. Some comments praised the university, while others asked for specific application information, demonstrating the tangible impact of influencer content on student engagement and brand perception. The research offers a range of practical and actionable recommendations for university marketing teams. The study suggests that universities should conduct thorough background checks and enter into long-term collaborations with influencers who are already actively involved in the student body or are trusted alumni. By strategically choosing influencers who embody these four characteristics, educational institutions can create more effective branding policies and build sustainable emotional connections with both current and prospective students in Egypt's highly competitive market. The full paper, "The Impact of Social Media Influencers' Characteristics on Egyptian University Undergraduate Students' Brand Love in the Private Higher Education Sector in Egypt," was submitted by Pansey Tarek and presented to Dr. Alaa Tarek at ESLSCA University.
