From learners to brand advocates : Students as micro-influencers in digital and social media marketing in occupational education

Abstract

Marketing of post-secondary education (university or professional certification) has traditionally relied on established marketing techniques. In an environment where marketing departments are expected to achieve more with fewer resources, a shift towards embedded, self-sustaining advocacy becomes increasingly relevant. By integrating current students as social media micro-influencers, institutions can leverage peer-based communication as a structured extension of their marketing efforts, rather than leaving student advocacy to develop organically and without strategic direction. This paper presents the Three-Touchpoint Advocacy Model as a theoretical framework. This model systematises pre, mid, and post-education stages of learner engagement as a foundation for advocacy formation. It builds on the relationship between student satisfaction, perceived educational value, and institutional image and explains the mechanism through which these factors contribute to positive online word-of-mouth. By structuring communication across key stages of the student journey and incorporating post-learning community activation, the model further outlines how current learners emerge as credible communicators to prospective students, rather than merely describing this process. In high-cost educational contexts, trust-based mechanisms such as word-of-mouth and peer validation become increasingly influential relative to traditional paid advertising. As financial and personal investment increase, prospective students tend to rely more heavily on the experiences of current learners, further reinforcing the role of students as contributors to institutional credibility and visibility. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.