Factors Influencing TikTok Video Advertisements on Intentions to Enroll in Higher Education Institutions Among Generation Z’s Middle Eastern Students in Malaysia
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This conceptual paper explores the influence of TikTok video advertisements on the enrollment intentions of Middle Eastern Generation Z students in Malaysia. As social media becomes increasingly central to student recruitment, TikTok’s dynamic, short-form content offers new opportunities for higher education institutions to engage tech-savvy, digital-native audiences. Despite its growing popularity, limited research has examined how specific elements within TikTok ads influence international students’ decision-making processes. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study proposes a framework that incorporates both the core TPB constructs, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, and advertising-specific attributes such as emotional appeal, entertainment value, and informativeness. The aim is to conceptually examine how these factors interact to shape students’ behavioral intentions to enroll in Malaysian higher education institutions. By extending TPB to include advertising elements, this paper addresses a key gap in current literature on digital marketing in higher education. The findings of this conceptual discussion are expected to provide theoretical insight and practical guidance for institutions seeking to optimize their TikTok marketing strategies to attract international students. This study contributes to the broader understanding of social media’s role in shaping consumer behavior in the educational sector, particularly within the context of international student recruitment. The proposed framework lays the foundation for future empirical research and offers marketing professionals a clearer direction for creating impactful, student-centered advertising content on emerging platforms.
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