Effect of Social Media Marketing on Students Participation in University Extracurricular Activities: a Case Study of Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria

This study aims to investigate the effect of social media marketing on student's participation in university extracurricular activities with a focus on Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the impact of social media marketing through WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram on student participation in extracurricular activities. A sample size of 374 students was drawn from the population of 5,751 Veritas University, Abuja students, using Taro Yamane's formula for determining sample sizes. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The results indicated that interestingly, WhatsApp appears to have a negative association with participation. This may be attributed to its primary use among students as a personal messaging platform, leading to promotional messages having an ineffective impact on students. Conversely, Snapchat and Instagram exhibit positive relationships with participation. These platforms, designed with marketing in mind, offer visually engaging features that may effectively promote extracurricular activities. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of platform selection in social media marketing strategies aimed at enhancing student involvement in university extracurricular activities.