Factors that influence the millennial customer to engage with a Facebook page : a case-study of a selected university in South Africa

Abstract: Customers, such as those who are millennial students, will only reveal their true needs and wants to the people they trust, and only when they can engage with them. Social media marketing tools, such as Facebook marketing, can allow Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) (such as universities) to engage with their students, and build loyalty, brand equity, and positive word-of-mouth. For universities to know their target audience better, they need to investigate the factors that influence the engagement of their students with the university’s Facebook page. This study thus applied the technology acceptance model (TAM) of social media. A descriptive, quantitative research method and non-probability quota sampling technique were employed at a selected university, realising a sample of 399. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to determine the factors that influence student engagement with a Facebook page. The results indicated that all seven hypotheses were accepted and that perceived ease of use (EU), critical mass (CM), capability (CP), and perceived playfulness (PP) influence the perceived use (PU) of a Facebook page. Furthermore, PU influences the intention to use (IU) the Facebook page, where trustworthiness (TW) influences IU