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Promotion is now an essential tool for any educational institution, regardless of its size or type. In a competitive environment where educational institutions compete for the attention of potential students and parents, effective promotion is necessary to ensure their visibility and attractiveness. In addition, promotion allows the building of an institutions reputation, showcasing its achievements and improving its relations with the public (Paladan, 2018; Pitonáková, 2014). Promotion of an educational institution is not only about increasing the number of students, but also about shaping its image and identity in the eyes of the public. Highlighting the unique aspects of the educational programme offered, as well as highlighting the quality of the teaching staff, infrastructure and extracurricular activities, is an important part of this communication. In the case of private educational entities, promotion is often an essential element to financial sustainability, as these institutions must secure sufficient interest from students to cover their operating costs and further development (Hermawan & Walid, 2024).
For this reason, an educational institution must behave similarly to a commercial enterprise. While a business entity tries to reach as many potential customers as possible to sell its products or services, an educational institution should be able to attract potential clients, i.e., students and, in the case of lower levels of education, their parents. Marketing communication in the context of educational institutions is perceived as a two-way dialogue between actual or potential customers (students), partners and the wider public (Cerná etal., 2015; Cábyová etal., 20044).
The need for effective, targeted and well-designed communication by educational institutions is addressed by the researchers ofan APVV Project: Roadmap ofa Digital Platform Providing AI (Artificial Intelligence) Automation of Decision-Making Processes in the Field of Communication Strategy. Within the project, extensive quantitative research was carried out, which focused on the analysis of the profiles of private educational institutions in Slovakia on the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram (namely kindergartens, private primary schools and private secondary schools). Using the Zoomsphere analytical tool, 446 profiles of educational institutions were analysed. Data collection from profiles on these platforms was defined for a period of one year, from March 2023 to March 2024. The main objective of the research was to examine the nature of the social media, specifically the number...