IMPACT OF PARTICULAR MARKETING COMMUNICATION INSTRUMENTS ON REGISTRATION OF STUDENTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN KOGI STATE

Abstract Student recruitment has become competitive: forcing institutions to find efficient, fast and effective means of providing prospective students with information while they are in the process of deciding the significance of this study is represented by its attempt to identify the effect of selected marketing communication tools in terms of enhancing student enrolment in Private Schools in Kogi State. Independent variables under study are; public relations, advertising, personal selling and direct marketing: the dependent variable is student enrolment. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Correlation was undertaken to determine the relationship between the dependent (student enrolment) and independent variables (public relations, advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing) addressing the effect of selected marketing communication tools on student enrolment in private Schools. Probability-simple random sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size of 125 respondents from 25 Private Schools in Kogi State. Descriptive data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Chi-Square test of significance). Statistical program for social sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The results reveal that print media; newspapers, brochures and alumni networks were rated highly as the most effective marketing communication tools to provide information to prospective students. This is due the wide reach and reliability of these tools. The study found out that advertising plays a critical role in enhancing student enrolment in private Schools. The study also found out that most Schools have not embraced the use of social networks to use as student recruitment tools. Technological advancements are changing how student recruitment is being conducted in higher learning institutions in targeting the techno-literate prospective students. The study established that internet use through university websites had a high usage rate which was equally indicated by student use in accessing university information. Websites are therefore effective marketing communication tools in enhancing student enrolment numbers. Traditional marketing communication tools like billboards, posters, radio, university newsletters, and alumni magazines were rated as less effective tools to reach and provide information to prospective students in bid to increase student enrolment numbers. Key words: marketing communication tools; student enrolement; private Schools