MEASURING THE IMPACT AND PERFORMANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE ADVERTISEMENT

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of social media key performance indicator (KPI) metrics on students’ engagement with online advertisements, guided by Social Influence Theory. Using a quantitative design, data were collected from 300 undergraduates through structured questionnaires and analysed with SPSS. The findings showed that KPI metrics not only measure engagement but actively shape students’ perceptions of credibility, relevance, and value in digital advertising. Overall, 85.7% of students engaged with social media metrics, demonstrating near-universal attentiveness to likes, shares, and views. Trending content emerged as the strongest driver of interaction, as students were more likely to engage with advertisements tied to viral topics, memes, or challenges. Comment activity further boosted participation by offering social validation and opportunities for dialogue, while likes served as quick visual cues of popularity and quality. Perceptions of relevance were also heavily shaped by engagement levels, reflecting the role of social proof in influencing behavioural intentions. Specifically, 69.3% of respondents admitted that ad view counts affected their perception, while 85.7% agreed that highly engaged ads appear credible. From a strategic perspective, students overwhelmingly recognised the role of metrics in business success. Across brand recognition, ad success, strategic adaptation, performance reliability, and sustainability, agreement consistently ranged from 76.1% to 82.0%. Similarly, around 80% reported being influenced by trending cues, comments, likes, and shares. The study recommends that advertisers targeting young audiences should leverage trending content, foster interactive discussions, utilise engagement signals effectively, and promote transparency to build trust. Limitations included the single-university focus and cross-sectional design, suggesting the need for broader, multi-institutional and platform-specific future research.