The Role of Interest in Mediating the Influence of Digital Promotion on Students' Decision to Choose a School at SMK Negeri 2 Pematang Siantar
Keywords:
Digital Promotion, Interest, Choice DecisionAbstract
The development of information technology and digitalization has changed the way schools promote themselves and attract prospective students. Social media, websites, and other digital platforms are now the primary channels through which schools convey information to the public. This study aims to analyze the role of interest in mediating the influence of digital promotion on students' decisions to choose SMK Negeri 2 Pematang Siantar. The digital promotion carried out by the school is expected to increase student interest, which in turn influences their decision in choosing a school. This study uses a quantitative method with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis to test the direct and indirect effects between the variables studied. The results show that digital promotion has a positive and significant effect on student interest, which then has a positive and significant effect on the decision to choose a school. Student interest was also found to act as a mediating variable between digital promotion and the decision to choose. These findings contribute significantly to the development of digital promotion strategies in vocational schools and provide a basis for managerial decisions to improve the effectiveness of promotion and the school's image in attracting prospective students.
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