Monye, Michael
&
Osio Joyce E.
Department of Marketing, Southern Delta University
Ozoro, Delta State, Nigeria
michaelmonye19@gmail.com || osiojoyce19@gmail.com
Abstract
This study examined the influence of influencer partnership strategies on the institutional performance of private universities in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The increasing proliferation of private universities in the region has intensified competition for student enrolment, thereby creating financial and reputational pressures for many institutions. Despite the growing importance of digital marketing, particularly influencer partnerships, many universities have yet to fully adopt and formalize these strategies. The study therefore investigated the extent of adoption of influencer partnerships and their effects on student enrolment, financial sustainability, and institutional reputation. A survey research design was adopted. Primary data were collected from 247 respondents drawn from selected private universities in the South-South region of Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.81, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive statistics, Karl Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyse the data and test the hypotheses. The descriptive findings revealed that private universities moderately adopt influencer partnership strategies, particularly through collaboration with micro-influencers, the use of trackable links, and allocation of marketing budgets for influencer campaigns. Correlation analysis indicated that the extent of adoption of influencer partnerships had a weak but statistically significant positive relationship with student enrolment outcomes (r = 0.237, p < 0.01), while its relationship with financial sustainability was weak and not statistically significant (r = 0.021, p > 0.05). The relationship between influencer adoption and institutional reputation was negative but statistically significant (r = −0.241, p < 0.01). Regression results further showed that the extent of adoption of influencer partnerships significantly predicted institutional performance (β = −0.241, p < 0.05), although the explanatory power of the model was relatively low (R² = 0.058). Additionally, the influence on student enrolment and financial sustainability did not significantly predict institutional performance. The study concludes that while influencer partnership strategies are increasingly adopted by private universities, their impact on institutional performance remains limited when implemented in isolation. The findings suggest the need for universities to adopt more strategic, well-integrated influencer marketing campaigns that align with institutional branding and long-term recruitment objectives. The study recommends that private universities formalize influencer partnership programs, strengthen campaign evaluation mechanisms, and prioritize credible influencers whose values align with institutional identity to enhance enrolment outcomes, financial stability, and institutional reputation.
Keywords: Influencer Partnership, Student Enrolment, Institutional Performance, Financial Sustainability, Brand Perception