Analisis Pengaruh Word Of Mouth Dan Promosi Sosial Media Terhadap Keputusan Memilih Program Studi Bisnis Digital Politeknik Negeri Bengkalis

This study aims to analyze the influence of Word of Mouth and Social Media Promotion on the Decision to Choose the Digital Business Study Program at Bengkalis State Polytechnic. The research employed a quantitative method with an associative research design. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to respondents who were students of the Digital Business Study Program at Bengkalis State Polytechnic. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with a non-probability sampling approach.
Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to examine the effect of Word of Mouth (X₁) and Social Media Promotion (X₂) on the Decision to Choose the Study Program (Y). Hypothesis testing was conducted using the t-test (partial) and the F-test (simultaneous). The results of the analysis indicate that Word of Mouth and Social Media Promotion have a positive and significant effect on the decision to choose the Digital Business Study Program at Bengkalis State Polytechnic.
Specifically, for the Word of Mouth variable, recommendations and positive experiences shared by family members, friends, and alumni received the highest assessment from respondents. Meanwhile, for the Social Media Promotion variable, attractive, informative, and easily accessible information delivered through social media became the most important factor considered by respondents in choosing the study program. Furthermore, for the Decision to Choose the Study Program variable, information searching and evaluation of alternatives were the main considerations before respondents decided to enroll in the Digital Business Study Program at Bengkalis State Polytechnic.