Insights into Commercial Promotion on Social Media Platforms
Based on College Students’ Usage Habits
Ning Bai
School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, China
Keywords: Social Media, College Student, Usage Habits, Commercial Promotion.
Abstract: As a unique and influential group, college students’ usage habits on social media have a great impact on the
commercial promotion on the social media platforms. The present study starts with the usage time and time
period, and the usage motivations of the college students to summarize and discuss the possible impact of
users’ usage habits on social media commercial promotion by sorting out the existing studies. Then, based on
the above analysis, the optimization suggestions could be proposed for social media commercial promotion
addressing the particularity of the college student users. The study results show that advertisers should
appropriately reduce the quantity of advertisements on social media according to the usage time of the college
students, and provides more precise delivery of advertisement during specific time periods. In addition, based
on the usage motivations and needs of college students, the entertainment and sociability of promotion should
be improved.
1 INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the college students have gradually
become an important audience group for major social
media platforms. Unlike users of other age groups,
college student users typically exhibit longer usage
time, more regular usage patterns, and motivations
that lean more towards entertainment and sociability.
As a user group with high activity level and high
consumption potential in social media platforms, their
unique usage habits have a great impact on the content
and format of commercial promotion. Only by starting
from the subjective feelings of college student users
can advertisers optimize the positive impact of
advertising on the college student demographic,
improve acceptance, and thus realize the original
intention of advertising. Therefore, studying the social
media usage habits of college students is an important
means to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of
promotion. In the existing study discussing the
relationship between usage habits and the acceptance
of advertisements on social media, few of them
focused on the user group of college students. The
present study organizes and summarizes recent related
research, aiming to analyze the uniqueness of the
college student demographic and the impact of their
usage habits on commercial promotions within social
media. The goal is to guide the healthy development
of social media advertising and enhance the
advertising experience for college student users.
2 THE IMPACT OF USAGE
HABITS ON THE
COMMERCIAL PROMOTION
WITIN SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS
The present study refines social media usage habits
into two parts: usage time and time period, usage
motivations; at the same time, it breaks down the
effectiveness of commercial promotions into
advertising acceptance which means consumers’
attitudes and behavioral responses to advertising
content, and the degree of impact advertisements
have on consumer decisions.
2.1 Usage Time and Time Period
In order to study the influence of social media usage
time on commercial promotion, the survey data
on“The relationship between social media usage time
and advertising attitudes” in a certain study was
Bai, N.
Insights into Commercial Promotion on Social Media Platforms Based on College Students’ Usage Habits.
DOI: 10.5220/0013991300004916
Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2025), pages 333-337
ISBN: 978-989-758-778-8
Proceedings Copyright © 2025 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda.
333

based on. The survey uses the quota sampling
method to sample quotas for three demographic
factors, including province, gender and age. At the
same time, different regions and age groups are
assigned different distribution weights based on
regional differences and network user structure
differences, which enhances the practical
significance of the questionnaire. According to the
data of this survey, the relationship between social
media usage time and attitudes towards advertising
is an inverted U-shaped curve opening downward
(Figure 1). This indicates that as social media usage
time increases, attitudes towards advertising initially
improve gradually, but after reaching a certain point,
they begin to decline progressively (Xuan & Lin,
2019). In a duration of proper using, the users’
attitudes towards advertisements will become more
and more positive with the increase in usage time;
while surpassing the inflection point, which is more
than 18 hours of usage per week, users’ attitudes
towards advertisements and usage time become
negatively correlated. Attitudes grow increasingly
negative as usage time continues to increase (Xuan
& Lin, 2019). At the same time, in another study, the
writer pointed out a similar opinion, “Facebook
activity negatively correlates with mood”. This kind
of negative mood is also a significant factor
influencing people’s attitudes towards
advertisements (Sagioglou & Greitemeyer, 2014).
Alt Text for Graphical Figure[31 words]: A line chart showing attitudes towards advertisements on social media on the y-
axis, which first increase and then decrease as usage time (hours) rises on the x-axis, peaking at 18 hours.
Figure 1. Inverted U-shaped curve model
In addition, besides the impact usage time has on
attitudes towards advertisements, the usage time
period is also a significant factor that advertisers need
to consider. According to the latest report on China’s
internet development, the usage time periods of
various social media applications exhibit significant
differences and patterns, with peak usage times
closely related to users’ daily behaviors (CNNIC,
2025). For example, the peak usage time of food
delivery apps is pronounced, which has a strong
correlation with the users’ dining hours.
2.2 Usage Motivations
In order to learn about the consumers’ attitudes
towards advertisements on social media platforms,
advertisers should consider their usage motivations at
first (Lin, Chen, Xuan, & Cheng, 2022). According to
Statista, by April 2024, the top social media platforms
by global usage are Facebook, YouTube, and
Instagram (Statista, 2024). Moreover, these three
platforms have one thing in common: they combine
both entertainment and sociability. So, a preliminary
conclusion can be drawn: users primarily use social
media platforms to fulfill their entertainment needs
and social needs. Most social media users are easier
to have positive attitudes towards those platforms that
2.55
2.6
2.65
2.7
2.75
2.8
2.85
Attitudes towards advertisements on
social media
Usage time
PRMC 2025 - International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication
334

can satisfy the two needs,and this positive attitude
towards social media may translate into same
attitudes towards advertisements on social media.
In order to prove the importance of entertainment
in social media advertising, according to a paper
which explores three cognitive factors influencing
users’ attitudes towards websites--perceived
informativeness, perceived entertainment and
perceived irritation, they find out that perceived
entertainment is positively related to attitude towards
the site through subsequent analysis (Gao & Koufaris,
2006). And being interesting can give a reason for
customers to engage with it (Kaplan & Haenlein,
2010). Furthermore, another study demonstrated the
importance of fulfilling social needs through the
analysis of questionnaire data. The data results reveal
that peer influence on social media is positively
correlated with attitudes towards social media
advertising, that is, the greater the social media peer
influence, the more positive and receptive users are to
social media advertising (Lin, Chen, Xuan, & Cheng,
2022).
3 INSIGHTS INTO
COMMERCIAL PROMOTION
BASED ON THE UNIQUENESS
OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT
DEMOGRAPHIC
Based on the above analysis, the present study has
preliminary learned about the impact usage habits
have on commercial promotion on social media.
Next, the present study aims to conduct a detailed
analysis based on the uniqueness of the college
student demographic, thereby providing insights for
advertisers on how to promote effectively on social
media platforms targeting this group.
3.1 Based on the Impact of Usage Time
and Time Period
According to Statista, compared with other age
groups, the college student demographic have longer
usage time on social media platforms weekly (Statista,
2024). The majority of college student users exceed
the inflection point of 18 hours per week on the U-
shaped curve. According to the above analysis, after
surpassing the inflection point, users’ attitudes
towards advertising and usage time become
negatively correlated. Which means that attitudes
become increasingly negative as usage time increases
(Xuan & Lin, 2019). Extending from this finding, for
the college student demographic, the greater the
volume of social media commercial promotions, the
stronger the potential negative attitudes they may
evoke. Therefore, the advertisers should
appropriately reduce the quantity of ineffective
advertisements and lower the frequency of their
placements in college student demographic.
In the situation of reducing the quantity of
advertisements, the advertisers can focus on the
impact of usage time period to achieve better
promotional outcomes.
The daily routines of college student users are
characterized by strong regularity and high
repetitiveness, with each time period generally
corresponding to specific types of activities. Thus,
advertisers can utilize the correlation between
specific usage periods and the particular activities of
college students, aiming to align commercial
promotions with these usage periods for targeted
advertising. For example, increase the volume of food
delivery advertisement placements during the peak
meal times; expand promotions for study and daily
life products before the start of the school term, etc.
3.2 Based on the Impact of Usage
Motivations
Considering that users from different groups have
varying motivations, the impact of fulfilling these
motivations on attitudes towards social media
advertisements may also differ across groups. So it is
necessary to take the heterogeneity of college student
social media users into consideration, examining the
unique characteristics of social media advertising
targeted at this demographic. Among the user bases
of the world’s top three most popular social media
platforms--Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, the
18-30 age group accounts for the highest proportion,
indicating that these three platforms are highly
popular among the majority of college student users
(Statista, 2024). So college student users’ needs of
entertainment and sociability may even be higher than
other age groups. The advertisers should take full
advantage of this point, enhance the entertainment
and sociability of commercial promotion on social
media platforms.
In terms of entertainment, given the recent
popularity of TikTok, Snapchat and other short video
platforms among college students, the commercial
promotion on social media can also draw inspiration
from the format of short videos. Advertisers can
design concise and fast-paced content, utilize rapidly
changing scenes and music to meet users’ needs for
Insights into Commercial Promotion on Social Media Platforms Based on College Students’ Usage Habits
335

quickly accessible entertainment information. In the
purpose of capturing the attraction of college student
users, what cannot be ignored is the need to integrate
content that relevant to college students. Advertisers
should listen to them and find out what they might
find interesting and enjoyable. For example, Apple’s
short video advertisement Behind the Mac —
University showcases real-life scenarios of college
students using Macs, recreating the chaotic scenes of
college life (such as staying up late, rushing to
complete assignments), enhances the humorous
effect. At the same time, with the help of lively
background music and profound emotional
resonance, it successfully captures the attention of the
college students.
In terms of sociability, the above analysis shows
that the greater the peer influence on social media, the
more positive users’ attitudes towards social media
advertisements and the higher their acceptance.
Obviously, so do the college student users. Due to the
limitations in age and experience, etc., college
students may be even more easier to be influenced by
peers and external factors. Meanwhile, compared
with traditional promotion methods, firms can
achieve more efficient and cost-effective direct
engagement with end consumers by using social
media (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). The speed of
dissemination has increased, and the level of mutual
influence among users has achieved a qualitative
leap. In view of the characteristics of the demographic
and the era, advertisers should enhance the
interactivity and engagement of advertisements,
encouraging college student users to create and share
content more actively. An engagement of one user is
highly likely to trigger the involvement of their peers,
thereby creating a ripple effect that drives mutual
engagement. So the key discussion points become
ways to enhance college student users’ engagement
with advertising interactions and to generate broader
discussions about promotions within college students.
From the perspective of content design, content
that closely relates to daily campus life and resonates
emotionally with college students is more likely to
inspire their sense of identification and desire to
share. For example, incorporate campus culture and
trending topics into advertising content by
appropriately integrating popular campus memes. In
2020, Burger King launched a “Student Whopper”.
The advertisement depicted college students during
finals week, burning the midnight oil to complete
assignments, who then revive after eating the
“Student Whopper”. Or the advertisers can choose to
be a storyteller. A study has proved through
experiments that narrative in storytelling advertising
improves branding and promotional efforts. The main
character’s experiences resonate deeply with the
audience, as they see reflections of their own lives in
the character’s experiences--a phenomenon best
explained by the concept of perceived similarity in
identification (Kang, Hong, & Hubbard, 2020). So
telling some stories about the campus life may
provide valuable insights. From the perspective of
presentation format, to enhance the dissemination and
engagement within the college student demographic,
advertisers should utilize the key role of Key Opinion
Leaders (KOLs)--an influential peer figure. While the
reach of individual ordinary users is limited, the
influence radius of KOLs carries significant weight
and yields greater impact. Based on a study about the
advertising effectiveness, KOL has a larger follower
base which amplify the reach of commercial
messages, thereby harnessing the scalable potential of
word-of-mouth (WOM) communication (De
Veirman, Cauberghe, & Hudders, 2017). Also, KOL
can enhance electronic word-of-mouth and increase
purchase intentions (Eelen, Özturan, & Verlegh,
2017). The practice of personally testing products and
promoting them to the public substantially bolsters
the credibility of advertising (Sokolova, & Kefi,
2019). Moreover, according to the emerging
adulthood theory, college students which are between
18 to 25 are in the crucial phase of identity
exploration, and the rebellious psychology serves as
a manifestation of their self-discovery and challenge
to social norms (Arnett, 2000). That is why one-way
communication modes in advertising diminish
audience receptivity, while user-generated content
and word-of-mouth can generate significant sales
impact without the high costs (Stephen & Galak,
2012). It is necessary to engage with the college
student demographic and foster two-way interaction.
Translate from giving users the “answers” to asking
for “answers” from the users. Recent years, numerous
advertising campaigns have successfully facilitated
two-way interaction. The app “Nike Run Club”
launched by Nike serves as an exemplary case in
point. It can keep track of running data, and enables
users to share run live and keep their friends and
family running alongside them. Rather than using
one-way communication, Nike expands brand
influence through social sharing and peer-to-peer
influence on social media.
4 CONCLUSION
The present study reveals that, the usage time of
college student users on social media is longer than
PRMC 2025 - International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication
336

other age groups, which may cause stronger
resistance and lower acceptance towards social media
advertisements. Thus, focusing on college student
demographic, the advertisers should reduce the
quantity of advertisements appropriately and conduct
targeted placements based on specific usage periods
to optimize promotional effectiveness. Furthermore,
the present study finds that college students exhibit
stronger usage motivations rooted in entertainment
and sociability, and demonstrate higher acceptance
and engagement levels towards social media
advertisements that fulfill their needs for recreation
and interpersonal interaction. So the advertisers ought
to take prompt action to enhance the entertainment
value of advertisements and utilize the mutual peer
effects within college student demographic to attract
greater engagement. The present study focuses on
college students as the target user group. By
recognizing their pivotal role in social media
ecosystems and substantial consumption potential, it
reveals how these factors can enhance social media
advertising’s influence on purchasing decisions,
thereby demonstrating considerable commercial
value. However, the present study does not cover all
potential variables that may affect usage habits, such
as family background and personal interests, which
may cause the risk of one-sided analysis. In addition,
usage habits of college students on social media are
in a state of dynamic change, so the present study may
exhibit lag effects. Future studies should
comprehensively incorporate various usage habit
influences, conduct phased dynamic monitoring, and
ensure data timeliness.
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