Digital Communication Strategy Of Communication Students In Building Entrepreneurial Personal Branding Through Social Media

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media has transformed communication patterns and economic activities, including among university students who utilize digital platforms to promote their businesses. However, many students still use social media mainly for product promotion without applying a structured personal branding strategy. This study aims to analyze the digital communication strategies used by Communication Science students at Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu in building entrepreneurial-oriented personal branding through social media. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation of Instagram accounts, and documentation involving students who run businesses and use social media as a promotional medium. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that students have begun utilizing social media to establish their business identity; however, the implementation is still inconsistent. Most of the content focuses on product promotion rather than presenting personal values, uniqueness, and continuous audience engagement. The study concludes that students’ digital communication strategies are still basic and not yet systematically planned. Strengthening personal branding requires message consistency, clear identity, and active interaction with audiences to support entrepreneurial development.