Emotional Digital Storytelling as a Driver of Social Media Engagement in Higher Education: A Multi-Platform Analysis

Abstract

Digital storytelling has become a central component of emerging communication strategies, particularly in competitive higher-education environments where audience attention and engagement are increasingly mediated by social platforms. This study evaluates the impact of an emotional storytelling format—Historia(s) de Universidad (HdU)—implemented by the University of Murcia (UMU), comparing its performance with traditional institutional content across Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. A dataset of 6096 posts (September 2020–September 2023) and 25,636 audiovisual items was analysed using descriptive metrics, negative binomial and quasi-binomial regression models, and a differences-in-differences (DiD) design aligned with the formal launch of HdU in September 2022. The results indicate that emotionally driven storytelling posts consistently outperform institutional content in terms of visibility and interaction: HdU posts nearly double the engagement rate (OR ≈ 2.0) and increase interactions by 80% (RR ≈ 1.8; p < 0.001). The DiD analysis indicating a variation associated with the implementation of HdU with no pre-existing trends. Findings demonstrate that emotional narrative formats constitute an effective strategic tool for digital communication management, reinforcing institutional identity, enhancing stakeholder relationships, and contributing to reputation-building in higher education. The study highlights implications for the design of narrative-driven digital communication and offers pathways for future research combining quantitative performance metrics with qualitative audience insights. The study discusses practical implications for crafting narrative-driven communication strategies and identifies avenues for future research, such as combining quantitative performance data with qualitative audience insights to deepen understanding of storytelling’s impact in university contexts.