<![CDATA[Social media has become a strategic tool for marketing Islamic educational institutions in the digital era; however, many Integrated Islamic Elementary Schools (SDIT) have yet to manage it in a planned and systematic manner, leaving its potential to enhance institutional competitiveness underutilized. This study aims to analyze the implementation of social media-based digital marketing strategies, identify supporting and inhibiting factors, and formulate a digital marketing strategy model capable of boosting the competitiveness of SDIT Bina Ilmu Pemalang. A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving informants—specifically the school principal, public relations/marketing staff, teachers, and parents—selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model (data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing), with data validity verified through source and technique triangulation. The results indicate that the use of social media (Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp) at SDIT Bina Ilmu Pemalang has contributed to increased school visibility and a positive image, although management remains hindered by a shortage of competent human resources and a lack of structured content planning. The study's novelty lies in the formulation of a social media-based digital marketing strategy model that practically integrates the planning-implementation-evaluation cycle with the marketing mix (7P) within the context of an Islamic elementary school. Practically, this study offers guidance for administrators of SDITs and similar Islamic educational institutions in designing more structured and sustainable digital marketing strategies to enhance competitiveness amidst increasingly intense inter-institutional rivalry.]]>
