<![CDATA[This study examines the utilization of digital branding in Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions through Instagram, focusing on a case study at SPS Sekar Melati Ngoropoh, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. The institution has an Instagram account, but it has been inactive since 2019 due to the absence of a structured content management plan, the lack of designated personnel responsible for digital content, and limited digital literacy among institutional managers. The creativity of ECE institutions in maintaining active Instagram engagement significantly influences institutional development and serves as a key determinant in achieving organizational goals, as active digital presence in today’s digital era is an indispensable necessity. Therefore, every ECE institution needs to develop a planned, consistent, and contextually adaptive digital content strategy to remain competitive and sustain its existence in an increasingly digital-literate society. Furthermore, active engagement on digital platforms can serve as a strategic medium for building institutional image while also enabling the public to assess the quality and credibility of an ECE institution from the perspective of prospective parents and the wider community. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach, This study examines the utilization of digital branding in Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions through Instagram, focusing on a case study at SPS Sekar Melati Ngoropoh, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. The institution has an Instagram account, but it has been inactive since 2019 due to the absence of a structured content management plan, the lack of designated personnel responsible for digital content, and limited digital literacy among institutional managers. The creativity of ECE institutions in maintaining active Instagram engagement significantly influences institutional development and serves as a key determinant in achieving organizational goals, as active digital presence in today’s digital era is an indispensable necessity. Therefore, every ECE institution needs to develop a planned, consistent, and contextually adaptive digital content strategy to remain competitive and sustain its existence in an increasingly digital-literate society. Furthermore, active engagement on digital platforms can serve as a strategic medium for building institutional image while also enabling the public to assess the quality and credibility of an ECE institution from the perspective of prospective parents and the wider community. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed inductively through stages of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the institution’s Instagram engagement rate falls below the optimal average of 5–8%. A total of 70% of parents still learn about the institution through word of mouth, despite the fact that 100% of parent respondents actively use Instagram and 87.5% consider Instagram content quality a key factor in determining their trust in an institution. The primary barrier is not limited technology access, but rather the absence of strategic awareness and digital literacy among institutional managers. This study produces the 3C-PAUD Model (Content Foundation, Consistency Building, Community Engagement) as a practical operational framework for small-scale ECE institutions in rural areas.]]>
