THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA

ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

IN SUBMISSION OF PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF SEMESTER II FOR
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS.

SOHINI CHATTERJEE (21BSP1263)

SHRADHA DABRIWAL (21BSP1257)
SANDIPAN DE (21BSP1248)
SANGRAM KESHARI MOHAPATRA (21BSP1249)
RITIKA DAS (21BSP1236)
RITWIKA GHOSAL (21BSP1239)
  
 INTRODUCTION
A study based on the decision process of consumers for purchases widely
influenced by social media. The emergence of social media, as related to
consumer consumption, includes the development of new channels of
communication, new ways to engage and interact, and new ways to research
products and services. With these new conveniences consumers have become
increasingly connected, demanding, and conscientious. Individuals over the
globe utilize social media to interface with others. We have seen the world
being transformed daily by these new collective technologies, which is giving a
new hope to organizations with impacts which were never considered to exist
initially.
Today, most organizations are mainly interested in incorporating social media
into the business structures of their organization, but do not have a proper
know-how of what social media is all about. The value that social media adds in
organizations is huge as an increasing number of organizations are already
endorsing and exploiting the various opportunities in social media technological
innovation.
From all around the world people have begun to utilize online networking, for
example, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on to share their encounters. In
the course of the most recent decade, the World Wide Web has seen a
multiplication of client-driven web advancements, for example, web journals,
informal communities, and media sharing stages. By and large, called web-
based life, these innovations have empowered the development of client created
content, a worldwide network, and the distribution of shopper feelings.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
The advent of social media in forms similar to Twitter and Facebook are
beginning to have large implications on business practices and academic
literature alike. Over the last few years, many academic research papers have
investigated the role of social media in the business world. Twitter has been
analyzed to look at the role it plays in a variety of marketing areas to include
helping brand and promote businesses (Greer and Ferguson 2001).
As Grant (2007) mentioned, traditional distribution channels have suffered as
consumers now use online purchasing due to easier access to product/service
information. Companies use customer centric approach to create a social
network and interact with all of their target group.
By using social media, consumers can create content and offer valuable advice
to others. This new development has seen online communities and an electronic
network of individuals emerge on social platforms where members share
information globally and quickly (Molly McLure & Samer 2005).

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of social media on
buying behavior of consumers.
1. To examine buyers’ perception towards shopping online.
2. To examine factors that motivate buyers to shop through social media
platforms.

HYPOTHESIS

NULL HYPOTHESIS: There is no significant relationship between social

media channels and buying behavior of consumers.
ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS: There is a significant relationship
between social media channels and buying behavior of consumers.
 METHODOLOGY
 Data Type – Primary Data
 Data Collection – We sent the questionnaire using various social media
sites to people from different age groups.
 Study Type – Study based on Primary Survey
 Sample Size – 120 Respondents
 Sampling Technique – Stratified Random Sampling (Stratified random
sampling is a method of sampling that involves the division of a
population into smaller sub-groups known as strata. In stratified random
sampling, or stratification, the strata are formed based on members'
shared attributes or characteristics such as income or educational
attainment.)
 Tools Used for Analysis – Google Form for preparing the questionnaire
and Google Spreadsheet

PROPOSED FINDINGS
We will be conducting the study from the viewpoint of the consumer. The goal
is to establish a relationship between social media sites and their impact on
consumer behaviour. Through our research we are expecting to identify the
reasons regarding how social media has shaped/changed consumers’ buying
decisions.

LIMITATIONS
 The study was limited to a specific time period. Thus, it cannot be used to
analyze behaviour over a period of time as the timing is not guaranteed to
be representative.
 As cultures and values change from country to country, consumer’s
buying behaviour may also vary. A study involving many countries
should be conducted on this topic for more accurate and generalized
results.
 QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name
2. Age
15 – 21 years 22 – 35 years 36 – 45 years 46 – 55 years 56 years &
up
3. What is your employment status?
i) Employed
ii) Unemployed
4. What is your occupation?
i) Student
ii) Academician/ Teacher
iii) Corporate Employee
iv) Doctor
v) Self Employed
vi) Others (Please Specify): ______
5. What is your Gender?
i) Male
ii) Female
6. Social Economic Status: (How do you identify yourself)
i) Lower Class
ii) Middle Class
iii) Upper Class
7. Before a purchase, where do you search for more information?
i) In traditional media (TV, Radio, Newspaper)
ii) In Internet (Social Media)
8. How often do you do online shopping?
i) Everyday
ii) Monthly
iii) 1-2 times in a year
iv) Weekly
9. In a typical day, about how much time do you spend using social
networking websites?
i) Up to 1 Hour in a day
ii) Between 1 – 3 Hours in a day
 iii) More than 3 Hours in a day
10.Which social media tool do you use most often when buying products
online?
i) Facebook
ii) Twitter
iii) Instagram
iv) Youtube
v) Google+
vi) Blogs
11.About how many brands do you currently follow over Facebook?
i) Up to 2 Brands
ii) Between 3 – 5 Brands
iii) Between 6 – 10 Brands
iv) More than 10 Brands
12.Answer Yes/No
 Does the social media page of the brand affect your vision?
 Is the presence of a brand on social media important for you?
 Do the contents, comments or shares related with the brands on social
media cause a change in your perception?
 Is it positively affecting the brand image if the brand follow up
complaints, questions, comments and respond them?
 Do you mention your satisfaction or dissatisfaction to inform others
about your experiences?
 Regarding your preferred brands, do you ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ any of
them on social media?
 Have you ever bought anything unplanned do you to social media
exposure?