BRIEF OVERVIEW
Within the last decade the internet and the emergence of SNS (social networking sites) have grown considerably with today's internet culture. With the current technology age, individuals become more and more dependent on the internet as it is incorporated into their daily lives. With the continual growth of the internet and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., the emergent of e-commerce has become a large part of the economy.
Learning more about the effects of social media on purchase patterns will ultimately enable the growing e-commerce economy and ensure continual success. Already it can be found that many large name companies and brands have moved into the e-commerce space to appeal to certain demographics.
In a culture of fast acting and short-term indulgence, it is apparent that e-commerce will prevail for those too busy to go in-store. By analyzing social media and consumer purchase patterns via these social networking sites, brands and companies will be able to better appeal and market their products and services to consumers. Along with how companies and brands can use this to their advantage, this research will also help analyze the behaviours and reasons behind consumption via social media – to what extent does social media play on consumer purchase patterns, and which communication channel(s) most influence consumer purchasing
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• To what extent does social media play on the purchase patterns of individuals? Do they play a role at all?
• Which peer communication channel(s) has the most influence on purchase patterns?
PROCEDURES
PARTICIPANTS FOR STUDY:
An online survey was sent out and reached 156 students who actively use peer communication channels and social networking sites. In which 64.1% of participants who answered were females, and the rest being male.
The dominant age group who responded to the survey were those between the ages of 21-23, accounting for 46.2%, in which those taking up the age group were predominantly female. The second largest group of participants were between the age range of 18-20 years, and then 24-26 years old participants following who took up 21.8%.
MEASUREMENT
Some key variables in the study are social media usage and the opinions and behaviours of individual consumption pattern. Through key measurements, social media usage was defined as an independent variable, whereas consumption behaviours and patterns of consuming were defined as dependent variables.
Through survey analysis and results, an interval level of measurement was used that enabled data to be ranked and then compared. Scales of consumption such as common types of online purchases, social networking sites most used, and the types of advertisements noticed on these sites.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD:
Through a qualitative approach, the research was based on a Grounded Theory approach in which commonalities of subjective and objective experiences of individuals were studied. Qualitative conceptualization was used in order to develop new concepts and considered the relationship between peer communication and purchasing patterns. The research and findings were more dependent on spoken word and focused on a more interpretivism approach, as individual experiences and social constructs were analyzed through the distribution of online surveys.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Data was analyzed based on online media usage of individuals and was compared to data gathered on their consumption behaviour through the things they purchased the most online and which social media platform was used most. In addition, it was found that the social networking site had a considerable impact on the effect of sponsored advertisements on individuals. Those who more commonly chose Instagram as their top social networking site of choice were more likely to say that they have clicked on advertisements they have come across on that specific platform.
With 79.5% of participants having clicked on sponsored advertisements before, it is evident that those participating on social networking sites are more inclined to give into these consumption persuasions - most of which choosing to click on the sponsored advertisement due to the fact that the advertisement was either showing a product that was relatable to the individual (needing or wanted such product as advertised).
As a result, research analyzed was able to answer the research questions above in part. Facebook, Instagram and Youtube were the top three contenders when it came to the most used social media platform, as Facebook and Instagram tied for first and Youtube came in second. It is interesting to see this as Facebook owns Instagram. As Instagram seemed to have the most influence when it came to consumer purchasing, as users reported of seeing the most sponsored advertisements on this platform. This could potentially be due to the fact that Instagram is an image-based platform, allowing brands and e-commerce companies alike to promote their products and services through aesthetically pleasing graphics.
Social media seems to have a very large influence of consumer purchasing as participants noted they enjoyed online shopping more so than the traditional in-person shopping, due to its' diversity and conveniency. Additionally, all participants have noted they have purchased a product or service online previously in the past, adding to the familiarity of the online e-commerce space. In literature examined prior to the research study, it was found that not much research has been done in the past based on consumer purchasing and individual consumption. Moving forward, an emphasis on studying purchasing behaviours and motivators should be researched to gain a better understanding.