Influence of Social Media Marketing on the Purchase Intention of Gen Z

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of social media marketing on the purchase intention of Gen Z. A self-administered questionnaire is developed and distributed to 424 respondents who are born after 1994. Independent sample t-test and multiple linear regression model are used for statistical data analysis. The study finds social media marketing more effective than the traditional method of marketing on Gen Z indicating that social media marketing has a positive impact on their purchase intention, brand awareness, product perception, brand loyalty and customer-business interactions. It also reveals that developing the brand awareness, brand loyalty, product perception and customer-business interactions through social media marketing can ultimately influence the purchase intention of Gen Z. This paper addresses the differences in the purchase intention of those who prefer social media ads over traditional ads. It also highlights the importance of social media in marketing communications which help companies in retaining their customers and optimising search engine rankings.

 Keywords: Social media marketing, Purchase intention, Product perception, Brand awareness, Brand loyalty, Customer-business interaction, Gen Z