Effects of Social Media on Customer Buying Decision - Example

The paper 'Effects of Social Media on Customer Buying Decision ' is a wonderful example of a Media Capstone Project. The decision-making process of any rational customer usually considers another of both internal and external factors. These factors contribute significantly to the ultimate decisions reached. One of the external factors entails the information available within the social networks and sites courtesy of the improved technology. The introduction of the social media platform has been one of the greatest determinants in the decision-making process of customers. Usually, the decisions made are highly influenced by the social networks that are created on social media platforms. There is a number of social media platform which has been introduced in modern times. All these sites create a social network that allows interaction and exchange of ideas among various users across larger geographical regions. The growth in the number of users of these social media platforms has necessitated businesses to immensely advance their marketing and provision of product information to the customers through such sites. Nearly every modern business seeks an indulgence with customers across social media due to the high dependence created by the users of these social sites

This study focused on developing and understanding of how social media has influenced customers on their buying decisions. The central emphasis considered in the study is the ways through which the customer buying has been influenced by the introduction of various social media accounts. The study has relied on the use of descriptive analysis of secondary data as the sole source of research information. The methodology has considered a number of relevant secondary materials to compose the body of research information, analysis, discussion, and conclusion.

INTRODUCTION

Technological advancement is one of the greatest strides which have been taken in the business world. The advancement of technology has seen the innovation of new trends and creativity which have had a lot of impact on modern business. These changes have been prominent at the start of the millennial age where significant contributions into the corporate world started being witnessed. One of the phenomenal advancements in technology regards the creation of social media as one of the technological platforms. These refer to online sites that bring people from different walks together and allow for the exchange of ideas, views, and decisions. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp among many others have significantly contributed to the running of the business across the world. These platforms have been arguing to have both positive and negative effects on the buyers. The buying or purchasing decision made by customers has been one of the most researched areas due to the large extent by which it is influenced by internal and external factors (Agnihotri et al. 2012).

The social media stands out as one of the influencing aspects of buying decisions that are made within the market. Buyers always need to have a motivation so as to push them towards making specific purchase decisions. These motivating factors have a great impact in any market since it can motivate or even discourage a certain person from making a decision to buy a particular product service. The use of social media has been one of the modern technological issues towards influencing such buying decisions. Many scholars agree unanimously on the positive and negative impact f these social media platforms towards influencing decisions in the market. Many people have relied on the information existing on social media platforms so as to adopt particular decisions to buy or not to buy certain products (Anderson 2012). Proponents of social media argue that the extent of socialization and changes of the idea within these sites have had a significant impact on influencing purchasing decisions. On the other hand, antagonists assert that social media have had less contribution or negative contribution to the prospective customers in the market.